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.