The theme of this volume, first published in 1997, is challenging both in its scale and in its scope. Its purpose is to take account of the state of research and writing on the symbiotic relationship between banking, trade and industry, and the state during the rise and expansion of capitalism, as well as to compare and assess the results in order to widen current perspectives. Topics range from the origins of banking in the Middle Ages, through the influence of banks in leading industrial economies as well as in 'latecomer' economies, to the expansion of banking in America and Asia.