Spain belongs to the group of European peripheral economies where the diffusion of the British Industrial Revolution failed during the 19th century, as Professor Jordi Nadal underlined half a century ago.

This book presents the analysis of leading economic historians on the long-term economic development problems which made Spain a backward economy before industrialization later took hold. The book begins by revisiting the thesis of the failure of the First Industrial Revolution with updated data and methods and analysing the modernization of key manufacturing activities, with contributions from specialists in the history of these industries. By contrast, the next sections of the book explore the Second Industrial Revolution in Spain which appears to have been a remarkable success during the 1914-1973 period. The contributors in this section look to explain the reasons why the experience of industrialization was so different this time around. The book explores the reasons why Spain again lagged behind during the Third Technological Revolution, albeit with mixed experiences in different manufacturing industries. Finally, the last part of the book focuses on the reasons for the Spanish performance during the ICT era and the challenges for 21st century economic development in a country with a very uneven path of industrial growth.

This book will be of great interest to readers in economic history, business history, economics, economic sociology, political science, industrial development, and Spanish history more broadly.