Why is the ‘new global order’ so disorderly? How has globalisation created a fragile and unstable financial system, fostered unfair international trade, allowed capital to move around the world virtually unregulated and produced dysfunctional institutions like the European Union and the United Nations? The Ascent of Globalisation answers these questions by delving into the history of globalisation, from its origins, at the end of the Second World War, to the present day.

Harry Blutstein has written a highly accessible history by telling the story of globalisation through intimate portraits of nineteen of its most influential architects. Engaging anecdotes, telling personal details and accounts of the off-stage dramas enliven each of the stories, many of which have never been told before. By going behind the scenes, The Ascent of Globalisation reveals how the fundamental building blocks of international organisations — the World Bank, IMF, UN, WHO and World Trade Organization — as well as the rules that govern international markets, depended on the ideas, drive and skill of these pioneering architects.  It also shows that the design of global rules and institutions has been profoundly affected by the war of ideas between liberals and neoliberals, lobbying by transnational corporations and the demands of realpolitik, as nation states wage a rearguard defence of their sovereignty.

As a result, globalisation is deeply flawed. The Ascent of Globalisation will appeal to both general readers, and secondary and tertiary students who are looking for a comprehensive introduction to globalisation. The Ascent of Globalisation (ISBN: 978-0-7190-9971-7) is available from: Manchester University Press, Amazon UK, www.amazon.co.uk and in the United States from Oxford University Press.

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