The Honourable Company

Keay's history of the East India Company is thorough and engaging. At times, it feels a bit dense and he delves into detail which might have been left out, but it's a several hundred year history of an incredibly complex commercial and political endeavor. He covers the period adequately, and paints a vivid picture of the lucrative and frequently chaotic history of the company. I really appreciated his dry humor, and it's worth slowing down to absorb his sly comments. Well worth it if you want a detailed tale of the "Honourable Company".

John Keay's work "The Honorable Company" is a tour de force of historical evidence charting the rise and fall of the British East India Company. "The Company" was intially chartered as another vehicle of English economic imperialism in the 17th century, competing for the riches of the East and Asia. The author painstakingly unfolds the events of its amazing rise to power and influence, and more importantly, how the BEIC gradually became the "unofficial" goverment of India after approximately 1650The book jacket claims the author researched this subject for 30 years, and the level of scholarship confirms his efforts. However, the book lacks the precise focus of academic history that investigates the implications of the economic events and how they affected the political power struggle in Europe. Keay does not directly explain the theory, and practice of mercantilism, its origins in the 17th century and how it would become the half-way house for the evolution of 19th century capitalism. Many of the 17th and 18th century "merchant kings" financed the industries of later 19th century, shifting the emphasis away from trade and barter, to "industrialized" manufacturing for profit. Overall, this is an excellent study of the BEIC.

There wasn't a grand plan to conquer India. Nor was it a case of mean Europeans showing up to ruin some idyllic, free, prosperous, unified country in the name of profit. No, the British trade empire was a lot more complicated than that and with a morally grey banner. The complexity of what really happened -- a lot of individual adventurers trying to make money and incidentally maybe help people -- makes it hard to tell the story in a way that's easy to follow. So, I don't feel I understood everything about the centuries of the Company's history from this book, but it's a good overview at least.Keay's writing covers how the East India Company was one of the first corporations of any kind, and the personal story of some of the officials, and the skullduggery of specific battles and bribes along the way, and a little of how this story ties into other key parts of British history. (Oh yeah, that incident about exporting tea to the American colonies...) There's enough of a big picture view to be thought-provoking without being too dry.I cribbed a lot of notes from this for fiction writing purposes, since there are many interesting details and themes here.

This is, of course, a history or chronicle of the East India Company and its role in the India of the British Empire. It is hugely researched, scholarly, as far as I know, and quite well written. I have enjoyed ever minute of my reading, but it has taken me weeks. It is slow going. This is due partially to an over concentration on the details of maritime commerce and use of too many technial ship terms. The narrative is unavoidably anecdotal, and it sometimes becomes tedious. The author wisely lightens this up with some glimpses (also anecdotal)into the real lives of the actors, and then the book gets more compelling.For those who like history and have any interest in the economic development of the early modern period, this is the book for them. I'm glad I bought it.

It’s rare to find a book that actually focuses on both the Mercantile and military activity of the east India Company. while the company is talked about often, the full breath of their influence and importance is often overshadowed. That’s why this is an essential read.

I was looking for a book about the East India Company that was neither fawning with managerial praise or condemning about all the company's actions. This book meets that goal. It is pretty straightforward history, focusing specifically on the period before 1800. I learned a lot not only about the company but also about trade throughout East Asia. My only complaint is about the author's style. Lots of names and facts, but no smooth narrative track. I would have liked more interpretation and a wider economic and political framework. Still a good way to get a general picture of what the Company did.

Very well written history of this amazing company. When one of my colleagues asked me what I was reading, and I told them, they commented "Sounds like a real page turner". Surprisingly it is. Well written, easy to follow history spanning 260 years, which laid the foundation for the British Empire

The most difficult part about writing the company biography is to classify which event or decision is the most important part in scripting the future. Keay's research in this aspect speaks for itself through out the book. A journey of 400 years scripted in a few hundred pages has been narrated with so much Intrigue that it is hard to leave the chapter unread. Travelling centuries with different characters, each contributing a significant part to history, yet showing there big picture of political, social influencers is a well done job. The book is I interesting for both information hunting historians as well as intrigue filled story teller.

Es tracta d'un repàs exhaustiu a l'obra i la història de la Companyia de les Indies orientals. A estones fins i tot massa exhaustiu ja que s'arriba a un nivell de detall que, sovint, sembla un dietari. Més centrat en el que passava a ultramar que en el que passava a la seu central a Anglaterra

Libro arrivato in buonissime condizioni ad un ottimo prezzo e in pochi giorni dall'ordine. Ottimo acquisto.

Dieses Buch ist eine wirklich spannende und packende Schilderung der Abenteuer der englischen Kauffahrer in Ostindien (wozu auch Persien, Japan und China gehören). Es war mir nicht möglich, das Buch wieder wegzulegen, so interessant und informativ waren die Schilderungen des bewaffneten Wettbewerbs mit Portugiesen, Holländern und Franzosen, der Machtnationen an den Höfen Indiens und Englands, der Wandlung des Unternehmens vom Finanzkonsortium für einzelne Fahrten zur ständigen (ersten) Aktien-Gesellschaft.Bewusst verzichtet der Author auf allzu viele Details und verweist auf Standardwerke, er setzt also eine gewisse Vorkenntnis voraus. Und das Ergebnis ist ein hervorragendes was die ersten 150 Jahre der Geschichte der Company betrifft. Bis zu dem Moment (etwa nach zwei Dritteln des Buches) wo aus der Handelsgesellschaft der Feudalherr wird - also Robert Clive und Plassey. Ab hier geht der rote Faden verloren und es folgt eine bisweilen konfuse Schilderung der politischen Ereignisse in London und dann die Folgen in Indien. Außer dass der Author den ersten General-Gouverneur Warren Hastings großartig findet, habe ich davon nur wenig verstanden.Dennoch kann ich das Buch nur wärmstens empfehlen. Ein bessere Schilderung des Anfangs englischer Präsenz in Indien ist mir noch nicht untergekommen.

Excellent history of EIC

Good book to know about east indian company