Title: Curiosity, Adventure Travel, Exploration, Trade, War, Murder
Author: James B. Read
Publisher: Lulu Publishing
ISBN: 978-1684702848
Pages: 272
Genre: Military History
Reviewer: Lily Amanda
Pacific Book Review
James B. Read’s “Curiosity, Adventure Travel, Exploration, Trade, War, Murder” is a sweeping, two part chronicle of the European Age of Exploration and the empires it forged. The author writes from the perspective of a sailor, a backpacker, an adventure traveler, and an amateur marine. Historian, who has probably been to the island of Ternate, the Spice Island that drew the Portuguese, the Dutch, the British, Columbus, and Magellan from where he drew inspiration to write this book.
Read begins by looking at Marco Polo, a key figure in this book’s central theme. He was a merchant, explorer and writer whose spark ignited the European age of exploration and later aroused the curiosity and greed of both the famous Christopher Columbus and Prince Henry, the Navigator. What he began would become something bigger than anything he ever imagined, with countries including Spain, Netherlands and England setting ships into the unknown, setting in motion events that would reshape history.
A few pages into the book, Read describes the systematization of European exploration which was spearheaded by a visionary, Prince Henry. He created the first ever navigation school, years after encountering Polo’s book which enlightened him to the treasures and delights of China, India, Arabia, Malaya, Japan, and Sumatra, especially the gold, jewels, and spices. This led him to hire the best scientists, cartographers, ship designers, and other craftsmen as an obsession to find a route to these lands. It was however unfortunate that at the time of his death, his expeditions still had not amounted to much and would come to a screeching halt a few years down the line.
This book is erudite and deeply engaging and has been structured as a grand tapestry. It weaves together the technological breakthroughs, economic ambitions, religious fervor, and sheer human drama that propelled nations to the far corners of the globe. Unlike many books out there that focus on history, this one shines in that it is inspired by the author’s passion and firsthand experience through which he is able to explain historical events in a way a pure academic may not. Read is not only a well-informed author, but a brilliant one who seamlessly, like he isn’t sweating it at all, covers 500 years of history in one book, allowing readers to see the European Expansion as a single project that just evolved over time. His coverage is, however, not limited to the two figures above as he also looks at the other pioneers like da Gama, Magellan and Columbus, among others.
Read has incorporated maps and photographs to compliment the text. His prose is accessible, conversational and narrative driven and he often explains complex matters in plain language. What stands out as you read the book is his sense of wonder as he explains the early explorations achievements. He is nevertheless bold to call out actions of war and murder which framed the other side of the Expansion.
Curiosity, Adventure Travel, Exploration, Trade, War, Murder, will satisfy readers who enjoy a gripping story filled with dramatic characters, adventures, as well as tragedies. It is one of the best books out there that beautifully connects the romance of historical exploration to the modern day spirit of adventure. It’s also for someone who asks, “How did they actually do that?” and “What was it really like?” From the spice routes to modern frontiers, Read’s book connects the dots between adventure and ambition, discovery and domination. A compelling look at how curiosity built the world—and how it sometimes destroyed it.
