{"product_id":"by-steppe-desert-and-ocean-9780199689187","title":"By Steppe Desert and Ocean","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy Steppe, Desert, and Ocean is nothing less than the story of how humans first started building the globalized world we know today. Set on a huge continental stage, from Europe to China, it is a tale covering over 10,000 years, from the origins of farming around 9000 BC to the expansion of the Mongols in the thirteenth century AD. An unashamedly ''big history'', it charts the development of European, Near Eastern, and Chinese civilizations and the growing links between them by way of the Indian Ocean, the silk Roads, and the great steppe corridor (which crucially allowed horse riders to travel from Mongolia to the Great Hungarian Plain within a year). Along the way, it is also the story of the rise and fall of empires, the development of maritime trade, and the shattering impact of predatory nomads on their urban neighbours. Above all, as this immense historical panorama unfolds, we begin to see in clearer focus those basic underlying factors - the acquisitive nature of humanity, the differing environments in which people live, and the dislocating effect of even slight climatic variation - which have driven change throughout the ages, and which help us better understand our world today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[This book] demonstrates how wrong Kipling was: East may be East and West may be West, but over the millennia the twain have repeatedly met. * Tom Holland, Books of the Year 2015, History Today *\u003cbr\u003ethe author's modest, mellifluous style, and his honed skill for storytelling, make the read pleasurable and stimulating, and - ven at 500 pages - hard to put down. * Mike Pitts, British Archaeology *\u003cbr\u003eBy Steppe is a masterpiece of multidisciplinary historical narrative ... Beautifully and clearly written, also lavishly illustrated, this is a work of astounding learning and succinct authority by one of the best archaeologists in the world. He happens also to be a skilled storyteller. Revel in the wonderful book's delights, for the archaeological blank is no longer. You won't regret it. * Prof Brian Fagan, Current World Archaeology *\u003cbr\u003e[Sir Barry Cunliffe] is our greatest living archaeologist - and writer on the subject. Who else could have told this epic 10,000-year-old tale? ... Written in his usual clear, authoritative, elegant style not a word is wasted. What a pleasure it is to read ancient history written in English as she should be spoken. * Lindsay Fulcher, Minerva *\u003cbr\u003eCunliffe is a master storyteller, explaining his carefully researched conclusions through polished language and apropos turns of phrase that make his book a breeze despite its depth and breadth. * Publishers Weekly *\u003cbr\u003eThis magnificent study should inspire many more journeys of discovery. * Andy Ffrench, The Oxford Times *\u003cbr\u003eIn tracing the rise of Eurasian civilization, Cunliffe makes clear that history is much more than just one thing after another. As migrations and conquests pile up in the book, it becomes apparent that a dizzying array of forces interacted to produce the modern world. * Science News *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1: The Land and the People 2: The Domestication of Eurasia, 10,000-5000 BC 3: Horses and Copper: the Centrality of the Steppe, 5000-2500 BC 4: The Opening of the Eurasian Steppe, 2500-1600 BC 5: Nomads and Empires: The First Confrontations, 1600-6000 BC 6: Learning from Each Other: Interaction along the Interface, 600-250 BC 7: The Continent Connected, 250 BC-AD 250 8: The Age of Perpetual War, AD 250-650 9: The Beginning of a New World Order, AD 650-840 10: The Disintegration of Empires, AD 840-1150 11: The Steppe Triumphant, AD 1150-1300 12: Looking Backwards, Looking Forwards Guide to Further Reading Illustration Sources Index","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732886466903,"sku":"9780199689187","price":23.37,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780199689187.jpg?v=1719998812","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/by-steppe-desert-and-ocean-9780199689187","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}