This book offers an in-depth historical perspective on the rise of capitalism, written by one of the leading scholars of the Global South. Arguing that globalisation is poorly understood, it offers a new synthesis of political and economic theory that sheds light on the consequences of rapid industrialisation world wide. Writing from outside the usual Western perspective, the book challenges many of the usual preconceptions about the impact of globalisation.

Prem Shankar Jha is a columnist and former editor of the Hindustan Times, New Delhi's main morning daily. He has worked as a consultant to the UN Centre for Human settlements and the World Bank. He has been a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University and a Visiting Professor and Lecturer at the University of Virginia. His books include The Twilight of the Nation State (Pluto, 2006) and The Perilous Road to the Market (Pluto, 2002).