The Silk Roads: A History of the Great Trading Routes Between East and West

Features timelines, maps, profiles on key figures and important cities and is also packed with illustrations of the many and diverse nations along these incredible routes.

Covers a subject that is experiencing a new surge of global interest: the New Yorker recently published a portfolio on China's 'New Silk Road' in January 2018, stating that China is investing billions in building pathways to Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, and ITV recently televised a documentary series on the Silk Roads featuring Joanna Lumley as the presenter.

Take an intrepid journey through the history of the Silk Roads with this brilliant reference book. Traversing snowy mountain passes, vast, forbidding deserts and stormy seas, these ancient trade routes were about much more than the movement of goods, they paved the way for an unprecedented period of cultural exchange, diplomacy and conflict creating a legacy that continues to affect global geopolitics in the 21st century.

Forged over millennia through a desire for enterprise, the Silk Roads have had an profound influence on Eurasia and beyond, connecting cultures, languages, customs and religions. And with China now working to reopen this ancient trade network, the time is right to shine a new light on its history and impact.

This edition has been updated with an expanded chapter on China's efforts to reopen this ancient trade network through the Belt and Road Initiative and the many impacts it has had along the way, from its ambitious infrastructure projects to new cities emerging along its route to the growth of a digital silk road, Geordie Torr examines the profound impacts of the revival of the world's greatest trading route.

With helpful timelines and useful information boxes, The Silk Roads gives you everything you need to master the history of this world-changing region.

Geordie Torr is a freelance writer, photographer and editor based in Winchester, England. After studying at the University of Sydney and James Cook University, he worked on Australian Geographic, National Geographic Traveller Australia & New Zealand and was the editor of Geographical, the magazine of the Royal Geographical Society, for eight years. Since going freelance, Geordie has traveled the world, publishing articles on a variety of subjects relating to geography and travel.