Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires
掠奪者、統治者與商人：馬匹與帝國的崛起
內容介紹
人類的文明進程其實和食物、能源、交通方式息息相關。無論是人們對茶葉、咖啡、糖、鹽、絲綢布料的需求與船隻、火車、飛機的發明，都一直推動著不同地區不同文化的交流。David今天想要介紹的就是傳統交通工具「馬匹」與帝國崛起的關聯。
大衛·查菲茲 (David Chaffetz)在新書《掠奪者、統治者與商人：馬匹與帝國的崛起》以極具生動的描述講述這段歷史。人類馴化了馬匹，學會了騎馬和擠馬奶，並後來掌握了騎馬作戰的藝術。這一最後的成就發生在鐵器時代，騎馬成為了「大規模殺傷性武器」。這一發展改變了戰爭形式，重新改變了征服的進程，使得騎馬戰士能夠挑戰並征服步兵，馬匹在幾個世紀內被視為一種「戰略資產」，其重要性不亞於20世紀的石油。因為馬太重要了， 九世紀和十世紀的中國織造絲綢，以支付不斷增加的馬匹數量。在後來的世紀中，茶取代了絲綢，成為中國用來支付騎兵馬匹的貨幣。可見馬匹的重要性。
歡迎和David/Karen索取書稿來回看這一段馬匹與帝國的崛起的歷史。
★此書版權已售權土耳其(Say Yayinlari)和俄羅斯(Alpina)
★此書包含41張圖片，有一半圖片權利已清，Norton可以提供permissions log
一本引人入勝的文明史，揭示了馬匹在文化、商業和征服中的核心作用。
沒有任何動物像馬匹一樣深深地與人類歷史交織在一起。這條線索可以追溯到史前時期，那時候馬匹是一種被捕獵的動物。馴養馬匹使得早期人類得以定居於廣闊的歐亞大草原；後來，人類的馬匹促成了新形式的戰爭，推動了長距離貿易路線，並累積了深厚文化與宗教的底蘊。
隨著時間的推移，馬匹驅動了伊朗、阿富汗、中國、印度以及後來的俄羅斯等強大帝國的興起。成吉思汗和十三世紀的蒙古人是最著名的例子，但從古代的亞述和波斯，到十七世紀的蒙兀兒帝國(Mughals)，再到二十世紀初殖民主義的鼎盛時期，馬匹繁殖對於征服和治國至關重要。
亞洲歷史學者大衛·查菲茲（David Chaffetz）講述了馬匹如何使統治者、掠奪者和商人成為可互換角色的故事，為動蕩的“絲綢之路”歷史提供了一個新穎的解釋，這條路或許更應被稱為”馬匹之路”。查菲茲利用遺傳學和法醫考古學等領域的最新研究，生動地呈現了塑造文明的偉大馬匹帝國的歷史。
作者介紹
大衛·查菲茲（David Chaffetz）是《亞洲書評》的定期撰稿人，亞洲事務皇家學會的成員，並著有《阿富汗之旅》(A Journey through Afghanistan)和《三位亞洲女伶》(Three Asian Divas)。他在亞洲旅行超過四十年，足跡遍佈各地。他目前在里斯本和巴黎之間分配時間。
書評
Publicity highlights:
- Wall Street Journal, Excellent review by Tunku Varadarajan, appears as lead review in this past weekend’s Books section, July 27: https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/raiders-rulers-and-traders-review-how-the-horse-conquered-the-world-41300a22
“A wise and jaunty chronicle of the role played by horses in the rise of empires.”
- Asian Review of Books, Rave review by editor Peter Gordon, July 27: https://asianreviewofbooks.com/content/raiders-rulers-and-traders-the-horse-and-the-rise-of-empires-by-david-chaffetz/
“This is a beautiful book, clear and engagingly-written. Each point along the way is signposted with a judiciously-selected example or anecdote.”
- 1776books, Review planned, Date TK
- New York Times Book Review, Review assigned, Date TK
- New York Review of Books, Review assigned, Date TK
- BookPage, Starred, quotable review, PDF attached, and will appear online July 30
“Vividly narrated….reads like an enthralling travel memoir.”
- Washington Free Beacon, Review assigned, Date TK
- Asian Review of Books, Adapted excerpt planned, Date TK
"A wise and jaunty chronicle.... Mr. Chaffetz weaves his tale with great descriptive verve.... Gripping."
― Tunku Varadarajan, Wall Street Journal
"A fascinating, compelling, and scholarly history of horses, raiders, and rulers that brings the great horse-powered empires of Central Asia to life and places the horse at the center of world history where it belongs."
― Simon Sebag Montefiore, New York Times best-selling author of The World: A Family History of Humanity
"A dog may be humanity’s best friend, but the horse is certainly the greatest ally. With the strength of horses added to their own modest physical abilities, humans radically changed everything from agriculture and transportation to sports and warfare. From milking to marauding, David Chaffetz’s Raiders, Rulers, and Traders takes the reader on a well-paced ride through the history of this revolutionary and emotional alliance of human and animal."
― Jack Weatherford, New York Times best-selling author of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
"Vividly narrated ... reads like an enthralling travel memoir.... Chaffetz’s account of how horses and landscapes shaped the distant past glimmers with myriad fascinating insights, seamlessly woven into a cohesive whole.... [Chaffetz] exudes a contagious enthusiasm and curiosity. In Raiders, Rulers, and Traders, readers will happily follow his journey as he chronicles how closely our history is intertwined with the magnificent horse."
― Deborah Hopkinson, BookPage, starred review
"Lively.... Chaffetz brings an authoritative tone to his complex tale, and he includes maps, illustrations, a glossary, and a particularly helpful timeline that runs from 20,000 B.C.E. into the mid-20th century. The result is a consistently engaging and highly informative narrative. Chaffetz ably traces swathes of history across continents, underlining how horses made kingdoms and cultures."
― Kirkus Reviews
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