{"product_id":"the-center-of-the-world","title":"The Center of the World","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis sweeping history reorients our understanding of the Middle East, placing the Gulf at the heart of globalized trade and cross-cultural encounters.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWorld history began in the Persian Gulf. The ancient port cities that dotted its coastlines created the first global seaboard, a place from where faiths and cultures from around the world set sail and made contact. More than a history, \u003cem\u003eThe Center of the World\u003c\/em\u003e shows us that contradictions that define our modern age have always been present. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor over four thousand years, the Gulf—sometimes called the Persian Gulf, sometimes the Arabian Gulf—has been a global crossroads while managing to avoid control by the world's greatest empires. In its history, we see a world of rapid change, fluctuating centers of trade, a dependency on uncertain global markets, and intense cross-cultural encounters that hold a mirror to the contemporary world. Focusing each chapter on a different port around the Gulf, \u003cem\u003eThe Center of the World\u003c\/em\u003e shows how the people of the Gulf adapted to larger changes in world history, creating a system of free trade, merchant rule, and commerce that continues to define the region today.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Allen James Fromherz","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42849551810621,"sku":"9780520398559","price":44.96,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0597\/7689\/2989\/files\/9780520398559_3395402f-3825-45e7-9ca4-dec7217b24bc.jpg?v=1767037177","url":"https:\/\/www.palmleaf.com.au\/products\/the-center-of-the-world","provider":"Palmleaf","version":"1.0","type":"link"}