Unravelling the Origins of Globalization: A Historical Perspective

Review of the book The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World — and Globalization Began by Valerie Hansen

Abstract

Globalisation began in the year 1000 AD. At least, that's what the esteemed Yale historian Valerie Hansen claims in her well-researched book. Why was this year chosen as a particularly important one? How does she define globalisation? By answering these two key questions, we will get to the core of the author's argument. Let us consider these questions in turn.