Exploring the Silk Roads: Uncovering a New History of the World

jdmcox: I loved the first 15 chapters. The history of the in-between world I didn't know. Outstanding. But when I reached chapter 16, which was concerned with the events leading up to WWI, the writing changed to being very much in depth, and became a different kind of book, one which tried to make sense of events by trying to understand what was behind the beliefs of the leaders of the major countries involved. In depth. So, excellent history evolved into a much deeper attempt to understand 20th century interactions of the major countries of the world. The first 293 pages of history made the book great for me.

United States on Dec 30, 2023

M D Nelles: Ancient history parts good. Too much focus on “recent” history which is rapidly dating itself as lacking prescience. Should have stopped somewhere around WW2 to Iranian revolution, and if necessary to look at more recent times than more discussion on Turkey, India/Pakistan and a broader brush than only America since 1970 or thereabouts (except in the conclusion chapter)

United States on Dec 26, 2023

Michael N.: Best version of the history and stories I've ever read about the time, people and business.

United States on Dec 04, 2023

Amazon Customer: The good reviews have said it all. I picked this up (along with the great game) for as prep books for a trip to Uzbekistan. (Will hopefully cover other silk route spots later). With some careful pacing and a deadline to spur me, this was my fastest reading of a 500+ page book. I think some familiarity with the names, empires, characters involved helped me with the speed. Overall, breezy read with a good perspective of a world that was incredibly well connected despite all that we think of the past.

India on Nov 20, 2023

Ignacio Gomez Maya: Offers a wonderful sight of the ignored human history. Goes beyond typical academic scope. Openeye of the new world order that is comming.

Mexico on Apr 15, 2023

Fernando: Um livro longo e detalhista, requer muita paciência. Li em partes ao longo de vários meses. Muito interessante e bem escrito.

Brazil on Jul 01, 2022

Jawad ShuaibJawad Shuaib: The history of civilization is astonishingly short. It spans a mere 70 generations. Although many volumes would be needed to unsheathe its record, the truth is, as a collective, we haven’t been around for that long.

This book interprets history as it unfolded along the silk roads.

The fertile crescent was a melting pot for civilization. Weak empires became kindling for new ones. Tolerance became a staple feature of societies that were self-assured and confident in their identity – and when they wavered, they were swallowed by others.

As people began to settle, so did their faith and fortune. Humans collectively benefited from a long streak of progress; but the fruits were not evenly spread: Europe, for much of history, was peripheral.

Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama catapulted Europe from a terminus on the edge of the silk roads to the center of the world. Adam Smith in his famous book “The Wealth of Nations” identified the discovery of Americas and the passage to India by the Cape of Good Hope as the greatest and most important event in history.

Adam Smith was right, except that history of the world is not history of the West...

Canada on Feb 01, 2021

Jin: When someone recommend me this book, I have expected to read something totally different.

I was raised in Germany so most of history lessons were focused on Ancient Rome, World War I & II and a bit of basic history including Columbus finding America, US American main historic events and so on. Since I have an Asian background, I already kind of sensed that history is told and perceived differently from every country or culture. Therefore, it was very interesting to read this huge collection of historical facts from the point of view from the „middle of the world“.
It’s so packed with facts and compressed to show the main events that I was very slow to read through each page chewing through every fact.

I actually expected to see kind of a more subject commentary of the author on how history is currently being told in different cultures. Nevertheless, I also liked how this book was composed of; it felt like a mini-lexicon which skimmed through world history going through the forgotten protagonists and countries who actually played a huge role. But I can imagine that this book may feel too heavy and too much to those who are just beginning with world...

Germany on Nov 30, 2020

kyounghwa esther sung: THE SILK ROADS by Peter Frankopan
A New History Of The World

It's true to say that history is a story told by the winner. It's all very well to get a big head and wield a sword as a now victor; but it's of pivotal importance to remember that forces on the other side or on the periphery would be flexing their muscles, on the alert for a chance to settle scores.

Peter Frankopan, a historian based at Oxford University and the author of THE SILK ROADS, has a prodigiously profound insight on historical events and is an extraordinarily hard-working researcher which we know from 100 pages of notes and bibliography accompanying 507 pages of text. This book is something none other than Peter himself couldn't have written. He pulled multiple strands together in this single great work. An epic story indeed! Incredibly informative and compellingly attractive. This ambitious book spans centries, continents and cultures. It shows a historical tapestry woven with his epochal perspective: how cultures, slaves, products, natural resources, religions and ways of life have been traded for over two thousand years; how the center of powers has changed so far and which it's heading...

United States on Jan 02, 2017

Avid Reader: I don’t know how you enjoy reading your books, but unlike the page-turners that can’t be put down, if a book grabs my attention, I tend to slow down my pace to absorb as much as possible of the full meaning that the author intends to impart.

At 10% this book had me hooked. The realisation of how our present way of life is just a continuation of societal systems, laws and principles that were devised, implemented and set down centuries ago was a real eye opener.
I am now at around 60% and continue to be enthralled at how heavily the historical background impacts on almost every important current event and crisis that we encounter today and how different the impressions and mental pictures that emerge from the book are to those portrayed and imparted by our media.

If you are interested in why the world is what it is today, you cannot get a better more interesting precis of what events caused us to reach the state of current global development and you will better understand (but not justify) the unrest in which we live.

Staring from Roman days BC, the first 16 chapters (aprox 40% of the book) take you on an evolutionary trip through the major events,...

United States on Sep 25, 2016