Review of Selected Books on Business History Published in Japan in 2024

This research book gives a detailed account of the development of the British postal service from ancient times till the present day.In Part I and Part II is traced the history of the British postal service, with the formation process of the postal system being highlighted.In Part III, concrete investigations are conducted into how each of the transportation methods, namely, horse, railway, sailing ship, steamship, and airplane, was introduced to mail transport.This study looks into the British postal service from broad aspects.Especially in Part I, Part II, and Chapters 18 and 19 (in Part III) that deal with mail transport by ship, it is emphasized that the British postal system developed in close connection with the politics and economy of the country.For example, it is demonstrated how prevailing economic thoughts affected the postal business in each era.Although private postal entrepreneurs emerged during the period of mercantilism, the state strengthened its monopoly over the postal service by, for instance, forcing them out of the business on the grounds that they were interfering with state business.During the nineteenth century, the postal service became an enterprise contributing not so much to national finance as to national welfare.During the latter half of the twentieth century, it was turned into a public corporation.Then, it was privatized in the twenty-first century.The study follows these historical changes.The book also looks into institutions and systems related to the postal service that are still in use even today.The topics include the establishment of the prepayment system of postal charges, the introduction of postage stamps, and the installation of mailboxes.Many pages are allotted to explanations of how they came to be used.Therefore, even readers with little knowledge about the British history can read it with interest.Moreover, this book refers to a number of important research books and academic papers on the postal service in both Britain and other countries.That helps readers to deepen their understandings of the historical backgrounds of their own research subjects.This research book provides a good opportunity to start studying economic and business histories of Western countries while offering support to the development of research on specific subjects.