Second edition of the classic historical study on the political economy of deregulatory reform before the French Revolution A new edition of Kaplan's landmark study on eighteenth-century French political economy, reissued with a new Foreword by Sophus A. Reinert. Based on comprehensive archival, Kaplan's classic work constitutes a major contribution to the study of the subsistence problem before the French Revolution and the political economy of deregulatory reform. 'This is a book of social history that renews the old political history. It is an economist's investigation that raises questions about collective psychology, mentalities, and levels of culture...[a work of] erudite virtuosity...a great work.' — Daniel Roche, Collège de France 'Broadly conceived, richly detailed, thoroughly researched in the national and local archives, and generously larded with suggestions for future study, this is a piece of work that must delight and inform any student of France under the Old Regime. It is likely to remain, for many years to come, the definitive work on the subject.' — Keith M. Baker, Stanford University