Economic History i o i economy during the Napoleonic wars.618 It may be remarked that John has shown war to have been equally favourable to industrialization in the earlier part of the century.619 And a very important article by Eversley reminds us that in this period it becomes for the first time really possible to consider consumption at home and not only export abroad when esti- mating the state of industry.620 Even the story of economics is not always solid. We are asked to shed scepticism and believe that the entrepreneurs learned their business from the natural scientists.621 We are asked to regard the notions which the century applied to the care of its poor as less primitive than we used to think them.622 And we are asked to believe that all those treatises on agricul- tural improvements were particularly influential in France.623 Two local studies, in the main concerned with economic history but also very useful for explaining the local politics of the provinces at a time when their importance was steadily increasing: Chambers describes the great highway from the industrial Midlands to the sea, and Patterson describes what happened to a town in which an ancient, nearly decayed, tradition of manufacture suddenly experienced a most active revival.624 Lastly, one may note a few examples of social history. 618 Francois M. J. Crouzet, Ueconomie britannique ft h blocus continental 1806-1813, 2 vols. Paris: Presses Universitaires: 1958. Pp. 949. Rev: EHR 75, 6998*. eltA. H. John, 'War and the English economy, 1700-1763*, EcHR* 7 (1954-5), 329~44* 680 D. E. C. Eversley, 'The home market and economic growth in England, 1750- 1780*, Chambers Ft (n. 134), 206-59. *21 A. E. Musson and E. Robinson, Science and industry in the Industrial Revolution. Manchester UP: 1969. Pp. viii, 509. Rev: Hist 55, 134. 611 A. W. Goats, 'Economic thought and poor law policy in the i8th century', EcHR* 13 (1960-1), 39-51. 628 Andr£ J. Bourde, The Influence of England on the French Agronomts, i?50-i?8cj. CUP: 1963. Pp. xi, 250.