The Golden Road

“It has a very good introduction that gives a sense of what the book is about, and then, in subsequent chapters, goes into great detail with multiple, very lively examples. The argument is that ancient India made foundational contributions to the development of many countries around Asia, and that this hasn’t been recognized sufficiently…It shows the role of Indian science in shaping practices across both Asia and Europe, looking, for example, at mathematics….Many contributions shaping the cultures of countries all around Asia, and Europe as well, can be traced back to ancient India. Dalrymple’s title, The Golden Road, is meant to offer an alternative to the better-known expression, ‘the Silk Road.’ This largely maritime ‘golden road’ spread India’s ideas, practices, and knowledge all around Asia.” Read more...

The Best Nonfiction Books: The 2025 British Academy Book Prize

Rebecca Earle, Historian

“It makes the case for India as a major driver of cultural change from about 250 BCE to 1200 CE. It tracks two things: the spread of Buddhism and the spread of Indian mathematics across the region and around the world…while I was familiar with the broad outlines of the story told in The Golden Road, most of the details I was not. Once I got past the introduction, I found the book hard to put down.” Read more...

Notable Nonfiction Books of Fall 2024

Sophie Roell, Journalist