'An enthralling and erudite history of the spice trade' -- Traveller 'A typically droll and beautifully wrought book' -- Literary Review 'A springy, fresh feel!The Spice Route is what happens when you match a writer at the top of his form with a fashionable subject!The result is tremendous.' -- Literary Review-Nick Smith 'Absorbing' -- Scotsman 'A delightful, scholarly and thoroughly readable account' -- Geographical 20050508 'Serves up a feast of detail on a fascinating and little-known subject' -- Sunday Telegraph 20050731 'Its digressiveness is also a boon, allowing Keay to touch on everything' -- FT MAgazine 20050814 'Keay more sharply than romantically points up the economic basis of historic trade wars over three millenia.' -- The Times 20050716 'Fascinating new history' -- Daily Telegraph 20050716 'Keay's retelling of the tale is restrained yet powerful, his choice of facts compelling' -- Guardian 20050910 'Keay has produced another scrupulously researched, persuasive book.' -- TLS 20050910 'One of the clearest explanations of the oldest example of global trade and its cultural and political ramifications.' -- South China Morning Post 20060604 'Keay's history! begins with romance and wonder, before it gives way to the adventure and violence of the age of maritime exploration.' -- Independent:Laurence Phelan 20060618 'Keay crosses centuries as confidently as the great tea-clippers once coursed oceans. He writes elegant, exemplary prose, and this book is as full of bounty as any 18th-century privateer could pray for.' -- The Times: Ross Leckie 20060617 'Consistently interesting.' -- Robert Colville, Observer/Review 20060619 'A fascinating tale packed with eye-catching detail.' -- Independent 20060619 'Impressively researched' -- Guardian 20060708 'Fascinating! covering 3000 years of history in well-written, easy-to-read prose!The book is full of wonderful facts! Quite a lot to discuss. Exploitation, greed, values. All grist to a reading group's mill' -- Margaret Burgess, NewBooksMag 20060708

John Keay's recent books include Sowing the Wind: The Mismanagement of the Middle East 1900-1960 and Last Post: The End of Empire in the Far East. He lives in Scotland and is married to the author Julia Keay. Together they edited the Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland and are now revising the London Encyclopaedia. They have four children. John's earlier books include standard histories of India and the English East India Company. His latest is Mad About the Mekong: Exploration and Empire in South East Asia.