November New Release - The Great Trade Routes

Title: Great Trade Routes

             

Subtitle: A History of Cargoes and 

Commerce Over Land and Sea

Author/s: Philip Parker

RRP: $69.99

ISBN: 9781844861415

Format:  Hardback, 320 pages

Dimensions: 350mm x 260mm

Publisher: Conway

Aust. Release Date:Nov 2012

Book Description/Synopsis:

For centuries trade has been vital to the growth and prosperity of societies. The ancient world saw the expansion of Western Asian, Mediterranean and Polynesian civilisations as transport networks for trade were established. These routes were instrumental in founding urban centres and trading ports that became ethnically and culturally diverse hubs of commerce and learning. Later, imperial expansion reached far-flung corners of the world, bringing all manner of goods to a mass populace. The Great Trade Routes examines the principal trade networks throughout history. Encompassing coastal and trans-oceanic maritime trade, inland waterway traffic and overland trade, it traces the steps of the pioneering explorers and merchants who pushed into remote regions across the globe. Filled with fascinating historical detail, exotic locales and a wealth of illustrations, the book analyses the importance of trade to commercial and cultural exchange, focusing on great routes such as the Silk Road, the Grand Trunk, Via Maris, Hanseatic and Mediterranean sea-routes, tea and grain races and passages to the New World. From cargoes of semi-precious stones and metals to textiles, foodstuffs and luxury goods such as furs, silk and spices, this fascinating work examines the routes that were established to transport an astounding variety of lucrative goods, giving an expansive overview from the pre-classical period to the modern post-industrial age.