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Title details for Adventurers by David Howarth - Available

Adventurers

The Improbable Rise of the East India Company: 1550-1650

by David Howarth
Michael Page
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
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2 of 2 copies available
The unlikely beginnings of the East India Company—from Tudor origins and rivalry with the superior Dutch—to laying the groundwork for future British expansion
The East India Company was the largest commercial enterprise in British history, yet its roots in Tudor England are often overlooked. The Tudor revolution in commerce led ambitious merchants to search for new forms of investment, not least in risky overseas enterprises—and for these "adventurers" the most profitable bet of all would be on the Company.
Through a host of stories and fascinating details, David Howarth brings to life the Company's way of doing business—from the leaky ships and petty seafarers of its embattled early days to later sweeping commercial success. While the Company's efforts met with disappointment in Japan, they sowed the seeds of success in India, setting the outline for what would later become the Raj. Drawing on an abundance of sources, Howarth shows how competition from European powers was vital to success—and considers whether the Company was truly "English" at all, or rather part of a Europe-wide movement.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    March 28, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9798350807530
      • File size: 493561 KB
      • Duration: 17:08:15

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Howarth's detailed account of the first decades of the British East India Company makes for a daunting listen. The text, while deeply learned, is often hard to follow as it jumps around in history and, while snappily written, is show-offy, laden with obscure allusions, and more interested in cleverness than clarity. Michael Page's throaty voice takes getting used to, but his narration is intelligent, expressive, and effortlessly accurate, and his manner is genial and good-natured. He perfectly captures Howarth's consistent tone of lightly mocking, satiric skepticism. He suffers, though, from a lack of nuanced dynamics or varied pacing; everything is quick and forceful. The sometimes difficult or obscure text and Page's likable but unnuanced narration make the audiobook more a task than an enjoyment. W.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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