This is a fascinating look at the history of Asia through the medium of the horse -- and the people who used it to conquer the world.

The horse as it originated on the Steppe was a small creature, similar in size to its cousin, the onager or wild ass. Its growth in height, strength, and endurance goes to human domestication and ingenuity. And along the way, the horse and the human grew special bonds.

Chaffetz actually makes a strong case that the famed Silk Road from China to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea might better be known as the "Horse Road" as it was a highway for horse trading with the great empires: Rome, Persia, India, and China, even as it later became -- in the Middle Ages -- the route of conquerors like Genghis Khan and Tamerlane.

This is a history of the horse, but I learned fascinating new things as well about three great civilizations: China, India and Iran. In the waning years of horse-power, Chaffetz shows how Russians used Cossack horse-borne armies to create a vast empire that gobbled up central and northern Asia. The "iron horse" or steam train would take over from the horse after that animal's 2000-year reign on the battlefield.

Special thanks to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of the book in return for this honest review. If you'd like to read more of my thoughts on the book, check out the Substack I wrote on what Chaffetz says about the rise and migration of the people called Turks: https://jamesdittes.substack.com/p/close-reading-raiders-rulers-and

A fascinating look at the link between horses and civilization, particularly empires. But it goes much further and deeper to the spreading of culture, religion and ideas that changed the world. This is not only a tale of history of but diet, genetics, archaeology and other fields of study. It covers a huge span of time from prehistory to the early 20th century and while the focus in on the Eurasian steppe other areas are also covered. Sometimes I could get lost with the different names of people and areas but there are some maps that help. But overall, I thought it was very readable and thoroughly documented with lots of footnotes.

Definitely an must read for anyone interested in history. The horse and its connection to humanity has changed the world.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

The history between humans and dogs has been documented for a very long time. The relationship between man and horse has been captured in small snapshots. A whole history like this one is refreshing to see and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Absolutely fascinating overview of steppe history (mostly Central Asia and vicinity) focusing on the horse and the ways in which its domestication and breeding affected the history of the region, particularly as regards war and trade. Full of interesting details on horses (I was not a horse girl in childhood so it was all new to me) and history alike. It covers a broad range of history - from 40,000 BCE to the present day - and I will say I found the older segments considerably more interesting; as technology developed and changed, the basic thesis - that possession of horses, and cavalry, was the defining factor in warfare and trade in the steppe regions - felt a little more tenuous. That said, finding a good overview of the history of Central Asia that does not approach it entirely as "a clash of [non Central Asian] empires" when it hits the nineteenth century is difficult so I still found this incredibly readable and informative. Well-written and informative and excellent - this was a great read and I breezed right through it.

Raiders, Rulers, and Traders is an in depth look into how trade, attacks, and royalty shaped the known world. It looks at the connections forged and differences between nations through the affects of trade.

I loved the idea of focusing on a smaller niche subject and tracking it's impact on history, but overall I found the writing to be a bit dry which made it easy to zone out in places. I also would have liked more insight into what was going on with the horses being taken to the West and the Americas across this time frame.