Global Electrification: Multinational Enterprise and International Finance in the History of Light and Power, 1878-2007

Description

This book examines how multinational enterprises and international finance influenced the course of electrification around the world. Multinational enterprises played a crucial role in the spread of electric light and power from the 1870s through the first three decades of the twentieth century. However, their role did not persist, and by 1978 multinational enterprises in this sector had all but disappeared, replaced by electrical utility providers with national business structures. Yet, in recent years, there has been a vigorous revival. This book, a co-operative effort by the three authors and a group of experts from many countries, offers an analysis of the history of multinational enterprise. The authors take an integrated approach, not simply comparing national electrification experiences, but supplying a truly global account.

Review of the hardback: 'This is a definitive study which will long be valued by business, financial and technological historians and, it is to be hoped, will also inspire new perspectives in such related fields.' Financial History Review 'The novelties of multinational finance that accompanied - and made possible - the electrification process throughout the world constitute the focus of this ambitious book ... this book enriches the understanding of how electric-power systems evolved ...' The Journal of Interdisciplinary History