The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries saw many ambitious European rulers develop permanent armies and navies. War and the State in Early Modern Europe examines this military change as a central part of the political, social and economic transformation of early modern Europe. This important study exposes the economic structures necessary for supporting permanent military organisations across Europe. Large armed forces could not develop successfully without various interest groups who needed protection and were willing to pay for it. Arguing that early fiscal-military states were in fact protection-selling enterprises, the author focuses on: Spain, the Dutch Republic and Sweden the role of local elites the political and organisational aspects of this new military development War and the State in Early Modern Europe offers an impressive insight into the conditions surrounding the growth of military organisations in Europe, and will appeal to European and Military historians alike.

从亨利八世到伊丽莎白一世，英国与法国、西班牙、爱尔兰之间的争战，导致国库严重亏空，要靠王室商人去欧陆张罗、协商、谈判贷款。本书的主题，是16世纪都铎王朝外债的筹措与偿付，主角是众所皆知的人物：以“劣币驱逐良币”（格雷欣法则，Gresham's Law）闻名的Sir Thomas Gresham（1519—1579）。全书分5篇（13章）与5个附录，主轴是格雷欣如何筹借外债，如何谈判借款的数额、利率、期限，如何操作英镑的汇率。