{"product_id":"spice-islands","title":"Spice Islands","description":"Cloves and nutmeg are indigenous to the Spice Islands of Eastern Indonesia. This intriguing book tells of the many uses of these exotic spices and the history of their trade over a period of more than 2,000 years. The book describes how such aromatic spices influenced battles, politics, and the rise and fall of numerous commercial empires. It follows the Silk Road across Central Asia and the Spice Route over the Indian Ocean, showing 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 dreamt of capturing this trade by sailing directly to the Spice Islands, driving the maritime exploration of the world known as \"The Age of Discovery.\" The story is told through the lives of historical characters such as Columbus, Vasco de Gama, Magellan, Sir Francis Drake, Jan Pieterzoon Coen, Pierre Poivre, and others. It also revolves around the intense rivalry between the Sultans of Ternate and Tidore and their relationships with the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and English who occupied the Spice Islands at different times. The book follows the growth of the Dutch and English East India Companies, founded to profit from the spice trade, and their efforts to monopolize it. It finishes as the Dutch East India Company goes into bankruptcy and the once splendid Sultanates sink into obscurity. (Note: Sorry! Book description for this title","brand":"Thryft Singapore","offers":[{"title":"Like New","offer_id":49557917335833,"sku":"HD9210.A2.B87 2011","price":13.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Very Good","offer_id":49557917368601,"sku":"HD9210.A2.B87 2011","price":12.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Good","offer_id":49557917401369,"sku":"HD9210.A2.B87 2011","price":11.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Well Read","offer_id":49557917434137,"sku":"HD9210.A2.B87 2011","price":10.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0110\/0598\/4849\/files\/14579125.jpg?v=1724935250","url":"https:\/\/thryft.sbs\/products\/spice-islands","provider":"Thryft","version":"1.0","type":"link"}