Spice Islands

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Cloves and nutmeg are indigenous to the Spice Islands of Eastern Indonesia. The book tells of the many uses of these exotic spices and the history of their trade over a period of more than 2000 years It follows the Silk Road across Central Asia and the Spice Route over the Indian Ocean. It describes how the Spice trade into Europe came to be dominated by Middle Eastern and Venetian merchants. Backed by the Crowns of Portugal and Spain explorers such as Columbus, Vasco da Gama and Magellan dreamt of sailing directly to the Spice Islands. Much of the story is told through the lives of these historical characters, as well as Sir Francis Drake, Jan Pieterzoom Coen, Pierre Poive and others, lesser known but equally important. The story revolves around the intense rivalry between the Sultans of Ternate and Tidore, their relationship with the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and English who at different times occupied the Spice Islands. The book follows the growth of the Dutch and English East India Companies, founded to profit from the spice trade. It ends as the Dutch East India Company goes into bankruptcy and the once splendid Sultanates sink into obscurity The author: Ian Burnet has spent more than twenty years living, working and travelling in the Indonesian archipelago in his professional career as a geologist/geophysicist. He lives with his family in Sydney.