Summary of The Silk Roads

The Silk Roads is a sweeping history of the extensive trading network by the same name that has connected East and West for thousands of years. It explores not just commerce but also ideas, beliefs, cultures, and art, all of which traveled the vast network of routes through Paris, Constantinople, and Beijing. Author Peter Frankopan shows how this trade stimulated growth and how it affected politics and diplomacy, leading to the rise and fall of cities and empires. He examines the relays between cities along the ancient routes, and discusses how spiritual and scientific knowledge moved and developed, often extraordinary in nature. Bringing the Silk Roads to life, he shows how important it was to people's everyday lives and why it remains relevant today.