East Markham Book Club
Nathaniel's Nutmeg:
How One Man's Courage Changed the Course of History
by Giles Milton
In 1616, an English adventurer, Nathaniel Courthope, stepped ashore on
a remote island in the East Indies on a secret mission - to persuade
the islanders of Run to grant a monopoly to England over their nutmeg,
a fabulously valuable spice in Europe. This infuriated the Dutch, who
were determined to control the world's nutmeg supply. For five years
Courthope and his band of thirty men were besieged by a force one
hundred times greater - and his heroism set in motion the events that
led to the founding of the greatest city on earth. A beautifully told
adventure story and a fascinating depiction of exploration in the
seventeenth century, Nathaniel's Nutmeg sheds a remarkable light on
history.
Next Meeting Sunday 3rd March 2019 at 7.30pm