François Crouzet is one of the most distinguished economic historians in the world whose life's work has been largely devoted to the study of European industrialization. In Britain Ascendant, a collection of essays spanning his career, he examines the rise of Britain to the position of dominance in the world economy in the nineteenth century and the concomitant decline of France. Special attention is paid to the problems of capital formation, foreign trade and the Empire. In later chapters, Crouzet examines the Anglo-French relationship up to the present day, attacking conventional wisdom and offering new perspectives on issues such as the Industrial Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.