Introduction -- pt. I. Theories of the global political economy -- Liberalism -- Realism and institutionalism -- Critical approaches to IPE -- Marxisms -- pt. II. The origins of global capitalism -- The transformation of European feudalism -- The making of the global economy -- Bretton Woods and the golden age -- pt. III. Structures, issues and agents -- Production -- Trade -- Money and finance -- The new economy and the transformation of labour? -- The political economy of the 'non-economic' -- Competition and cooperation between rich-country economies -- Problems of development and dependency : the state, capital and class in poor countries -- Global governance or the new imperialism -- Conclusions : what prospects for the state, capital and labour?