The Silk Roads: A History of the Great Trading Routes Between East and West

by Geordie Torr

Take an intrepid journey through the history of the Silk Roads with this brilliant reference book. Traversing snowy mountain passes, vast, forbidding deserts and stormy seas, these ancient trade routes were about much more than the movement of goods, they paved the way for an unprecedented period of cultural exchange, diplomacy and conflict creating a legacy that continues to affect global geopolitics in the 21st century.

Forged over millennia through a desire for enterprise, the Silk Roads have had an profound influence on Eurasia and beyond, connecting cultures, languages, customs and religions. And with China now working to reopen this ancient trade network, the time is right to shine a new light on its history and impact.

This edition has been updated with an expanded chapter on China's efforts to reopen this ancient trade network through the Belt and Road Initiative and the many impacts it has had along the way, from its ambitious infrastructure projects to new cities emerging along its route to the growth of a digital silk road, Geordie Torr examines the profound impacts of the revival of the world's greatest trading route.

With helpful timelines and useful information boxes, The Silk Roads gives you everything you need to master the history of this world-changing region.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

Published August 30, 2021

About the author

Originally trained as a biologist, studying lizards in the rainforests of North Queensland. A sideline in freelance writing was then transformed into a career when he became a staff writer and then chief sub-editor on Australian Geographic. Following a short stint as science editor of Newton, a move to the UK saw him taking on the role of deputy editor of Geographical, the magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), and then assuming the editorship a few years later. This role gave him a wonderful opportunity to continue his long-running love affair with travel in all of its forms, which began in 1992 with an eight-month backpacking trip around Canada, Europe and Central America, and has now seen him visit more than 60 countries (see below). After completing a year-long, 25-country trip around Europe and then overland from the UK to Australia with his partner and their two children (an experience he blogged about here), he took over the editorship of the Australia/NZ edition of National Geographic Traveller. When the contract to produce that magazine changed hands, he began freelancing full time. He has since written books on the Silk Road, the Knights Templar and planet Earth. He is currently the editor of Engineering Designer, the journal of the Institution of Engineering Designers.

Reviews

[Chris Maddix · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simply magnificent. Gloriously illustrated, replete with pertinent timelines and all tangential historical high points, the book is a must for the knowledgeable historian. As mentioned in the book's introduction, the Silk Road was "arguably the most important thoroughfare in human history," bringing prosperity and disaster, providing a conduit for trade, for the movement of marauding armies, and for the transmission of deadly diseases. The Silk Road also, and perhaps more importantly, permitted the exchange of ideas and technology. One cannot really understand human history unless he has a grasp of the geography and cultural significance of the Silk Road, and this book is, far and away, the best I have seen in achieving these goals.

Do you wish to know about Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, the Chinese dynasties, the great ancient cities of Dunhuang and Samarkand, the Spice Islands, the invention of paper, the importance of camels and horses? It's all here, and much more. This book is captivating when read once, but its best purpose is probably to be used as an encyclopedia while proudly being displayed on a coffee table. Caution should only be exercised because guests could possibly become enthralled
and the purpose of their visit could be lost.

[Gremlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly fascinating read that dives deep into the rich cultural and intellectual exchange, the geo-politics and socio-economics that evolved from one of the most influential periods of Eurasia. I found the information well delivered and coherent to read, along with the amount of depth and research that went into this small micro-history lesson. There is more here to unpack than you will ever get from a macro-text book or a history/world-civ course. You never realize just how massively "The Silk Road" crafted your current landscape until you dive into it yourself, and this book definitely feels like a great place to start.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book for giving me a lot of context on the Silk Road that I’d never had before. I didn’t realize how widespread it actually was and it helped me to understand the whole concept much more than I had.

I think the last chapter wasn’t really necessary - at least for me, as someone looking for the historical aspects. I can see why it’s important on the whole, but I found myself just skimming the parts about the modern situations and possible future opportunities for China.

One other note that knocked down a peg for me was the side bar boxes that would often come right in the middle of paragraphs, which would throw off my reading flow (and didn’t always have to do precisely with what was being discussed in the main paragraphs either).

Overall, a great start and overall quick and easy to understand read on this subject and also helped me put into context some information about Central Asia that I’ve been looking to find re: my own heritage after doing my Ancestry DNA Test.

3.75/5

[Austin Veitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly fascinating. Torr did an impressive job condensing thousands of years of history into an approachable 258 pages.

[Susan Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly detailed thorough history of the Silk Roads. I have always found this topic quite enjoyable and I appreciated the overall tone of the book, as well as the included maps and images. Well done!

[Bonnye Reed]

Netgalley
pub date Nov 15, 2018
Arcturus Publishing