Our book, the first in a new series, was Nathaniel’s Nutmeg: or the true and incredible adventures of the spice trader who changed the course of history by Giles Martin. It tells the story of the brave and daring adventurers who, sailing around Africa, developed the direct spice trade between Europe and the East Indies. Spices were rare in Europe and in huge demand, but were only available through overland caravans that ended in Venice and were incredibly expensive, more so than gold. First the Portuguese and then the Dutch came to dominate this commerce. Eventually, the English decided that they wanted a share of the riches and a cruel and bloody undeclared war began between the Dutch and the English traders in the East Indies. The book is, first of all, a history of an important era of exploration and discovery, but is also an adventure story dominated by the larger than life exploits of the sailors and businessmen who came to dominate the trade. Our discussion involved many areas, including the clash of cultures, human cruelty, the need for adventure, the drive that people have to explore new worlds and much more. None of us will ever take a sprinkle of nutmeg for granted again.
Our next book, A Daughter’s Love: Sir Thomas More and his daughter Meg by J. A. Guy, will be discussed on Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 7:00 pm. The book is available at the Circulation desk.
-Brad Silverman, discussion facilitator
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