Now that this book is being published as part of Hartinus Nljho££' s 'Studies in Industrial Organization'. I should like to point out two fac tors which strongly influenced the study. There would have been no project on this scale if the Peace Research coamittee of the Free University, Amsterdam, had not coamissioned a major empirical investigation into Western Europe'an defence industries and pro vided the funds and facUities needed to carry it out. I am grateful for this, for the committee's confidence and its patience, and for the unfail ing support of the secretaries at the Department of International Relations. The study was also submitted and approved as a doctoral dissertation at the Free University. I am deeply endebted to my supervisors, H.W. de Jong (University of Amsterdam). A.J. Vermaat (Free University), and G. Junne (University of Amsterdam). who gave me all the guidance and the encourage ment I needed. to H. Coppens and G. Faber. who were a constant source of advice and support. and to N. Brown (Birmingham University), F. Barnaby. and Th. van den Hoogen (Groningen University). who offered their comments on several occasions.