The unlikely beginnings of the East India Company-from Tudor origins and rivalry with the superior Dutch-to 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 enterprises-and 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 Company's way of doing business-from the leaky ships and petty seafarers of its embattled early days to later sweeping commercial success. While the Company's 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 success-and considers whether the Company was truly 'English' at all, or rather part of a Europe-wide movement.
One of the most enthralling true adventure stories ever written, We Die Alone, set in Nazi-occupied Norway in 1943, is an epic tale of survival against staggering odds.
It begins with an ambushed commando raid that leaves all but one of the expatriate resistance fighters dead or captured. Though wounded, Jan Baalsrud, the sole survivor, takes off on a courageous, incredible trek into the wilds of the Lyngen Alps, while the Nazis pursue him relentlessly. He suffers frostbite, snowblindness, and a terrible fall in an avalanche. At last, delirious and near death, he chances on to a cabin, where the first in a series of remarkably brave and clever men and women come to his aid. These "ordinary heroes" will eventually get the crippled Baalsrud to safety and freedom, and the amazing story of how they do it will fill listeners with wonder at the capability of the human spirit.
Includes a never-before-published Afterword by the author's son.
One of the most enthralling true adventure stories ever written, We Die Alone, set in Nazi-occupied Norway in 1943, is an epic tale of survival against staggering odds.
It begins with an ambushed commando raid that leaves all but one of the expatriate resistance fighters dead or captured. Though wounded, Jan Baalsrud, the sole survivor, takes off on a courageous, incredible trek into the wilds of the Lyngen Alps, while the Nazis relentlessly pursue him. In the course of his journey he suffers frostbite, snowblindness, and a terrible fall in an avalanche. At last, delirious and near death, he chances onto a cabin, where the first in a series of remarkably brave and clever men and women come to his aid. These "ordinary heroes" will eventually get the crippled Baalsrud to safety and freedom, and the amazing story of how they do it will fill listeners with wonder at the capability of the human spirit.
This edition includes a never-before-published afterword by the author's son.
