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Starts out well, but by the time the author reaches the 18th century it becomes too breathless and lacks depth.
I can hardly believe it myself, but after two months of hard slog reading I have actually finished this mammoth book. Although I class it is as hard slog, it is a very worthwhile hard slog, caused mostly by the constipation of facts too multitudinous to count and difficult to digest. How can any one person assemble so many facts and put them into a coherent narrative? It's a wonder of nature.
Reading Silk Roads is a bit like turning a map of the British Isles 180 degrees and seeing it from the point of view of Scandinavian invaders in the Viking era. Everything takes on a new complexion when history is seen through the prism of the trade routes.
Another plus is that I now understand the Iran-Contra affair (I think), which passed me by at the time as I had two young children and not much left-over brain power for understanding complex international issues.
I would have appreciated more maps, especially the beginning: I was constantly consulting Google Maps. But I said above, there is an awful lot of detail to master in this book. I shall now retire with a well-earned cup of tea.
Reading Silk Roads is a bit like turning a map of the British Isles 180 degrees and seeing it from the point of view of Scandinavian invaders in the Viking era. Everything takes on a new complexion when history is seen through the prism of the trade routes.
Another plus is that I now understand the Iran-Contra affair (I think), which passed me by at the time as I had two young children and not much left-over brain power for understanding complex international issues.
I would have appreciated more maps, especially the beginning: I was constantly consulting Google Maps. But I said above, there is an awful lot of detail to master in this book. I shall now retire with a well-earned cup of tea.
adventurous
informative
p20 "Not for nothing has Palmyra [Syria] been called the Venice of the sands. Cities on the north-south axis likewise were transformed, with the most dazzling example at Petra, which became one of the wonders of antiquity thanks to its position on the route between the cities of Arabia and the Mediterranean."
p26 review of the inter-connectivity of the ancient world through trade and travel along trade routes
p39 "Christianity first spread east via the Jewish communities who had lived in Mesopotamia since the Babylonian exile. They received reports of Jesus life and death not in Greek translations, as almost all converts did in the west, but in Aramaic, the language of the disciples and of Jesus himself."
p57 borrowing across religions as they came into contact; also attacks on doctrines between religions
p90 "The Uighurs quickly became the pre-eminent force on Islam's eastern frontier...Faced with the rivalry of the Muslims, the Uihgurs tried to retain their own identity--deciding to convert to Manichaeism, perhaps as a middle ground between the Islamic world to the west and China to the east."
p111 "The mark they [Vikings] left, furthermore, was not minimal and transient, as it was in North America. In the east, they were to found a new state, named after the traders, travellers and raiders who took to the great water systems linking the Baltic with the Caspian and Black Seas. These men were known as Rus', or rhos, perhaps due to their distinctive red hair, or more likely thanks to their prowess with the oar. They were the fathers of Russia."
p151 ...'the westerners set about dividing the empire among themselves...From the very outset, men such as Bohemond had shown that the Crusades...which promised to defend Christendom, to do the Lord's work...could be hijacked for other purposes. The sack of Constantinople was the obvious culmination of the desire of Europe to connect and embed itself in the east."
p173 "The great achievement of Genghis Khan and his successors was not the ransacking of popular imagination but the meticulous checks put in place that enabled one of the greatest empires in history to flourish for centuries to come." Mongols established an administration to standardize, and replace tribal allegiances.
p26 review of the inter-connectivity of the ancient world through trade and travel along trade routes
p39 "Christianity first spread east via the Jewish communities who had lived in Mesopotamia since the Babylonian exile. They received reports of Jesus life and death not in Greek translations, as almost all converts did in the west, but in Aramaic, the language of the disciples and of Jesus himself."
p57 borrowing across religions as they came into contact; also attacks on doctrines between religions
p90 "The Uighurs quickly became the pre-eminent force on Islam's eastern frontier...Faced with the rivalry of the Muslims, the Uihgurs tried to retain their own identity--deciding to convert to Manichaeism, perhaps as a middle ground between the Islamic world to the west and China to the east."
p111 "The mark they [Vikings] left, furthermore, was not minimal and transient, as it was in North America. In the east, they were to found a new state, named after the traders, travellers and raiders who took to the great water systems linking the Baltic with the Caspian and Black Seas. These men were known as Rus', or rhos, perhaps due to their distinctive red hair, or more likely thanks to their prowess with the oar. They were the fathers of Russia."
p151 ...'the westerners set about dividing the empire among themselves...From the very outset, men such as Bohemond had shown that the Crusades...which promised to defend Christendom, to do the Lord's work...could be hijacked for other purposes. The sack of Constantinople was the obvious culmination of the desire of Europe to connect and embed itself in the east."
p173 "The great achievement of Genghis Khan and his successors was not the ransacking of popular imagination but the meticulous checks put in place that enabled one of the greatest empires in history to flourish for centuries to come." Mongols established an administration to standardize, and replace tribal allegiances.
informative
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
A wide view of the impact of globalization in the ancient world, from Europe to Asia and Africa.
What a behemoth! Thorough, well-written, meticulously researched (including non-Western sources - major points for that), and full of fascinating detail. Books with a sweeping view of history are always a great reminder that everything is cyclical - the rise and fall of leaders, alliances, countries and empires. A good read but I am looking forward to getting back to other books!
This book fundamentally changed my view of the world. It was a time consuming read but I chipped away at it and can’t recommend it enough!
Incredibly interesting read, and a little terrifying as it approaches the present.
Presented in an easy to digest way, with many fascinating historical stories which led to a lot of Kindle highlights. Although, some parts are a challenging read.
Presented in an easy to digest way, with many fascinating historical stories which led to a lot of Kindle highlights. Although, some parts are a challenging read.