Blood and Treasure

Duncan Weldon explores the important role of economics in all aspects of warfare from the age of the Vikings to the present-day war in Ukraine.

About the event

Throughout history, wars have been expensive, both in human and monetary terms. Since the British Civil Wars of the mid-17th century, the phrase ‘blood and treasure’ has been used to encapsulate these costs.

In this latest book, Duncan Weldon looks at the history and economics of warfare, examining how incentives and institutions have changed over time. He surveys how warfare may have driven Europe’s rise to global prominence and explains how the ‘total wars’ of the 20th century required a new type of strategy, one that took economics seriously.

Along the way, Duncan asks whether Genghis Khan should be regarded as the father of globalisation, explains how New World gold and silver kept Spain poor, notes how pirate captains were pioneers of effective HR techniques, and assesses if economic theories helped to create a tragedy in Vietnam.

Additional information

This event is eligible for our 20% ticket bundle discount.

Book tickets to three or more different events across the festival and you can save 20%. Tickets must be purchased in the same transaction and the discount will automatically be applied within the basket.

About the speaker

Duncan Weldon is a writer and broadcaster, and a regular commentator on television and radio. He was previously the Britain Economics Correspondent and Economics and Finance Correspondent at the ‘Economist’, the Economics Correspondent for ‘Newsnight’ – the BBC’s flagship nightly current affairs show – and a columnist for ‘Prospect’ magazine. He has written and presented several documentaries for BBC Radio 4, including ‘World War Two: The Economic Battle’.