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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
DNF’d the final two chapters bc I realised I actually didn’t care to read about the Cold War in a book I originally picked up to learn about the histories of countries along the Silk Road. The most frustrating history book I’ve read. Calls itself “The Silk Roads” but more time is spent discussing the USA and the Soviet Union than India or China, who founded the silk roads originally. Introduces itself by stating it’ll “re-centre history to focus on the Middle East instead of Europe” yet spent half the book talking about the British Empire. In fact, Frankopan spent more time discussing 20th Century Europe than any of the Asian and African countries that founded the Silk Roads and made them the legendary trade and cultural routes. If you just want a general geopolitical economic history, then this book does a good enough job. Not brilliant, but enough to make you seem smarter than your coworkers. But if you have any interest in the actual history of the Silk Roads, then you might want to put this book down and pick up something that’s a little more focused on its subject matter.
Content Warnings
Be warned: British author (it shows)
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
slow-paced
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
A competent book, but ultimately disappointing to me.
I expected a history *of* the nations of the silk road. I wanted to learn about the Mughal empire, the Safavid empire, and the Ottomans. Instead, this book gave me a history of the foreign policy of western powers *as it concerned* those nations. In other words, it was a look at the regions of middle east and central asia from the western perspective. I enjoyed it, but I didn't learn what I picked up the book to learn.
I expected a history *of* the nations of the silk road. I wanted to learn about the Mughal empire, the Safavid empire, and the Ottomans. Instead, this book gave me a history of the foreign policy of western powers *as it concerned* those nations. In other words, it was a look at the regions of middle east and central asia from the western perspective. I enjoyed it, but I didn't learn what I picked up the book to learn.
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, War
3.5
This is neither non eurocentric nor devoid of the west. The second half of the book comprises mostly of the West whereas China and India doesn't even have a dedicated chapter. More of a history of the world from western POV. It's not a bad thing, this is very readable and well structured, but just doesn't fit the title of Silk Roads. Even Ottoman empire was only mentioned in passing and the whole Trade in itself is overshadowed by regional histories. It has good chapters for Christianity and Islam's origins and consequences, white slavery, Baghdad, Mongols, Crusades, European Imperialism; I've skimmed the last five chapters, but still calling it 3.5.
This is neither non eurocentric nor devoid of the west. The second half of the book comprises mostly of the West whereas China and India doesn't even have a dedicated chapter. More of a history of the world from western POV. It's not a bad thing, this is very readable and well structured, but just doesn't fit the title of Silk Roads. Even Ottoman empire was only mentioned in passing and the whole Trade in itself is overshadowed by regional histories. It has good chapters for Christianity and Islam's origins and consequences, white slavery, Baghdad, Mongols, Crusades, European Imperialism; I've skimmed the last five chapters, but still calling it 3.5.
Although the beginning showed an interesting view of the commercial exchange in the silk road and its impact on the rise and fall of empires, I found the handling of modern area lacking of depth, out of topic and even a bit biased in favor of US and Israeli. I wasn't reading this book for that.
The author is trying to make oil trade and US middle east involvement fit in the Silk Roads. I don't buy it. Those road are trade route between East and West, China and Mediterranean sea. Connection between those two fields seems tiny to me except that middle east was a Silk Road trading post.
Therefore, I couldn't finish it and gave it this low grade.
I would recommend to read this book until the chapter 12 and will have give it a 4 stars review if it has stopped there and use the remaining pages to talk more about the steppes tribes, Chinese traders, treasure ships and Arab caravans.
The author is trying to make oil trade and US middle east involvement fit in the Silk Roads. I don't buy it. Those road are trade route between East and West, China and Mediterranean sea. Connection between those two fields seems tiny to me except that middle east was a Silk Road trading post.
Therefore, I couldn't finish it and gave it this low grade.
I would recommend to read this book until the chapter 12 and will have give it a 4 stars review if it has stopped there and use the remaining pages to talk more about the steppes tribes, Chinese traders, treasure ships and Arab caravans.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
DNF at 32%
Although I love this particular section of history (and I'm especially glad Frankopan mentioned Islam entering China in the Tang dynasty, a fact that most history books skip over or ignore), I couldn't bring myself to finish it. I was listening to the audiobook and found myself dreading the next reading session.
I think the issue, besides the dry language, was that the author kept zig zagging through time and space. Perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention to it but I often caught myself thinking "wait, I thought we covered that already" and less frequently, "how did we get here?" The book mostly contained stuff I already learned before, which makes it especially strange that I found the book so confusing.
It seemed to me like Frankopan kept jumping back and forth in time while moving across time and space. To be fair, that is not uncommon in history books, but it needs to be done mindfully if you're trying to show the connecting threads.
Maybe I'll try the book again someday. Maybe not. But right now, I don't want to invest anymore time into this 24 hour long audiobook.
Although I love this particular section of history (and I'm especially glad Frankopan mentioned Islam entering China in the Tang dynasty, a fact that most history books skip over or ignore), I couldn't bring myself to finish it. I was listening to the audiobook and found myself dreading the next reading session.
I think the issue, besides the dry language, was that the author kept zig zagging through time and space. Perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention to it but I often caught myself thinking "wait, I thought we covered that already" and less frequently, "how did we get here?" The book mostly contained stuff I already learned before, which makes it especially strange that I found the book so confusing.
It seemed to me like Frankopan kept jumping back and forth in time while moving across time and space. To be fair, that is not uncommon in history books, but it needs to be done mindfully if you're trying to show the connecting threads.
Maybe I'll try the book again someday. Maybe not. But right now, I don't want to invest anymore time into this 24 hour long audiobook.