The Honourable Company, written by John Keay, details the rise and fall of the English East India Company from 1600-1820. The novel chronicles the shaky beginnings of the East India Company and the challenges they faced. The Dutch and the Portuguese competed with them for trade, and eventually the French also joined the competition. From Calcutta to Singapore, Keay records the Company's first voyages to later wars and eventual decline.
While full of interesting information, the book was very dry. It had some useful maps and pictures to help decipher some location of some key places, but the story maintained little to no plot. The names of the many places that were visited also became confusing over time because there were so many important trade factories. The author also had a tendency to jump around in time, and while the novel was split into four parts concerning time period, it became hard to follow when he stated the death of an important figure and then mentioned him again within the next chapter. Overall, I thought the book could have used more fluency and was somewhat apathetic. However, if you like books chock full of historical facts and information, then I would recommend The Honourable Company.
-Otto von Bismarck
