Are we ruined by the Germans?

The author examines contemporary claims that competition from Germany is devastating British commerce, using trade statistics, commodity case studies (salt, chemical dyes, soap, agricultural manures) and chaptered analysis to dispute exaggerations and misrepresentations. He argues that exports and markets show continued expansion, that Germany often serves as an important customer as well as a competitor, and that price and production fluctuations complicate simple narratives of decline. A final chapter urges caution against protectionist remedies and presents appended correspondence with a critic to illustrate contested interpretations of the data.