Book excerpt: This collection offers the first systematic global and comparative history of textile workers over the course of 350 years. This period covers the major changes in wool and cotton production, and the global picture from before the Industrial Revolution through to the twentieth century.As well as offering a unique reference source for anyone interested in the history of a particular country's textile industry, this project provides a unique resource for international comparison. By providing standardised global studies of key textile industries and workers, both geographically and thematically, this book provides a comprehensive and contemporary analysis of a major element of the world's economy, allowing historians to challenge many of the received ideas about globalization. As such this collection will be welcomed by all scholars engaged in the history of the textile industry and international trade.