Lewis Wade is a Marie Sk¿odowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at Leiden University (2023-25). His thesis won the British Commission for Maritime History's Boydell and Brewer Prize (2021) for the best doctoral thesis in maritime history.

Introduction

Part 1: Insurance, Privilege and Commercial Policy
1 The Royal Insurance Chamber and Colbertian Commercial Policy, 1664-1683

2 The Royal Insurance Company and Privilege in Post-Colbertian Commercial Policy, 1683-c. 1700

3 'Over thirty leagues from the sea': Paris, Information Asymmetries and State Intervention

Part 2: War, Maritime Commerce and Empire
4 Underwriting in War and Peace: Fortune and Failure in the Royal Insurance Chamber, 1668-1672

5 In the Absence of the State: The Royal Insurance Company, the Atlantic Empire and Neutral Shipping, 1686-1698

Part 3: Law, Conflict Resolution and the Absolute Monarchy
6 'In the time of the Ordonnance': Insurance, Law and Maritime Jurisdiction

7 'Impavidum ferient': Reputation, Conflict Resolution and State Propaganda in the Royal Insurance Chamber, 1668-1686

8 'Nec hostes nec mare terrent': Reputation, Conflict Resolution and Privilege in the Royal Insurance Company, 1686-1701

Conclusion: Privilege at a Premium

Appendix I (online)
Appendix II (online)

Bibliography
Index