The Golden Road
How Ancient India Transformed the World
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The Golden Road
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Narrated by:
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William Dalrymple
About this listen
Bloomsbury presents The Golden Road written and read by William Dalrymple.
FROM THE AWARD-WINNING, BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND CO-HOST OF THE CHART-TOPPING EMPIRE PODCAST – A REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF THE DIFFUSION OF INDIAN IDEAS
‘A master storyteller’ Sunday Times
India is the forgotten heart of the ancient world
For a millennium and a half, India was a confident exporter of its diverse civilisation, creating around it a vast empire of ideas. Indian art, religions, technology, astronomy, music, dance, literature, mathematics and mythology blazed a trail across the world, along a Golden Road that stretched from the Red Sea to the Pacific.
William Dalrymple draws from a lifetime of scholarship to highlight India’s oft-forgotten position as the heart of ancient Eurasia. For the first time, he gives a name to this spread of Indian ideas that transformed the world. From the largest Hindu temple in the world at Angkor Wat to the Buddhism of China, from the trade that helped fund the Roman Empire to the creation of the numerals we use today (including zero), India transformed the culture and technology of its ancient world – and our world today as we know it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- E. Owen
- 07-12-24
Captivating and engrossing
I am tempted immediately to start again at the beginning. Completely fascinating story of the history and influence on the rest of the world of India. Beautifully, clearly and enthusiastically read by the author. Superb.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- megha s.
- 30-12-24
Depth of research stands out.
Excellent. The depth of research stands out. When other authors talk about the Silk Road, they focus on what they know. No new research and ignore research that may exist for a European focused perspective.
This books is expansive and extensively researched in time and geography. Well done.
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- Father of 2
- 04-11-24
a delightful revelation
this book is packed with delightful threads of history woven into a tapestry of the flow of beliefs, ideas, art, gold and civilization. if you want to know how we got here and why we should thank India and in particular the Buddha, then read or better still read and listen to this book.
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- Dave
- 28-09-24
Outstanding.
I'm not normally interested in history but this is absolutely fascinating and extremely well written. The narration is absolutely superb too. First book I've ever been inspired to review!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Well That Aged Well
- 22-09-24
A MUST READ!
If you are like me, and are super fascinated by Asian, and Indian history you definatley need to pick up this book. William Darlymple read with such passion, and enthusiasm you can tell he loves Indian History.
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- Andrew
- 17-10-24
Excellent exploration of the roots of civilisation in India
Another brilliant book by William Dalrymple - fantastic exploration with usual excellent research. a must read and has encouraged me to explore The Golden Road further!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Sezbet
- 02-01-25
May be I misunderstood the brief
I chose this book because I was excited to learn about the long and rich history of India, but over half way through I’ve realised that I’ve spent barely any time there - instead it’s been about how India/Indians have travelled and traded and shared their culture and religion around a very wide proportion of the world…and while I have a clear idea of the religion, because that’s the mechanic used here, I honestly have no idea about the cultures, nor do I have much of an idea of what was going on in India. More over, one character he has given a lot of attention to, the Empress Wu Zetian of China, I happen to know a bit about…and he hasn’t quite got the right of it, starting by saying that all the surviving texts loathe her he then simply repeats that misogyny coloured discourse without discussion, and there is plenty of discussion and nuance there. So reluctantly I’m giving up , at least for for the moment.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mr R J Neilson
- 29-10-24
A whole different view of historical processes
For over 60 years I have had an interest in history. This has made me realise how little I know, and how western centric history has been.
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- Elaine & Edward Jackson
- 30-09-24
A superb telling of a wonderful history!
William Dalrymple’s latest book is a tour de force. Being read by Dalrymple himself makes it a pure pleasure to listen to.
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- K. Nicholson
- 11-12-24
Fascinating
Opens new vistas of history and encourages us all to emulate the great polymaths of that history and dive into the long view of maths and mystery.
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