In this volume, an international team of scholars builds up a comprehensive analysis of the fiscal history of Europe over six centuries. The books is a fundamental starting-point for any understanding of the distinctiveness of the emerging European states, and it highlights the issue of fiscal power as an essential prerequisite for the development of the modern state. The contributors collectively underscore the importance of technical developments by the state, as well as its capacity to innovate. The greater detail and sophistication that defined the end of this period, however imperfect the techniques, are also emphasized.