The Golden Road
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 214 ratings, 39 reviews)The Golden Road
The Golden Road
The Golden Road by William Dalrymple weaves a captivating narrative that takes readers on a journey through the rich and complex history of India's global influence. For over a millennium and a half, India was not merely a subcontinent but the fulcrum of ancient Eurasian civilisation. Through meticulous scholarship and vivid storytelling, Dalrymple unearths how Indian innovations in art, religion, technology, astronomy, music, dance, literature, mathematics, and mythology radiated outward, creating a vast 'empire of ideas' that spanned from the Red Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
This sweeping history reveals how Indian culture and intellectual achievements left an indelible mark on the ancient world. From the grandeur of Angkor Wat, the world's largest Hindu temple complex in Cambodia, to the spread of Buddhism in China, and from the establishment of crucial trade routes that financed the Roman Empire, to the invention of numerals—including the revolutionary concept of zero—India's contributions have shaped global developments in diverse and profound ways.
Drawing from his vast expertise and years of in-depth research, Dalrymple restores India's extraordinary contributions to their rightful place in world history. He explores how the diffusion of Indian ideas helped shape the landscape of knowledge and culture in the ancient world and continues to impact our modern era.
Praise for William Dalrymple and The Anarchy
‘A master storyteller’ – Sunday Times
‘Richly woven, highly readable ... Written with passion and verve’ – Spectator
‘A more masterful and accessible survey ... would be hard to find ... Enthralling’ – Literary Review
Dalrymple’s engaging prose and insightful analysis in The Golden Road make it not only a scholarly triumph but also an enthralling read for history enthusiasts and general readers alike. Through his eloquent narrative, he offers a fresh perspective on India's pivotal role in shaping the ancient world—an essential addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in understanding the interconnectedness of human history and the timeless influence of Indian civilisation.
‘A superb historian with a visceral understanding of India’ – The Times
‘Magnificently readable, deeply researched and richly atmospheric’ – Francis Wheen, Mail on Sunday
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781408864425
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 05 September 2024
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 496
About the Author
William Dalrymple is one of Britain’s great historians and the bestselling author of the Wolfson Prize-winning White Mughals, The Last Mughal, which won the Duff Cooper Prize, and the Hemingway and Kapuscinski Prize-winning Return of a King. A frequent broadcaster, he has written and presented three television series, one of which won the Grierson Award for Best Documentary Series at BAFTA. He has also won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award, the Sunday Times Young British Writer of the Year Award, the Foreign Correspondent of the Year at the FPA Media Awards, and been awarded five honorary doctorates. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, the Royal Asiatic Society and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and has held visiting fellowships at Princeton, Brown and All Souls, University of Oxford. He writes regularly for the New York Review of Books, the New Yorker and the Guardian. In 2018 he was presented with the prestigious President’s Medal by the British Academy for his outstanding literary achievement and for co-founding the Jaipur Literature Festival. He is the co-host of chart-topping podcast Empire with Anita Anand. William lives with his wife and three children on a goat farm outside Delhi.
Also by William Dalrymple
View allMore from History & Military
View allWhy buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent specialist on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our cozy 200m2 warehouse in Auckland holds over 10,000 books in-stock so you're not waiting for books to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Pick Ups
We're an online-only store but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.