Britain and France were the leading industrial nations in 18th-century Europe. This book examines the rivalry which existed between the two nations and the methods used by France to obtain the skilled manpower and technology which had given Britain the edge - particularly in the new coal-based technologies. Despite the British Act of 1719 which outlawed industrial espionage and technology transfer, France continued to bring key industrial workers from Britain and to acquire British machinery and production methods. Drawing on a mass of unpublished archival material, this book investigates the nature and application of British laws and the involvement of some major British industrialists in these issues, and discusses the extent to which French espionage had any real success. In the process it presents an in-depth understanding of 18th-century economies, and the cultures and bureaucracies which were so important in shaping economic life. Above all, the late John Harris saw the history of industrial espionage as "one means of restoring the thoughts and activities of human beings to the centre stage of industrial history". These are the stories of individuals - Holkers, Trudaines, Wilkinsons, or Milnes - and their impact on the world.

Britain and France were the leading industrial nations in 18th-century Europe. This book examines the rivalry which existed between the two nations and the methods used by France to obtain the skilled manpower and technology which had given Britain the edge - particularly in the new coal-based technologies. Despite the British Act of 1719 which outlawed industrial espionage and technology transfer, France continued to bring key industrial workers from Britain and to acquire British machinery and production methods. Drawing on a mass of unpublished archival material, this book investigates the nature and application of British laws and the involvement of some major British industrialists in these issues, and discusses the extent to which French espionage had any real success. In the process it presents an in-depth understanding of 18th-century economies, and the cultures and bureaucracies which were so important in shaping economic life. Above all, the late John Harris saw the history of industrial espionage as 'one means of restoring the thoughts and activities of human beings to the centre stage of industrial history'. These are the stories of individuals - Holkers, Trudaines, Wilkinsons, or Milnes - and their impact on the world.

The author, John R. Harris was born in 1931. At the age of 7, he moved to the Utah State Penitentiary to begin a 10 year period of his life. His father, John E. Harris became Warden of the prison in the 1930's. "John Robert Harris wrote this book filled with gripping tales of escapes, the death of a prisoner by firing squad and how Harris as a young boy, was able to get inmates to work for him for pennies-on-the-dollar." Mandy Feder, Managing Editor of the Lake County Record Bee would write in her article that appeared in the paper on September 21, 2011. Warden John E. Harris was referred to as, a quiet, strong man with a purpose of helping men and boys while being the Chief of Police and the Warden of Provo, Utah John was a boy and he learned many lessons while growing up in the prison. In 1993, after having a triple bypass heart surgery, he taped these stories on a recorder and then his wife transcribed the tapes to paper. It was meant to be a memoir for his children and grandchildren. However, by repeated requests, we decided to turn these stories into a book for the general population. Our hope is that you enjoy reading this account of his childhood as much as his family savored these stories through the years