Harwood's well-researched analysis of various ‘Green Revolution’ programmes from 1870 to 2011 summarizes why some failed and others were apparently more successful. Success is largely attributed to public-funded research and development, especially plant breeding which focused on the needs of small peasant farms and developed varieties of crops that were better adapted, more sustainable and higher yielding, than those from the private sector.

This excellent book should be read by all those concerned with poverty alleviation in developing countries, particularly donors, agricultural scientists at the CGIAR centres and those with similar responsibilities at the World Bank, NGOs and like development organizations.

Harwood's arguments are largely based on historical evidence from farms in southern Germany between 1870 until 1945. He demonstrates clearly that peasant-friendly plant breeding was a better model for poverty alleviation than those developed by private sector breeders. However, he admits that both institutional dynamics and politics played a major role in decision-making and the subsequent impact on resource allocation.

Harwood is to be congratulated on his clarity of thinking, particularly in pointing out the contradictory actions of the World Bank and other short-sighted decisions, for example, those taken by Thatcher's government in the early 1980s, in closing PBI at Cambridge, UK.

Two criticisms; maps showing the changing boundaries of Germany during this period and the location of the German plant breeding stations referred to would be very helpful. Finally, the publisher's price tag puts this book beyond the reach of many potential readers.