This book offers a global and comparative history of textile workers over the course of 350 years. This period covers the major changes in wool and cotton production (from artisan, via putting-out to factory production), and the global picture from pre-industrial times through to the twentieth century. The first part of the book is divided into twenty national studies on textile production. The countries described have been selected to include the major historic producers of woollen and cotton fabrics, and the diversity of global experience, an include not only European nations, but also Argentina, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Japan, Mexico, Turkey, Uruguay and the USA. The second part of the book consists of papers on topics including globalization and trade, organization of production, space, identity, workplace, institutions, production relations, gender, ethnicity and the textile firm.