Raiders, Rulers, and Traders

”[D]eeply researched, elegantly written” – The Economist“A thrilling trip through 2,000 years in the rise of empires. ” – Robert Sullivan - The New York Times Book Review“A wise and jaunty chronicle of the role played by horses in the rise of empires.” – Tunku Varadarajan - Wall Street Journal”[An] engaging history… David Chaffetz makes a convincing case for why no other animal has had such a profound impact on human history” – Victor Mallet - Financial Times“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, best-selling author of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World“A 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, best-selling author of The World: A Family History of Humanity”[A] chronicle of horses and people.” – The Economist

David Chaffetz, regular Asian Review of Books contributor, member of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, and author of A Journey through Afghanistan and Three Asian Divas, has traveled extensively in Asia for more than forty years. He divides his time between Lisbon and Paris.