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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
This was a really difficult read (as is obvious from the time it took me to read it), but totally worth it. The Silk Roads talks about history from a different perspective - how changes in the Central and East Asia actually played into the major decisions and happenings across the world.
The book is definitely worth reading, just for the amount of research put in, especially if you are a history enthusiast. It covers almost all major occurences in the history and goes behind the scenes to give you detailed information into them. To be honest, there was a lot of information in the book, so much that it can't be read as a book, but rather a scholarly text. I had trouble holding onto much of the information which is the reason why I found it so difficult to keep reading. I started reading it at least 5 times, only to leave it and then start from the beginning again. But this last time I pushed through that initial barrier and read the whole book. The result was rewarding, as for me personally, the book picked up pace around 200 pages in and I was able to sail through it afterwards.
It was definitely an insightful read, though much of the insight will leave your brain, simply because of the bulk of information. It is a well written book and might be one you return to time and again, if you are a fan of this kind of non-fiction.
The book is definitely worth reading, just for the amount of research put in, especially if you are a history enthusiast. It covers almost all major occurences in the history and goes behind the scenes to give you detailed information into them. To be honest, there was a lot of information in the book, so much that it can't be read as a book, but rather a scholarly text. I had trouble holding onto much of the information which is the reason why I found it so difficult to keep reading. I started reading it at least 5 times, only to leave it and then start from the beginning again. But this last time I pushed through that initial barrier and read the whole book. The result was rewarding, as for me personally, the book picked up pace around 200 pages in and I was able to sail through it afterwards.
It was definitely an insightful read, though much of the insight will leave your brain, simply because of the bulk of information. It is a well written book and might be one you return to time and again, if you are a fan of this kind of non-fiction.
informative
informative
fast-paced
Thought this was going to be about ancient history not more recent history so my bad but the narrator does weird stereotypical voices that verge on racist
We really do exist in the context of all of which we live, and what came before us…
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
. It's not a simple history by no means, and the author, I can only imagine, spent hours doing research for this project. In his work we will learn more about the middle east-Asia from early accounts to recent years. Once it was an important trade route to satisfy the Wests want of fine china, silks, spices and other goods, then it became an important source for oil, the richest fields to be discovered. In the years between, we will learn of the birth of Mohammad and of Islam. The countries who took to the sea to discover new routes, discovering new lands to be explored and claimed. Later, how the east becomes more relevant as time carries forward, the missteps and misunderstandings. The rise and fall of great Kingdoms and governments. I must say I cringed when the author took us to parts of the story did not bode well for the countries of the west especially my own. It is history though and no amount of sugar coating is going to erase the facts. Well done and an education work. WWH3
informative
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
informative
slow-paced
disclaimer that i haven’t read the first book, so don’t know if my critiques would have been more addressed in the first one; and i felt by the end i was desperate to finish so was skimming and not taking it all in
writing was honeslty quite dry, i dont love allll the naming of every person and initiative and the ‘half quote, name and initiative, end half quote’ style of sentences. however, enjoyed the first 1-1.5 sections, where there was most of the discussion about central asia and the silk roads. how the different geographies/resources and histories all affect geopolitics and trade in region and beyond.
the last bits was sooooo USA focused and then lots on China and a bit on Russia. it was very negative and more so simplistic narrative of china and russia = bad, which is boring and lazy. only at the very end did he critique these assumptions and only about china - which like why wait til then and doesn’t really make much difference. overall wayyyy too much about the usa - whilst i get they are a big geopolitical player, if i wanted to read about usa neo-colonialism and domination, i would!!! elsewhere!! i wanted to read about the silk roads and the usa was mentioned more than any other country. side note wilddd how much of trump term 2, is an albeit extended/amped up, repeat of term 1 - huge yikes
i don’t have much else to say which makes it seem like i hated the book, i didn’t, but i’ve said before i need to steer away from recent geopolitics books written by white men and yea i need to follow that more!
writing was honeslty quite dry, i dont love allll the naming of every person and initiative and the ‘half quote, name and initiative, end half quote’ style of sentences. however, enjoyed the first 1-1.5 sections, where there was most of the discussion about central asia and the silk roads. how the different geographies/resources and histories all affect geopolitics and trade in region and beyond.
the last bits was sooooo USA focused and then lots on China and a bit on Russia. it was very negative and more so simplistic narrative of china and russia = bad, which is boring and lazy. only at the very end did he critique these assumptions and only about china - which like why wait til then and doesn’t really make much difference. overall wayyyy too much about the usa - whilst i get they are a big geopolitical player, if i wanted to read about usa neo-colonialism and domination, i would!!! elsewhere!! i wanted to read about the silk roads and the usa was mentioned more than any other country. side note wilddd how much of trump term 2, is an albeit extended/amped up, repeat of term 1 - huge yikes
i don’t have much else to say which makes it seem like i hated the book, i didn’t, but i’ve said before i need to steer away from recent geopolitics books written by white men and yea i need to follow that more!