Lending to the Borrower from Hell: Debt, Taxes, and Default in the Age of Philip II

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Why do lenders time and again loan money to sovereign borrowers who promptly go bankrupt When can this type of lending work As the United States and many European nations struggle with mountains of debt, historical precedents can offer valuable insights. Lending to the Borrower from Hell looks at one famous case--the debts and defaults of Philip

Reviews

"A thoroughly enjoyable economic history book with great relevance for the present debate on sovereign borrowing."--Diane Coyle, Enlightened Economist "Lending to the Borrower from Hell is a wonderful example of what becomes possible when one takes economic theory on a trip to the archive and actually reads the small print of each contract. It provides for the first time an economically sound explanation for Spain's ability to borrow in the sixteenth century that actually fits the facts. That is an outstanding achievement."--Regina Grafe, EH.Net "[T]his innovative monograph substantially enriches our understanding of Castile's government borrowing, as well as the nature of sovereign default in early modern Europe. And it will most certainly conquer a central place in the literature and future debates on public debt and finance from a historical perspective."--Benoit Marechaux, CritCom "Intensely researched."--Elvira Vilches, Renaissance Quarterly

Author Bio

Mauricio Drelichman is associate professor in the Vancouver School of Economics at the University of British Columbia and a fellow in the Institutions, Organizations, and Growth program of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Hans-Joachim Voth is ICREA Research Professor in the Economics Department at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, where he is also a member of the Centre for Research in International Economics. He is the author of Time and Work in England during the Industrial Revolution and coauthor of Prometheus Shackled.