Third volume of the critically-acclaimed series stressing maritime trade as the driver of world history, wealth-creation, technologiical inventiveness, art and literature. This book tackles the Maritime Enlightenment, which spurred economic liberalism and humanitarianism, unlike its continental version, breaking free from historic attitudes to slavery and serfdom, contextualising current debates on imperial history. The immediate cause of America's War of Independence is revealed to be about illegal maritime trade. Jefferson and Madison never understood the latent wealth-creating power of US trade, misdirecting energies for some years. US north-south divisions were exacerbated by trade tariffs more than than slavery. The failure of France's Revolution and Germany's 20th-century wars were also failures to appreciate its importance. The post 1945 rise of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, China and UAE were directly because of their encouragement of maritime trade and shipping. Britain's decline was heralded by political indifference then hostility, contrasting with its previous encouragement; its greatest strength. Nick's chapter on shipping's efforts to achieve net-zero is a must read for anyone involved in the green debate. Written by someone at the heart of maritime trade since the 1970s, the series is an important counterweight to political history we are usually fed, a different way of thinking about the world, past and present. AUTHOR: Nick Collins read History at Magdalene College Cambridge. After nearly a four-decade career in shipping in London, Tokyo, Singapore and Dubai, as Director 1989-2014, MD in Singapore 1991-96, COO in Dubai 2010-2014 and authoring the well-regarded Essential Guide to Chartering and the Dry Freight Market his understanding of maritime trade is based on having done business worldwide with some of the world's largest companies. This third book from deepest antiquity follows the acclaimed first two. His blend of academic and practical expertise uniquely positions him to write this book. Website - Maritimetradehistory.com 16 b/w illustrations