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calyxconcision's review against another edition
5.0
This book was incredible. It described the way our world has been built up, torn down, and rebuilt; through trade and commerce, religion, and international relations between countries. It looks into how conflict, regardless of where it is, affects us all. How what our governments choose to spend their money on affects all of us, even if we believe it has "nothing to do with us" because it doesn't affect us directly. It shows how everything is connected between The Silk Roads, and how we, as people, are all connected between them, too.
cck13's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
5.0
More than a refresher — it’s a refreshing new perspective on world history. I learned so much. Strongly recommended for anyone who cares about history. Or foreign policy and diplomacy. Or science and culture. Or military history. Thank you Peter Frankopan!
xxstefaniereadsxx's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
The Silk Road refers to a network of trade routes that connected Africa, Asia, and Europe. These routes were essential for moving goods, people, and ideas across the continent. This book offers a lot of information about the type of items moved across these routes, as well as how vital the routes were in the migration of people and the spread of information and ideas. This book was suggested reading for one of my classes, and I was pleased with what I learned from it.
mrs_bonaventure's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a long time to get through this, and at times it frustrated me for various reasons, but by the time I’d finished I felt I’d learned a lot. This region is neglected by our colonial, Eurocentric version of history that starts with the Greeks, then the Romans, then the Dark Ages and then Charlemagne.... on and on to the European liberal ideal. This view of history is much more cyclical, cynical, and challenging to the supremacy of European values. No nation is innocent. No one is untainted by war, slavery, unequal trade, oppression, conquering ambition. It makes me wonder (much as Cloud Atlas did, fictionally), whether there is any hope that the strong will not forever devour the weak.
The accounts of ancient cities are fascinating, great lost metropolises like Merv, or the past glories of Baghdad and Alexandria. The author describes well how trade routes developed, thrived, became superceded or displaced, much as did religions as empires came and went. Occasionally there is a lack of explanatory detail that means the book leaps from one st of circumstances to another - the reader understands what happened, but not really why - I found these gaps really annoying and wasn’t sure whether the elisions were from lack of space in a “popular history” book, or lack of knowledge in the first place.
However the most impactful chapters for me were those of the 20th C, particularly the lead up to the First World War - I had not realised how pivotal Russia was, how the aftermath of the Crimea fed European paranoia and aggression, how Germany almost felt compelled to strike first, pinned between Britain, France and Russia.
And the chapters on the Middle East, and the acquisition of oil by the European (and later American) powers, and their hanging on to it at all costs - literally, including the Gulf Wars and their consequences - are pretty shocking. It’s not that I didn’t know this before - anyone can see that the Middle East has been carved up and manipulated for oil - but these chapters lay it bare, government after government, pursuing the interests of the West at the expense of the ordinary people of those regions. It’s pretty disgraceful when you take the long view.
The accounts of ancient cities are fascinating, great lost metropolises like Merv, or the past glories of Baghdad and Alexandria. The author describes well how trade routes developed, thrived, became superceded or displaced, much as did religions as empires came and went. Occasionally there is a lack of explanatory detail that means the book leaps from one st of circumstances to another - the reader understands what happened, but not really why - I found these gaps really annoying and wasn’t sure whether the elisions were from lack of space in a “popular history” book, or lack of knowledge in the first place.
However the most impactful chapters for me were those of the 20th C, particularly the lead up to the First World War - I had not realised how pivotal Russia was, how the aftermath of the Crimea fed European paranoia and aggression, how Germany almost felt compelled to strike first, pinned between Britain, France and Russia.
And the chapters on the Middle East, and the acquisition of oil by the European (and later American) powers, and their hanging on to it at all costs - literally, including the Gulf Wars and their consequences - are pretty shocking. It’s not that I didn’t know this before - anyone can see that the Middle East has been carved up and manipulated for oil - but these chapters lay it bare, government after government, pursuing the interests of the West at the expense of the ordinary people of those regions. It’s pretty disgraceful when you take the long view.
piznipe's review against another edition
slow-paced
4.0
This made me realize I don’t like sweeping histories. I like focused books that analyze smaller situations in depth. While reading the book it was interesting and I retained the main concepts, however so much detail is included it’s hard to internalize and remember
sarahlreadseverything's review against another edition
2.0
There's a reason it's taken me over a year to finally finish this - and even then, only because I switched to the audio version. Frankopan's argument for the Middle East as a pivotal region in world history is sound, but for someone making that argument I found him remarkably skewed towards Western perspectives and sources.
laurengent's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Took a while for me to get into this book - the writing at times felt suited to a voice over of a documentary - but when I did I really enjoyed it. A masterful weaving together of history.