Companies in the Early Modern World: A Review of Recent Literature

Abstract Chartered companies provided one solution for the problems posed by long-distance trade in early modern world. Accordingly, these organisations have been studied exhaustively. Yet field is no means depleted, as books reviewed here attest. These six cover questions ranging from whether chartered acted real business or rather appendages of state power, relations between and states, institutional development corporate form, nature some “company-states.” In addition, two edited volumes deal with specific aspects noncorporate forms merchant organisation. The works raise new engage ongoing debates. review also raises a number issues which could be addressed future research, including dominance East India Companies our understanding form whole.