This book examines the growth of the world silk industry. Professor Federico documents Western industrialization, the technical progress and the changing methods of production that enabled the silk industry to cope with increased demand. Silk became the first Japanese success story on the world market, with Italy retaining a sizeable share until labor was diverted as a result of its industrialization. Japanese industrialization also led its silk industry to a similar fate after the Second World War. | An Economic History of the Silk Industry 1830–1930 by Giovanni Federico, Paperback | Indigo Chapters