The Silk Roads: A New History of the World

The Silk Roads: A New History of the World is a 2015 non-fiction book written by Peter Frankopan, a historian at the University of Oxford and the book was illustrated by Neil Packer. For centuries, fame and fortune were to be found in the west – in the New World of the Americas. Today, it is the east which calls out to those in search of riches and adventure. Sweeping right across Central Asia and deep into China and India, a region that once took centre stage is again rising to dominate global politics, commerce and culture.

A major reassessment of world history, The Silk Roads is a dazzling exploration of the forces that have driven the rise and fall of empires, determined the flow of ideas and goods and are now heralding a new dawn in international affairs.

Peter Frankopan is a historian at Worcester College, Oxford and director of the Oxford Centre for Byzantine Research. His areas of focus are the history of the Byzantine Empire, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Russia and the interdependence of Islam and Christianity. He has also studied Greek literature of the Middle Ages.

The traditional view is that Western civilization descends from the Romans, who were in turn heir to the Greeks, who, in some accounts, were heirs to the Egyptians. Frankopan argues that the Persian Empire was the actual centre point of the rise of Western civilization.

This is the most unbiased and objective narration of history focussing on the rich history of countries on the old Silk Route. The aim was simple, somehow focus the spotlight of history back on this region instead of focussing on European and American historical version which seems to be widely prevalent. Peter has weaved a tremendous story which at times almost seems apocryphal to someone like myself who is steeped with the popular historical narrative. The fact that Peter is a well respected historian does help matters as it forced me to take his view seriously. I would highly recommend this beautifully crafted and engaging historical narrative which reads like a well made documentary.

by Peter Frankopan