This collection of essays investigates the socio-economic role and historical significance of peasant populations across global contexts. Edited by E. J. Hobsbawm, the volume serves as a scholarly tribute to the work of Daniel Thorner, a prominent historian of agrarian economies. The contributors utilize historical analysis and economic data to examine the structural challenges and developmental trajectories of rural societies. The text provides a rigorous framework for understanding how peasant classes have interacted with broader political and economic systems throughout history.

Experts recognize this volume as a significant contribution to the field of agrarian history and a vital resource for understanding the intellectual legacy of Daniel Thorner. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the specialized focus on historical economic structures.