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Katia N's Reviews > The Silk Roads: A New History of the World
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World
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Oh - I am really disappointed with this book! Maybe because I had very different expectations about it. I've read the title and the introduction by the author, and I thought that it was exactly what I want - to know more about the people of this region over the centuries. I wanted to find out about their way of life, religions, political systems, culture and economy. I wanted to know more about their interactions with each other and (only at the last place) their interactions with the other parts of the world.
As a result of reading this book I barely got the answer on the last issue and the sense of chronology, which I knew anyway.
I think to say the book is dealing with the complexity of this region in the historical perspective would be overstatement big time. It deals more with the Europe's and later the US's policies, predominately at the Middle East region and their mistakes over the centuries. So if this is your main interest in the book, you might be satisfied. For me the book was as West centred as many other World Histories apart from that normally you have too much of Europe's praise. While here it is Europe and the US bashing. You barely hear about China, the Ottoman empire has almost mentioned in passing (apart from Senan's architecture). But we are treated to the detailed consideration of the courses of the Irangate in the US. I agree that it is important. But I rather read a separate book about this. While here I wanted to find out how the Iranians were leaving before and after the Islamic Revolution for example.
The Early Europe has got a rough treatment. For example the fact that the Arabs stopped their conquest at the borders of the modern France is explained that they had nothing to gain from going further, the military resistance by the local population is mentioned but in passing. The same situation with the Mongols five centuries later - really? What a coincidence! The renaissance should be called "naissance" as Early Modern Europe had nothing to do with Rome - i totally missed this point. Those people in the 15th century thought differently.
Also I did not get what is new about this "New History of the World."
As a summary, if it is your first book about the world history, go for it, if you are ready to skip China, the South America to name a few and have a flavour for the Modern Middle East's politics (especially blunders made by the US in treating Iran and Iraq). Also if you are interested to hear quite a bit of the author's judgements in the area - go for it.
If you are interested in the history of peoples of the steppe, like I was, you would probably not be satisfied. I am starting again to look for a book about The Silk Road.
As a result of reading this book I barely got the answer on the last issue and the sense of chronology, which I knew anyway.
I think to say the book is dealing with the complexity of this region in the historical perspective would be overstatement big time. It deals more with the Europe's and later the US's policies, predominately at the Middle East region and their mistakes over the centuries. So if this is your main interest in the book, you might be satisfied. For me the book was as West centred as many other World Histories apart from that normally you have too much of Europe's praise. While here it is Europe and the US bashing. You barely hear about China, the Ottoman empire has almost mentioned in passing (apart from Senan's architecture). But we are treated to the detailed consideration of the courses of the Irangate in the US. I agree that it is important. But I rather read a separate book about this. While here I wanted to find out how the Iranians were leaving before and after the Islamic Revolution for example.
The Early Europe has got a rough treatment. For example the fact that the Arabs stopped their conquest at the borders of the modern France is explained that they had nothing to gain from going further, the military resistance by the local population is mentioned but in passing. The same situation with the Mongols five centuries later - really? What a coincidence! The renaissance should be called "naissance" as Early Modern Europe had nothing to do with Rome - i totally missed this point. Those people in the 15th century thought differently.
Also I did not get what is new about this "New History of the World."
As a summary, if it is your first book about the world history, go for it, if you are ready to skip China, the South America to name a few and have a flavour for the Modern Middle East's politics (especially blunders made by the US in treating Iran and Iraq). Also if you are interested to hear quite a bit of the author's judgements in the area - go for it.
If you are interested in the history of peoples of the steppe, like I was, you would probably not be satisfied. I am starting again to look for a book about The Silk Road.
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February 4, 2016
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February 4, 2016
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February 12, 2016
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Comments Showing 1-50 of 68 (68 new)
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Elentarri
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Feb 16, 2016 03:25AM
Thank you for the warning. I'm looking for the same book you are and apparently this is not it.
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Maybe try these two books:Empires of the Silk Road: A History of Central Eurasia from the Bronze Age to the Present by Christopher I. Beckwith
and
By Steppe, Desert, and Ocean: The Birth of Eurasia by Barry W. Cunliffe
Yes - thank you! I've just got Christopher Beckwith's one and it looks much more promising.
Yes I was disappointed by the book for similar reasons.
My thoughts exactly, had to stop reading. The modern stuff should be placed in another book frankly.
I recall a discussion of this book that it was an attempt at a specific (narrow?) reinterpretation of the SR from a Central Asia historical perspective, so not so much of the culture and people as economy and politics? One I've read that does both is Gunter Frank's ReORIENT: Global Economy in the Asian Age that is largely rich descriptions of the cultures.
Totally agree, it would have been way more interesting if the second half of the book was relying more on primary sources from the region.
I did like that book, and i wasn't that disappointed about how it explained the way power switched region and finally settled for the West supremacy only because they were "violent" or say more weapon ready than South America, Middle East and Asia. I did however found the last part about the 20th century not as pleasing, it was so hard to read through only to reach the conclusion of what goes around comes back eventually and hopefully.
