Raiders, Rulers and Traders by David Chaffetz

Forthcoming, July 30, 2024

Raiders, Rulers and Traders | The Horse and The Rose of Empires by David Chaffetz is a fascinating historical narrative exploring the profound impact of the horse on human civilization.

A captivating history of civilization that reveals the central role of the horse in culture, commerce, and conquest.

No animal is so entangled in human history as the horse. The thread starts in prehistory, with a small, shy animal, hunted for food. Over time, the domestication of horses, followed by the advent of riding, powered mighty empires: Persian, Mongol, Mughal. For more than two millennia, from Iran and Afghanistan to China, India, and, later, Russia, the deep and ancient bond between humans and their horses connected a vast continent, forged trade routes, linked cultures, and fueled war machines.

Scholar of Asian history David Chaffetz tells the story of the steppe raiders, rulers, and traders who amassed power and wealth on horseback from the Bronze Age through the twentieth century. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources—in Persian, Turkish, Russian, and Chinese—Chaffetz presents a groundbreaking new view of what has been known as the “Silk Road,” and a lively history of the great horse empires that shaped civilization.

David Chaffetz, a regular Asian Review of Books contributor, member of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, and author of A Journey through Afghanistan and Three Asian Divas, has traveled extensively in Asia for more than forty years. He divides his time between Lisbon and Paris.

  • ISBN: 1324051469
  • ISBN-13: 978-1324051466
  • 384 pages
  • July 30, 2024

Published by: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.