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Nathaniel's Nutmeg
On sale
1st February 2024
Price: £12.99
Genre
THE 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION WITH A NEW FOREWORD FROM WILLIAM DALRYMPLE
‘A book to read, reread, then read again to your children’ Independent on Sunday
‘Once embarked upon the journey of the book, one is loath, sometimes unable to turn back’ Sunday Times
‘A book that makes the reader sit in a trance, lost in passionate desire to pack a suitcase and go to the fabulous place’ The Spectator
The legendary story of how one man’s actions led to the birth of New York – and the beginning of the British Empire.
In 1616, English adventurer Nathaniel Courthope stepped ashore on a remote island in the East Indies on a secret mission – to persuade the islanders of Run to grant a monopoly to England over their nutmeg, a fabulously valuable spice. This infuriated the Dutch, who were determined to control the world’s supply. For five years Courthope and his band of thirty men were besieged by a force one hundred times greater. His heroism set in motion a series of events that led to England owning Manhattan, culminating in the creation of New York and the launch of the British Empire.
Beautifully told, Nathaniel’s Nutmeg is a modern classic of adventure, ambition and exploration.
‘A book to read, reread, then read again to your children’ Independent on Sunday
‘Once embarked upon the journey of the book, one is loath, sometimes unable to turn back’ Sunday Times
‘A book that makes the reader sit in a trance, lost in passionate desire to pack a suitcase and go to the fabulous place’ The Spectator
The legendary story of how one man’s actions led to the birth of New York – and the beginning of the British Empire.
In 1616, English adventurer Nathaniel Courthope stepped ashore on a remote island in the East Indies on a secret mission – to persuade the islanders of Run to grant a monopoly to England over their nutmeg, a fabulously valuable spice. This infuriated the Dutch, who were determined to control the world’s supply. For five years Courthope and his band of thirty men were besieged by a force one hundred times greater. His heroism set in motion a series of events that led to England owning Manhattan, culminating in the creation of New York and the launch of the British Empire.
Beautifully told, Nathaniel’s Nutmeg is a modern classic of adventure, ambition and exploration.
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Reviews
A magnificent piece of popular history . . . This is a book to read, reread, then read again to your children
Beautifully touching ... To write a book that makes the reader sit in a trance, lost in his passionate desire to pack a suitcase and go to the fabulous place - that, in the end, is something one would give a sack of nutmeg for.
Giles Milton tells his adventurous and sometimes grisly tale with relish ... The thoroughness and intelligence of his research underpins the lively confidence with which he deploys it.
A truly gripping tale... His research is impeccable... Once embarked upon the journey of the book, one is loath, sometimes unable... to turn back and abandon it.
Milton has a terrific eye for the kind of detail that can bring the past vividly to life