East Indies: The 200 Year Struggle Between the Portuguese Crown, the Dutch East India Company and the English East India Company for Supremacy in the Eastern Seas
Meticulously researched and sumptuously illustrated with old maps and paintings,East Indies, tells the fascinating story of the rise of the trading empires of the Portuguese, Dutch and English which led to the colonisation of much of the Asia by European powers. From the early16th Century traders, adventurers, priests and pirates were lured by the promise of the great riches to be had in commodities such as spices, sandalwood, silks, gold and Christian converts.I found it a ripping historical yarn! Toni Pollard, Lecturer in Indonesian (retired), University of Western SydneyWhen you readEast Indiesby Ian Burnet, you can almost smell exotic spices over salt spray and wet wood of the ships that transported the goods back to Europe.Following on from his previous book,Spice Islands,in which Ian documented the history of the spice trade from Indonesia,East Indieslooks at the impact of the European explorers and traders.Ian has once again researched his topic thoroughly, andEast Indiesis beautifully illustrated, filled with gorgeous maps and pictures evoking the age of sail.Highly recommended.Limelight Book Reviews ------- Melanie Ryan