_46-1646 DSS 2007-35608 CIP
Gordon, Stewart. When Asia was the world. Da Capo, 2008. 228p bibl index afp ISBN 0306815567, $26.00; ISBN 9780306815560, $26.00
Gordon ( Michigan ) has written a unique and wonderful book. Each of nine chapters tells the story of the career and travels of an individual from the millennium 500-1500 CE; the chapters are arranged chronologically with roughly one person per century. The people range from the famous (the Muslim traveler Ign Battuta) to the much less known (Abraham bin Yiju, a 12th century Jewish merchant), and include monks, merchants, courtiers, conquerors and bureaucrats. With their focus on individuals, the chapters tell vivid stories full of fascinating details. But Gordon weaves these various stories together into a rich picture of the many networks that tied together the greater Asian world in this age. A tenth chapter then synthesizes the main themes that characterize Asia from this perspective. Grounded in sophisticated network theory, Gordon’s stories therefore convey a big picture that is interesting, memorable, and full of explanatory meaning for the development of the Asian world for the (temporarily?) disruptive effect of aggressive European entrance into the web of Asian networks, starting with the Portuguese in 1498; Tome Pires is the subject of chapter 9. Brilliant, brief, and beautifully written, this is an instant, teachable classic in world history. Summing up: essential. 4 stars - all readers and libraries - S. Morillo, Wabash College
Gordon, Stewart. When Asia was the world. Da Capo, 2008. 228p bibl index afp ISBN 0306815567, $26.00; ISBN 9780306815560, $26.00
Gordon ( Michigan ) has written a unique and wonderful book. Each of nine chapters tells the story of the career and travels of an individual from the millennium 500-1500 CE; the chapters are arranged chronologically with roughly one person per century. The people range from the famous (the Muslim traveler Ign Battuta) to the much less known (Abraham bin Yiju, a 12th century Jewish merchant), and include monks, merchants, courtiers, conquerors and bureaucrats. With their focus on individuals, the chapters tell vivid stories full of fascinating details. But Gordon weaves these various stories together into a rich picture of the many networks that tied together the greater Asian world in this age. A tenth chapter then synthesizes the main themes that characterize Asia from this perspective. Grounded in sophisticated network theory, Gordon’s stories therefore convey a big picture that is interesting, memorable, and full of explanatory meaning for the development of the Asian world for the (temporarily?) disruptive effect of aggressive European entrance into the web of Asian networks, starting with the Portuguese in 1498; Tome Pires is the subject of chapter 9. Brilliant, brief, and beautifully written, this is an instant, teachable classic in world history. Summing up: essential. 4 stars - all readers and libraries - S. Morillo, Wabash College