Chosen by Economist Best Books of 2024
No animal is so entangled in human history as the horse. The thread starts in prehistory, with a small, shy animal, hunted for food. Over time, the domestication of horses, followed by the advent of riding, powered mighty empires: Persian, Mongol, Mughal. For more than two millennia, from Iran and Afghanistan to China, India, and, later, Russia, the deep and ancient bond between humans and their horses connected a vast continent, forged trade routes, linked cultures, and fueled war machines.
David Chaffetz tells the story of the steppe raiders, rulers, and traders who amassed power and wealth on horseback from the Bronze Age through the twentieth century. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources—in Persian, Turkish, Russian, and Chinese—Chaffetz presents a groundbreaking new view of what has been known as the “Silk Road,” and a lively history of the great horse empires that shaped civilization.
Praise for Raiders, Rulers, and Traders
“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, 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
“..,offers a wise and jaunty chronicle of the role played by horses in the rise of empires...Mr. Chaffetz weaves his tale with great descriptive verve.”
— Tunku Vadarajan, Wall Street Journal, July 26, 2024
“Chaffetz ably traces swathes of history across continents, underlining how horses made kingdoms and cultures. [He] brings an authoritative tone to his complex tale… The result is a consistently engaging and highly informative narrative.”
— Kirkus Review, May 2024