The Silk Road: A New History

Written by:
Valerie Hansen
Narrated by:
Jo Anna Perrin

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
2
Narrator
1
Release Date
July 2018
Duration
9 hours 55 minutes
Summary
The Silk Road is as iconic in world history as the Colossus of Rhodes or the Suez Canal. But what was it, exactly? It conjures up a hazy image of a caravan of camels laden with silk on a dusty desert track, reaching from China to Rome. The reality was different-and far more interesting-as revealed in this new history.

In The Silk Road, Valerie Hansen describes the remarkable archeological finds that revolutionize our understanding of these trade routes. For centuries, key records remained hidden-sometimes deliberately buried by bureaucrats for safe keeping. But the sands of the Taklamakan Desert have revealed fascinating material, sometimes preserved by illiterate locals who recycled official documents to make insoles for shoes or garments for the dead. Hansen explores seven oases along the road, from Xi'an to Samarkand, where merchants, envoys, pilgrims, and travelers mixed in cosmopolitan communities, tolerant of religions from Buddhism to Zoroastrianism. There was no single, continuous road, but a chain of markets that traded between east and west. China and the Roman Empire had very little direct trade. China's main partners were the peoples of modern-day Iran, whose tombs in China reveal much about their Zoroastrian beliefs. Silk was not the most important good on the road; paper, invented in China before Julius Caesar was born, had a bigger impact in Europe, while metals, spices, and glass were just as important as silk. Perhaps most significant of all was the road's transmission of ideas, technologies, and artistic motifs.

The Silk Road is a fascinating story of archeological discovery, cultural transmission, and the intricate chains across Central Asia and China.
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John H.

This is an interewting and very well researched book. The author, Valerie Hanse, is a professor of history and archeology and a respected scholar. Most of her research and findings are bases on documented archeological evidence. Although she gives a good overview of the Silk Road, most of the locations in this book are in the eastern sector of the Road in the vast region on the border of Western China and the "Stans"- Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, etc. The book is thorough in the description of physical evidence such as writing, fabrics, coinage, etc.. The narration is excellent, with a clear voice and well-pronounced vocabulary. I plan to read more of Professor Hansens books. Enjoy! jkh

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