The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan (Paperback)
Reviewed by the WhyToBuyThis team · Updated September 2026 · How we choose
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The Silk Roads: A New History of the World is Peter Frankopan's retelling of world history from the viewpoint of the trade routes that linked East and West, running from the Balkans through Central Asia to South Asia. Frankopan, Professor of Global History at Oxford, argues that these routes were central to global power, cultural exchange and the rise and fall of empires. This is the 736-page US paperback from Vintage.
Most history books put Europe at the center; this one starts from Persia, Central Asia and the lands in between, which is exactly why history buffs recommend it to each other. It is a big, absorbing read for someone who already knows the usual story.
It is long at 736 pages, its later chapters move into modern oil, war and geopolitics, and some printings add a new introduction and epilogue, so editions differ slightly.
Skip if they prefer short, narrow history books, or already own it.
| Author | Peter Frankopan |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Vintage (Penguin Random House) |
| Format | Paperback, 736 pages |
| Size | 6.1 x 9.2 x 1.57 in |
| On sale | March 7, 2017 |
| ISBN | 1101912375 / 9781101912379 |
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