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Rating: 
Summary: Vol. 1 Sub-Saharan Africa
Review: I just finished my second read-through of Dr. Munger's book, and will no doubt find myself perusing its contents many more times. I found it fascinating. The Introduction alone contains information on three rare chess sets (Uber Set, c. 950 CE, Welled Selasse Set c. 18th Century, and Bornu Set, dated to c. 1925 CE), with photographs, that I haven't seen anywhere else - or read about. While traditional chess historians have - and continue to - focus on India as the place from whence chess sprang, Dr. Munger's narrative reminds us of very ancient trade ties following the seasonal winds; trade routes that not only linked Oman dhows with Zanzibar, but no doubt also allowed Indian and Persian merchants to ply their trade goods from China, Egypt and Rome. The author's mixture of personal anecdotes with historical facts is entertaining, educational, and enlightening. Dr. Munger's book has given me several vital clues to my own research on the origins of chess. I'm going to purchase more volumes of this series.
Rating:
Summary: Vol. 1 Sub-Saharan Africa
Review: I just finished my second read-through of Dr. Munger's book, and will no doubt find myself perusing its contents many more times. I found it fascinating. The Introduction alone contains information on three rare chess sets (Uber Set, c. 950 CE, Welled Selasse Set c. 18th Century, and Bornu Set, dated to c. 1925 CE), with photographs, that I haven't seen anywhere else - or read about. While traditional chess historians have - and continue to - focus on India as the place from whence chess sprang, Dr. Munger's narrative reminds us of very ancient trade ties following the seasonal winds; trade routes that not only linked Oman dhows with Zanzibar, but no doubt also allowed Indian and Persian merchants to ply their trade goods from China, Egypt and Rome. The author's mixture of personal anecdotes with historical facts is entertaining, educational, and enlightening. Dr. Munger's book has given me several vital clues to my own research on the origins of chess. I'm going to purchase more volumes of this series.
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