The author makes his intentions pretty crystal clear at the outset. It is a book designed to challenge the Western European centric narrative that most people in the West have been taught and have internalised as inherantly true. It was also designed to provide context to modern day geopolitical issues. Frankopan never claimed that he was going to do a deep anthropological history of the Timurids and Uighars...but rather to highlight thier important roles in the broader world. While you are more than free to have wanted something else, giving it a low rating because it wasn't what you expected is like being angry at a cat for not being a dog. Was the book well researched...was it well written...was it cogent...I would argue that these would be better criteria on which to judge the book.
Rishi wrote: "The author makes his intentions pretty crystal clear at the outset. It is a book designed to challenge the Western European centric narrative that most people in the West have been taught and have ..."Thank you, Rishi. The problem that it did not challenge "Western European centric narrative" in my view. So failed to deliver on its main promise, in my view again.
Dear Katia, what world history books would you recommend instead of this one if looking for different perspectives?
Carlos Felipe wrote: "Dear Katia, what world history books would you recommend instead of this one if looking for different perspectives?"Dear Carlos,
This is a bit of a problem if you are interested in the history of the Central Asia, as I have not found any good book in English focused on this topic solely. You would need to to read on the history of the Mongols, the Turks and the Arabs separately. Plus the history of Byzantine Empire plays the role.
There are two books mentioned in the comments above:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
by Christie. I have not read it. But it looks very good.
And
Empires of the Silk Road: A History of Central Eurasia from the Bronze Age to the Present by Christopher I. Beckwith
I've read this one. It is better and more factual but a little dry.
There is also this one recommended in the comments above and on my reading list:
Steppe, Desert, and Ocean: The Birth of Eurasia by Barry W. Cunliffe
And i heard a lot of good things about "The history disrupted". The history of the world from Islamic perspective. But that would be more broad in scope i guess.
I agree but it is a start. In the UK children in schools learn about the Tudors and WW2 a little about the slave trade and WW1 and often that is it!
This may not be exactly what you're looking for, but I recommend looking at "Destiny Disrupted" by T. Ansary. Gives a very good world history from an Islamic perspective.
Just finished the book and had exactly the same thoughts. Quite disappointing, and surprising given the mostly very positive reviews.
man, i would've read it for exactly the reasons you described! thanks for heads up
The "New History of the World" seems to be a misrepresentation for sure. I think I will feel the same disappointment with the book as you did. Excellent review.
Completely agree and eloquently worded. The final chapter and conclusion were rife with sweeping (and often inaccurate and biased) generalities, which gave me pause about the accuracy of much of the rest of the history presented in earlier centuries. All that said, there was much value in this cogent synopsis of a vast history, with many important historical lessons we should all learn.
It's been a while since I read it, but a better title for this book could be "A New History of Europe" as it re-examines many well known historical events under the assumption that the real power center of the earth was the Persia, China and the different steppe empires and that everything that happened in Europe was dictated by events in the east. If you go in expecting that then I think the book delivers.
Katia N: If you're looking for a book that is more focused on describing the silk road cultures and countries then I've heard that Life Along the Silk Road by Susan Whitfield does just that. I haven't read it myself, but the author of The Silk Road History podcast recommends it, so I'm sure it is quite good.
I just bought this book but read your review after. I'm going to persist and read through it. "From the ruins of Empire" by Pankaj Mishra gives a pretty good treatment of the perspective you speak of the interaction of the people off the East with imperialists and what led to the decline of the East and its thought.
Prasanna wrote: "I just bought this book but read your review after. I'm going to persist and read through it. "From the ruins of Empire" by Pankaj Mishra gives a pretty good treatment of the perspective you speak ..."Thank you Prasanna. I hope you enjoy it. It is not bad, just did not fulfil my expectations. Many other people liked it. I do own Mishra's book, so one day i plan to read it.
you cant expect such tiny details in one huge book. every part of the world deserves a book in its own.
Thanks for the warning. I'm also looking for the book you wished this was.Another thumbs-up for _Destiny Disrupted_, by Ansary. It's short and necessarily high-level, as well as saddled with its own agenda, but focused on world history as understood and taught in Central Asia. The West, until very recently, was a footnote in most of the histories compiled in the other half of the globe.
I have T.G. Fraser's "The Makers of the Modern Middle East". It has a large further reading list at the end sorted by topic and perspective.Quote: "The best general account of the Middle East in the period from the French Revolution to the First World War is Malcolm Yapp’s excellent The Making of the Modern Near East, 1792–1923 (Longman, Harlow: 1987). [...] Broad overviews of Middle Eastern history include the late Albert Hourani’s justly acclaimed A History of the Arab Peoples (The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA: 1991) and Ira M Lapidus’s massive study A History of Islamic Societies (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 2002 edition). Both are focused more on developments within the region and its societies than the influence of external powers."
I have read neither.
Completely agree with this review! Getting to the middle of the book now and I'm already fed up with how Eurocentric it is!!
