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The Golden Road

How Ancient India Transformed the World

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The Golden Road

By: William Dalrymple
Narrated by: William Dalrymple
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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.

©2024 William Dalrymple (P)2024 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Ancient India South Asia Southeast Asia Ancient History Hinduism Imperialism Nepal Ancient Greece
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What listeners say about The Golden Road

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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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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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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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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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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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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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Brilliant Account

A book that, for me ,connected in a brilliantly coherent way so many strands of the history and geography of India and the world. The reading was as good as it gets.
I was sent to the internet to look up old maps and pictures of stunning architectural remains. There's a magnificent TV series I've just imagined to be made.

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Brilliant as always

Absolutely brilliant the world needs to rethink the impact of Indian society in the early civilisation

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The wonder

The wonder, the passion and the well researched educational info - a great companion to the book and plates.

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Missing Story line and Coherence

I am a great fan of the writer. However, this book is a bit of a disappointment. It lacks coherence and storyline. After reading all the books, I cannot construct a story or context. Coins and ruins are found here and there and Indian art and literature moved from one place to another, I cannot see context and story. It seems like it was written for history students or academics who already know about the topic and content and give opinions on different historical facts that are dispersed and organized in a rather unorderly way without much context or build-up.

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