-Caveat Lector- Click Here: <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0025611690/qid=946007173/sr=1-24/ 102-1269685-4821620">Amazon.com: buying info: The Honourable Company…</A> ----- The Honourable Company : A History of the English East India Company by John Keay ASIN: 0025611690 Availability: This title is out of print. Although it is no longer available from the publisher, we'll query our network of used bookstores for you and send an update within one to two weeks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reviews Editorial Reviews (3) Customer Reviews (4) Editorial Reviews >From Booklist , April 1, 1994 Conventional wisdom has it that the commercial imperialism of the early English trading companies was intertwined with the political imperialism of the expanding British empire. In this reexamination of the English East India Company, Keay, an author and broadcaster specializing in Asian history, acknowledges that "but for the Company there would have been not only no British India but also no global British Empire." But he also shows that the triumph of imperialism helped bring about the downfall of the company by eliminating its monopolies and creating conditions for the 1857 Indian mutiny. Keay's title is intentionally ironic; he reports, "venal and disreputable, [the company's] servants were believed to have betrayed their race by begetting a half caste tribe of Anglo-Indians, and their nation by corrupt government and extortionate trade." Published two years ago in Britain and cited as one of that year's three best books by the Financial Times (London), The Honourable Company fascinatingly illuminates one of the lesser-known chapters of Asian history. David Rouse Copyright© 1994, American Library Association. All rights reserved >From Kirkus Reviews , March 1, 1994 >From a British specialist in Asian affairs, this is comprehensive, fact-choked history of the Engish East India Company, which went to India to trade and founded an empire--the British Raj. Chosen as one of the three best books of the year in England by the Financial Times, it is a bold attempt to tell the action- packed story of a trading company that was founded in 1600 and continued in business until 1873; a company that, stretching from London to China, was once the world's largest trading power. Over the course of two centuries it behaved more like an independent ... read more Synopsis The most infamous of the trading companies established by the great European powers, the English East India Company was the world's greatest trading power. For more than two centuries, they dominated world trade, raised armies and demolished nations. Now comes this major new book--a surprise hit in England. Photos and maps. Customer Reviews Write an online review and share your thoughts with other readers! Interesting, but Flawed Reviewer: [EMAIL PROTECTED] from Benkulen Factory September 28, 1998 The Honorable Company is an interesting, but flawed book. I found the subject interesting, because it showed the evolution of a commercial enterprise into economic imperialism. The book also includes helpful maps. However, I find fault in the presentation because it did not include a better analysis of the effects of the trade patterns and technology on the Company's business over time. Instead, the book was written more in the "name dropper" school of history. Almost as many questions arise from reading the book as were answered. For example, vast sums were being made on voyages. What did a pound sterling buy? Were the amounts quoted in the book of current value or then value? What were the characteristics of the frigates and Indiamen plying the eastern trade routes? Charts showing tonnage overtime and sailing's would have been appreciated. This book unsuccessfully attempts to many views of the Company at once. Unfortunately, it does it by listing hundreds of names. The policies of Clive and Hastings get almost as many words as an often widowed factor's daughter. I might recommend this book as a supplement to readers interested in economic history, but not as a primary source. Was this review helpful to you? The embryonic basis of the English Speaking Empire - PERIOD. Reviewer: [EMAIL PROTECTED] from London, England . . . where else? September 18, 1998 This book beautifully reveals the nucleus of all that is present day England, and illustrates the basis of the English Empire and the export of that philosophy to the USA. In short, this book exposes the foundations of modern day Anglo-Saxon economic imperialism. This is where it ALL started. From here you can go on to the books by Peter C Newman about the Hudson Bay Company, and more close to home, and equally fascinating, a whole series of books about the Great Game and Central Asia by Peter Hopkirk. From there..."Empires of the Monsoon" is great reading as is Younghusband and Rice's Burton. From here you have a great series of books to read - but start with Keay's masterpiece. You'll say - why havent I heard of this before. . . . . Was this review helpful to you? Comment for researchers Reviewer: A reader May 8, 1997 This is one of the few books on the East India Company that devotes attention to what the author refers to as the Company's "Dark Ages," the early decades of the 18th century when the foundations for the "achievements" of men like Clive were being laid Was this review helpful to you? Good book Reviewer: A reader April 4, 1997 A good book describing the ascendence of the British in the East Indies and specifically India. The author suggests that the British colonial conquests in Asia were not a result of a 2 century long plan but a result of policy mishaps and strategic positioning against the Dutch and then the French during 17th, 18th and the first quarter of the 19th centuries. The story of the main protagonist - a bungling group of shareholders and directors - is very well woven into the political backgroun ===== from Barnes & noble.com ABOUT THE BOOK Synopsis "In this reexamination of the English East India Company, Keay . . . {aims to show} that the triumph of imperialism helped bring about the downfall of the company by eliminating its monopolies and creating conditions for the 1857 Indian mutiny." (Booklist) Bibliography. Index. Annotation The most infamous of the trading companies established by the great European powers, the English East India Company was the world's greatest trading power. For more than two centuries, they dominated world trade, raised armies and demolished nations. Now comes this major new book--a surprise hit in England. Photos and maps. >From The Publisher Ex the English East India Company, there would be no British Empire - not even a British India. Over two centuries, the Company grew from a casual association of Elizabethan tradesmen to an empire that controlled half of the world's trade and provided a tenth of Britain's revenue. Its armed forces were greater than those of many nations. John Keay builds this epic tale of expansion from records and diaries of the Company's employees. The Company reached from southern Africa to Northwest America, and lasted from the reign of Elizabeth I to that of Victoria. The story is filled with pirates, rogues, brigands, mercenaries, royalty - and thousands of savvy traders. "Full of delicious anecdotes...stylish and entertaining." (The Spectator) Reviews >From R.E. Schreiber - Choice With a journalist's eye for interesting people, telling commentary, and exciting events, {Keay} has pulled together a compact overview of the East India Company's activities. Particularly in the first half of the book, however, there is little attempt to put the actions of his characters in the context ofthe nations within which they were operating. That statement includes England. Rather than use a topical or even a geographical approach, Keay attempts tofollow events chronologically. The problem is that events overlap, and the book is constantly jumping back and forth in time and repeating previously giveninformation. Despite these limitations, it would be useful for general readers and undergraduates studying European contact with Asia. >From P. Bruce Buchan - Business History Review Keay has not discovered any new materials, has avoided the stack of original documents stored on miles of shelving in the India Office Library, and instead has relied on some of the best and some of the oldest books on the subject. . . . I was frustrated, however, by the absence of detailed references to his sources. . . . {This} is an interesting, consuming history. Entertaining and informative, it will be a light but enjoyable read for the mature scholar.On the reading list of an 'Introduction to Business History' course it will capture the interest of the student and should lead to a deeper understanding of the origins of our international corporate, economic, and political world. ----- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. Em Hotep, Peace Be, All My Relations. Omnia Bona Bonis, Adieu, Adios, Aloha. Amen. Roads End DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. 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