g pagesof the book the author does concede that the US was no unilateral free trader.Running alongside this idiosyncratic view is an account of the British economythat is surely at odds with the facts. It is a picture of pathetic feebleness:'Great Britain faced a future of decline and hardship. Its once predominantglobal position lay in tatters' (p.2O). 'Their economy was in a shambles ...'(p.39).While the book is well written there is a danger of the story being presentedin overly dramatic terms (hinted at in the title), and at times a frivolousand dismissive tone creeps in -- 'From his perch in the Treasury Department,Keynes ...'. And there are occasional lapses in accuracy such as that theCommonwealth had moved to a discriminatory trading system in the 1930s (theDominions had been giving preferences from the 1890s), or, for example, thatthere were tariffs on meat. Too much of the story reads as if the world beganaround the time of the study. This is a pity for it is an important subjectand one from which business historians can learn and to which they cancontribute.Prime Minister John Howard can claim a victory at the Commonwealth Heads ofGovernment Meeting (CHOGM) with the summit embracing his call for a statementdemanding freer world trade.Mr. Howard had been pushing for the Commonwealth to make a strong stand on theneed to relax trade barriers ahead of this month's World Trade Organization(WTO) ministerial talks in Seattle.Following their weekend retreat, Commonwealth leaders released a declarationcalling on all nations to dismantle trade barriers and enhance exportopportunities for poorer countries."We support efforts that would enable developing countries to build up theirskills and manufacturing capacities, including the production and export ofvalue-added goods, so as to enhance growth and achieve prosperity," thedeclaration said."Likewise, we urge that the forthcoming ministerial meeting of WTO launch thenext round of global ...
