Empires of the Silk Road
A History of Central Eurasia from the Bronze Age to the Present
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| Author(s) : Beckwith, Christopher I |
| Publishers Price : £11.95 |
| Wisdom Price : £9.92(save 17%)
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| ISBN : 0691150346 | | EAN : 9780691150345 | | Cover : Paperback | | Pages : 472 | | Size : 216 x 138mm | | Publisher : Princeton Univ Press | | Published : 2011 |
Category : Asia: Lands and Cultures
Category 2 : Travel: Adventure/Exploration
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Synopsis:
New paperback edition. The first complete history of Central Eurasia from ancient times to the present day, this book represents a fundamental rethinking of the origins, history, and significance of this major world region. Beckwith describes the rise and fall of the great Central Eurasian empires, including those of the Scythians, Attila the Hun, the Turks and the Tibetans, and Genghis Khan and the Mongols. In addition he explains why the heartland of Central Eurasia led the world economically, scientifically, and artistically for many centuries despite invasions by the Persians, Arabs, Chinese and others. In retelling the story of the Old World from the perspective of Central Eurasia, Beckwith provides a new understanding of the internal and external dynamics of the Central Eurasian states and shows how their people repeatedly revolutionized Eurasian civilization. Beckwith recounts the Indo-Europeans' migration out of Central Eurasia, their mixture with local peoples, and the resulting development of the Graeco-Roman, Persian, Indian, and Chinese civilizations; and much more.
Empires of the Silk Road places Central Eurasia with a world historical framework and demonstrates why the region is central to understamding the history of civilization.
"A major scholarly achievement...Beckwith achieves the radical feat of demonstrating how Central Eurasia is actually key for understaning the dynamics of human history and progress throughout antiquity, the medieval period, and the recent past...Beckwith turns conventional wisdom on its head and makes Central Eurasia the core of human history, rather than the embarassing backwater which it is usually portrayed as. Perhaps his greatest contribution is in the powerful, sustained epilogue, where he shatters a whole galaxy of misconceptions about the dreaded "barbarians". Victor Mair, University of Pennsylvania.
"Ambitious, provocative, and bristling with new ideas, Empires of the Silk Road will set off sparks. The book's clearly articulated themes are lively and stimulating, and Beckwith's integration of European, Central Asian, and East Asian marterials makes this a major work in Eurasian and world history. In range and depth, this readable book is quite unlike any other." Peter B.Golden, Rutgers University.
"Beckwith systematically demolishes the almost universal presumption that the peoples and powers of Inner Asia were typically predatory raiders...(Rather), they were the quintessential traders of the Silk Road." Edward Luttwak, New Republic. |
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