A History of Economics: The Past As the Present by John Kenneth Galbraith
A history of economics from the 5th century BC up to the present day, this concentrates on the economists of the past, such as Adam Smith, Paveto and Marx, and discusses the economic developments (mercantilism, the industrial revolution, the rise of the working class) which gave lead to their ideas. Galbraith's many books include The Affluent Society, The Great Crash 1929, The Nature of Mass Poverty and The Anatomy of Power.