The Silk Road in World History (New Oxford World History) 1st Edition

This is a must for anyone with an interest in the rise and decline of the Silk Road . It is an orderly and concise history and just like a tapestry it fills in the missing gaps that makes the Silk Road history readable and enjoyable . My one criticism is the lack of good maps ....which would make it easier to remember. I had to refer to Internet to clarify certain territories etc . However I loved it . Enjoy !

Very interesting and informative. A good history lesson. Spans a number of countries and cultures. May be a bit repetitive in places, but interesting to see how people from different cultures and different religeous backgrounds were able to conduct trade and commerce together in spite of political turmoil and wars.

I've been fascinated by history since Jr. High School, Far East history in particular.After reading a recent article, I decided to study the Silk Road. The Silk Road in WorldHistory by Xinru Liu brings out many details and educates the reader rather than borethem. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the travelersof earlier times and their findings.

The Silk Road is probably one of the most romanticized and famous historical topics out there so books that set the record straight and do it a enjoyable way are always appreciated. However, I really wanted to like this book more than I did but before I explain why, let me first explain the strengths and features of this book.1. Gives a good and readable general overview of the Silk Road and its history.2. Has unique perspectives on the Silk Road. This is the only book where one can find a updated history of the Kushans, a influential yet neglected empire that created the Silk Road as we know it. The book also touches upon the Parthians, Sassanids, Romans, and Byzantines; empires that are hardly spoken of in regards to the Silk Road.3. Has many photos, maps, a concise chronology of events, extensive notes, and a comprehensive list of resources for further study.Now the drawbacks.1. The author specializes in ancient Indian, Chinese, and economic history but not so much with Central Asian history. As such, the book really ignores Central Asia despite it being the heartland of the Silk Road and the region responsible for its very existence.2. What happened to the Silk road? The book doesn't give a clear answer. It hardly goes in detail about the Mongols and their revival of the Silk Road. Then the text rushes to the end with only a vague explanation of what supposedly ended it. Also it's not true that the collapse of the Mongol empire ended the Silk Road. No mention of Tamerlane, the Oirats, the Moghuls and more who continued the Silk Road trade. It continued for well over 400 years after the fall of the Yuan Dynasty.3. This is strictly a economic history of the Silk Road as a trade system. The book barely touches upon the cultural, religious, and even political history of the Silk Road and its heartland, Central Asia. Because of that, this book gets rather dull and selective at times.Given that the Silk Road is almost always spoken of in a patronizing Orientalist and Eurocentric manner, this is a good work written with a unique and cultural perspective. Also given that this topic and history is often neglected, this book works as a fine introduction. However, for a academic work, it falls a little flat. This book should be read before or after 'Central Asia in World History' by Peter B. Golden for a better perspective of the Silk Road in its vital Central Asian context. In conclusion, this book has its flaws but its still excellent for both scholars and general readers alike and gives a breadth of information that is invaluable and hard to come by.

I've read a few books on the Silk Road and this is the best one because it has a lot of details about the history of the Silk Road and the countries involved. Very readable, but includes plenty of details about the cultures and religions that propagated along this trade route. If you like history, this is a great read.

A very readable and concise outline of the role of the Silk Road in the development of international trade. Necessarily broad in scope, this is a great starter book for understanding not only early world trade but also the development of Central Asia.

There more here than I care to know about silk however those parts dealing with the origin and use of the Silk Road are both enlightening and informative in the extreme.