Adventurers

Overflowing with surprises.William Dalrymple, The Spectator Essential reading.Dan Jones, Times (UK) Fascinating and authoritative.Jerry Brotton The unlikely beginnings of the East India Companyfrom Tudor origins and rivalry with the superior Dutchto laying the groundwork for future British expansion The East India Company was the largest commercial enterprise in British history, yet its roots in Tudor England are often overlooked. The Tudor revolution in commerce led ambitious merchants to search for new forms of investment, not least in risky overseas enterprisesand for these adventurers the most profitable bet of all would be on the Company. Through a host of stories and fascinating details, David Howarth brings to life the Companys way of doing businessfrom the leaky ships and petty seafarers of its embattled early days to later sweeping commercial success. While the Companys efforts met with disappointment in Japan, they sowed the seeds of success in India, setting the outline for what would later become the Raj. Drawing on an abundance of sources, Howarth shows how competition from European powers was vital to successand considers whether the Company was truly English at all, or rather part of a Europe-wide movement.