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Spice

The 16th-Century Contest that Shaped the Modern World

By: Roger Crowley

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Paperback | 2 October 2025 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
320 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
19.7 x 12.7 x 2.4

Paperback

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The story of the sixteenth-century's epic contest for the spice trade, which propelled European maritime exploration and conquest across Asia and the Pacific

Spices drove the early modern world economy, and for Europeans they represented riches on an unprecedented scale. Cloves and nutmeg could reach Europe only via a complex web of trade routes, and for decades Spanish and Portuguese explorers competed to find their elusive source. But when the Portuguese finally reached the spice islands of the Moluccas in 1511, they set in motion a fierce competition for control.

Roger Crowley shows how this struggle shaped the modern world. From 1511 to 1571, European powers linked up the oceans, established vast maritime empires, and gave birth to global trade, all in the attempt to control the supply of spices.

Taking us on voyages from the dockyards of Seville to the vastness of the Pacific, the volcanic Spice Islands of Indonesia, the Arctic Circle, and the coasts of China, this is a narrative history rich in vivid eyewitness accounts of the adventures, shipwrecks, and sieges that formed the first colonial encounters—and remade the world economy for centuries to follow.

About the Author

Roger Crowley is a narrative historian of the early modern period. He is the author of five celebrated books, including City of Fortune: How Venice Won and Lost a Naval Empire and Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire.

Industry Reviews

"If you enjoy tales of pirates, exploration and blood-curdling mayhem, then Roger Crowley's swashbuckling account of the 16th-century race between Spain and Portugal for the Spice Islands of east Asia is the book for you."-Dominic Sandbrook, Times (UK), "Best History Books of 2024"

"Crowley's ability to weave threads together makes his story flow effortlessly across time and space. His details of maritime expeditions in particular emphasise their mix of adventure, ambition and cruelty."-Christopher Kissane, Irish Times

"Riveting, piquant history. . . . An engaging new look at seasoning's long ago seasons."-The Economist

"Crowley's propulsive narrative is as full of storms, privations, enslavement, piracy and blood as the heady whiff of spice."-Michael Prodger, New Statesman

"Crowley has the knack of turning fragments into a mosaic, and his latest book is another colorful, sweeping saga." -Kirkus Reviews

"That spices should be worth more than their weight in gold and prompt people to risk death exploring treacherous routes to get to them is a compelling story and Crowley tells it well."-Sophie Roell, Five Books

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