The Honourable Company: A History of the English East India Company

New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. Near Fine in Near Fine dj. 1994 (c.1991). First American Edition. Hardcover. [a lovely copy, no discernible wear to book, downgraded from Fine only because the front hinge "creaks" a little when the book is opened; the jacket has just a touch of crinkling at the top of the spine]. (B&W illustrations, endpaper maps) A history of "the greatest trading power of all time, and the most famous -- and infamous -- of the companies established by the great European powers," and without which "there would have been no British Empire." The book is "the history of that first great multinational, filled with pirates, charlatans, brigands, mercenaries, kings, queens, sultans, shahs, and thousands of shrewd traders. With novelistic sweep and vigor, [the author] reconstructs this epic of expansionist endeavor from the journals and records of the Company's employees. In a panorama ranging from southern Africa to northwest America and from the reign of Elizabeth I to that of Victoria, exotic locations and roguish personalities abound." ****NOTE that additional postage charges will be assessed for international shipping of this heavy book; if this concerns you, please contact us for a shipping quote before placing your order. As always at ReadInk, domestic Media Mail shipping is free.**** .