An amateur historian's favorite books about the Silk Road
Why I love this book
I was fascinated by this book by William Dalrymple, a Scottish historian who has written widely about the Indian subcontinent.
He explains in intriguing detail how India and Indian civilisation contributed so much to the world—from the religions (like Buddhism and Hinduism) that took root in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, China and Indonesia, from the creation of the numerals that we use today and mistakenly refer to as Arabic numerals, from the exotic goods that flowed out of India and drained the gold of the Roman Empire.
He creates a plausible case for the Indian subcontinent being responsible for transforming the technology and culture of the ancient world,
Reading Dalrymple’s book gave me the insight and confidence to publish my own book, which complements and supplements the stories and ideas discussed in his book.
1 author picked The Golden Road as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A Waterstones and TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR
A SPECTATOR and History Today BOOK OF THE YEAR
A revolutionary new history of the diffusion of Indian ideas, from the award-winning, bestselling author and co-host of the chart-topping Empire podcast
'Richly woven, highly readable ... Written with passion and verve' Spectator
'Dazzling ... Not just a historical study but also a love letter' Guardian
'An outstanding new account ... The most compelling retelling we have had for generations' Financial Times
India is the forgotten heart of the ancient world.
In the millennium and a half…
Source: hackernews