In the course of writing this book I seem to have contracted debts of Brazilian proportions. The research upon which it is based was begun in Belfast under the tutelage of Professor R. D. C. Black whose patient efforts to steer me to a more profound understanding of the work of past economic writers served both to enlighten and enthuse. A Peterhouse Research Studentship enabled me to continue my labours, supervised by Maurice Dobb, whose death in 1976 removed not only a great academic but also a source of personal inspiration. It was, paradoxically, through this loss that I gained the guidance of two people without whose constant encouragement, interest and support this book would not have been written – John Saville and Phyllis Deane. It is difficult to give suitable expression to the debt which I owe them but it was their faith and confidence in what I was doing which saw me through when others, who deservedly must remain nameless, counselled despair.

I have also benefited from the criticism and comments of Gareth Stedman Jones, Greg Claeys, Michael Ignatieff and Gavin Kitching – the latter's continuing capacity to evince an interest in what I have to say about the Ricardian socialists meriting some kind of award for intellectual tolerance. I would also like to make particular mention of the penetrating dissection of my PhD thesis during a memorable (for me) viva voce with Professor A. W. Coats.