Zoe wrote: "Completely agree with this review! Getting to the middle of the book now and I'm already fed up with how Eurocentric it is!!"Thank you, Zoe. As far as i remember it is only getting worse from there in this respect. I might dig some alternatives soon as people keep asking. But there are some decent books recommendations in the comments above. Needless to say, i have not read them all unfortunately.
I'm more than half way through and still waiting for the promised re-assessment. This is pretty much the history I know (with maybe more economic and less political bias). I was really hoping for more on China (the 'other' end of the road). It has provoked thought about the history which is taught to our children, but, from my point of view, it's not showing me a new perspective.
Thank you for this! @Elentarri, I agree and thank you for the suggestions!
You summed it up very well. It wasn't what I was expecting either. I listened to it and didn't find it very engaging.
I agree! The introduction is completely misleading and I’m very disappointed..
Thanks for this. I really wanted to read this because I am really interested in the Silk Roads and the Eastern empires, but this seems - once again - to focus on the West, and see it all in that lens. How disappointing. I am so sick of Western history, it is all we learn in school, so I would at least like to learn about other regions now that I´m no longer at school.
The Travels of Ibn Battuta will give you a great snapshot into the lives of people in his era during his 40 year journey across the known world
Agree somewhat with some of the negative reviews above but would push back against them as well if they deter you from reading this book. It is one of the very very few books that come out with a different perspective, esp the 1st half and yes, the 2and half is less about the steppe. Should be read and should be promoted as an accessible read for ppl that have upto now probably only read text book histories... 6/10 ... definitely worthwhile. For those wanting histories with more details , then you'll have to read 100s of magnificent books such as Anarchy which deals only with India and 1 company..huge book, thrilling and excellently written. However, for most folks, it's too big , to narrow. Final word , The Silk Roads is a worthy read.
Quiet same read I started to stop going forward from middle of the book. Some very important nuances just passed by without deep sociological economical reasonings. Exactly agree that author firstly gave his conclusions or interpretation about historical act then giving historical facts.It's more like newspaper column article than history book with Great claim...The name for the book is chosen in more promising way that the passages utself.
Quiet same read I started to stop going forward from middle of the book. Some very important nuances just passed by without deep sociological economical reasonings. Exactly agree that author firstly gave his conclusions or interpretation about historical act then giving historical facts.It's more like newspaper column article than history book with Great claim...The name for the book is chosen in more promising way that the passages utself.
Your review more or less sums up my own feelings. A lengthy disappointment. I didn’t finish reading it.
I couldn’t agree more. I live in Brazil and basically cover all the topics of this book during high school. Sometimes with way more details than this book. South America is barely mentioned in the book and the coverage of the countries within the Silk Roads very superficial. Definitely didn’t meet my initial expectations.
Got a third of the way through and I agree.Has anyone found anything that’s like a consolidated story of the culture of history? I’m more interested in how people used to treat each other, and what they found important. I imagine that’ll be where the true poetry comes into play with translations and quotes and stuff.
It's a history book for kids... Come on now. It's a very good history book for 7-12 years old. Your high expectations on this book are wrong because you did not paid any attention to what you were about to start reading. I can't believe that a person who's reading at least 2 or 3 history books per year would consider this book for kids a disappointment. Because it's not.
Felt the exact same way!! It just wasn't what it was touted up to be. It's fine otherwise.
What book would you recommend instead about the Silk Road?
This was my thought exactly, just rehashing European history from a slightly different perspective.
Thank you very much for all your comments. Great we are at the same page, Mackenna and Muhammad. Sa and Mike, somewhere above in this thread I’ve already given a few recommendations and some other people chipped in as well.
200+ "likes" is impressive & some folks unwilling to even consider the book because of a critical review for a book that does have a 4.14 G/R rating. I've spoken with 3 people about the book, one a former diplomat from the area, a professor & a fellow who traveled about the "5 Stans" and all have read & recommended the book by Frankopan. No book is for everyone but commentary from readers who've experienced this part of the world seems worth something.
Quo wrote: "200+ "likes" is impressive & some folks unwilling to even consider the book because of a critical review for a book that does have a 4.14 G/R rating. I've spoken with 3 people about the book, one a..."Thank you for your comment, Quo. Have you read it yourself? If yes, I would be interested to know your opinion. I've "experienced" this part of the world by being born and raised in Ukraine and living in Turkey for sometime. I stick to my opinion. In my view, this book is shallow and presents well known facts from the Western perspective, especially considering they are the diplomats. Your friends of course can see it differently. As it stands, I am not sure I am interested to dwell more on Frankopan, But fortunately there are many other books one could chose from.
I've started reading this book and after introduction I've realized that it is exactly as you described here - West centered. I am tired of such books and am giving this one only one star.
not maybe it is apparent that it is not the book itself but your expectation that made you give that 2 stars. I will recommend Sir Will Durant’s The Age of Faith which will satisfy your curiosity in detail for the topics you mentioned.
