Silk Roads

The book is of a very high quality and I expect to spend many happy hours going through it, again and again.However, it did not arrive in perfect condition as the right side corners were slightly damaged. For such an expensive purchase, this was quite disappointing.

A beautifully illustrated book full of insights about the cultures of Central Asia. A nice companion volume to the author's Life Along the Silk Road.

Finally, the most important land trade route in the medieval world has a proper illustrated survey. This is a beautiful book, with brief but authoritative articles on all topics connected with ancient and medieval trade. The "maritime silk road" from south China via the Indian Ocean to the Near East is covered in the last few chapters. The book's hundreds of illustrations range from exciting new finds to classic photos going back over 100 years.It brings back happy memories. The chapter on caravanserais reminded me of staying in a caravanserai in the Bamiyan Valley in 1974. The building was adobe. The bed was a built-up adobe platform with some old quilting. Lighting was a candle. Food was the incomparable bread, made from fresh-ground local hard mountain wheat, baked in a huge underground tandur oven the size of a small room. As a matter of fact, that very caravanserai or its next neighbor is illustrated on p. 127 of this book! Another familiar view on p 364 shows a mountain forest cleared of non-valuable trees, leaving the wild apples and others and opening the ground for grazing; I have been in such spots in Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.If you have any interest in the Silk Roads, you will want this book. If you have no interest, it will make you want to go and look.

Susan Whitfield has created an epic book - this collection of essays about aspects of the Silk Road will keep everyone occupied. Lots of really interesting insights, stunning visuals and bold narrative. It’s worth every penny and it keeps on giving…now starting to reread it.

Delightful book, lots of information ,good photos

A little disjointed. But, appreciate this book for what it is. The title is misleading. It covers trade routes spanning Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North Africa, not just the multi-branch Silk Road. There are many objects and images you have probably never seen, many of them. And short descriptions of cultures, religions, materials, geography, et al., a real kitchen sink. But if you are interested in the cultures and art across the wide expanse it covers in space and time, you will be entertained and informed.