Spice: The 16th-Century Contest that Shaped the Modern World

From its opening description of the Malay archipelago (“as if a giant had dropped an enormous porcelain plate from an enormous height,”) Spice is a vivid account of great scope, tracing the ruthless struggle of European countries to lay claim to the lands where the 16th century's most precious commodities were harvested.

There are few heroes here and many opportunists. Roger Crowley, whose previous books have dealt with naval empires and colonial expansion, understands the risks and intricacies of battles fought far from home ports.

His sources are both European and Asian, and his use of them is judicious. When we learn that the official history of the Ming dynasty alleged that the Portuguese kidnapped or purchased children in order to eat them, Crowley makes it clear that the behavior of some of the Portuguese in the region made this kind of barbarism plausible.

Like many good histories, Spice has the power to excite greater interest in the period and places it describes. From Hapsburg courts to Bolivian silver mines to the Pearl River and the Moluccas, the book traces the beginnings of globe-spanning trade and reveals a world on the brink of transformation. 

Paperback. Maps. Color and black-and-white illustrations.