Ever since Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations appeared in 1776, the case for free trade—both its economic benefits and its moral footing—seemed settled. Yet in the insuing two centuries, many have attempted to restrict freedom of trade with claims about its deleterious effects. Irwin’s Against the Tide traces the intellectual history of free trade from the early mechantilists, through Smith and the neoclassical economists, and to the present. He shows how free trade has withstood theoretical assaults from protectionists of all stripes—and how it remains the most effective means for bringing prosperity and peace to people throughout the world.