Nathaniel’s Nutmeg by Guiles Milton, Book Review Example

Gile’s Milton’s work, Nathaniel’s Nutmeg, is a highly detailed, compelling account of the history of the Spice Trade. Milton aims to present the history of the Spice Trade in an entertaining, but true account of the lives of several adventurers. He succeeds in doing just that. Although many have credited trade between the Old World and the New World with changing history, few have argued that that the Spice Trade itself changed history so substantial. Yet, even if Milton’s viewpoint is not entirely new, his presentation of the material he has collected is witty, entertaining and novel. Furthermore, he has made obscure information accessible to the every- day reader. Milton, for instance, traveled to the library of Monsignor Andreas at the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Ambion to gather unique documents. He also enlisted the help of friends and colleagues to translate works from Dutch to English.

Milton’s purpose in writing is clear almost immediately. It is to tell the story of Nathaniel Courthope’s bravery. In his prologue, he writes that although Nathaniel Courthope and the native chieftains of Run did not know it then, their discussions “conducted in sign language and broken English would change the course of history on the other side of the globe.” (Milton 1) This seems to be his thesis and the rest of his novel lends descriptive evidence to it. Milton is a true and thorough scholar, who, goes to every measure possible to tell an accurate and entertaining tale. He uses as his sources the journals of adventurers, both those “unreadable to the untrained eye” and the transcriptions. His perspective is that of a lover of history and he has no obvious political agenda.

The underlying theme throughout the book is that the Spice Trade brought out both the best and the worst traits of humanity. It proved adventurers daring and courageous. It made friends of strange bedfellows and it showed the tremendous mental and physical capabilities of both the English and the island natives. Yet the history of the Spice Trade also includes stories of unbelievable cruelty, torture, barbarism and betrayal.

Milton approaches his work as if he is writing a novel. He tells individual stories about each of his adventurers, including mini-biographies and gripping descriptions of their struggles, endeavors, heroism and barbarity.  Each story has an exposition, a rising conflict, a climax and a resolution. Nathaniel’s Nutmeg offers a detailed chronological narrative, broken up by observations, witty and engaging commentary and analyses of long-term developments and casual relationships.  For instance, in the beginning of the book, Milton first describes the sights and smells of Run. He tells his readers how Courthope and his men arrived on Run, fearing the natives but soon forming a friendship with them. This is all chronological. But along the way, Milton points out that this relationship will change history on the other side of the world.

Milton’s work is more than adequate. He provides excruciating detail about everything from middle-class English life to war and torture. Indeed, his work is so complete that the reader begins to feel as if he had known Courthope and company.

Although Milton does not provide any footnotes to support his statements, he does furnish an extensive bibliography, as well as an explanation of the sources he has used – including the location of the libraries in which he found many of the adventurers’ letters and journals (Milton). He also provides a plethora of maps and illustrations that help the reader visualize much of what he describes. He includes maps of the route to Run, Run itself, The East Indies, The Spice Islands, and The Banda Islands. Additionally, Milton provides illustrations showing everything from headhunters to polar bears. There are pictures of skirmishes and adventurer’s arrivals, nutmeg traders and marketplaces, Island Ports and English scenes. Milton has left little out.

Milton’s qualifications are impressive enough. He has been featured internationally in journals and newspapers and his previous novel, The Riddle and The Knight was highly acclaimed. He has gone on to publish several others and each has been a success.

Milton shows some prejudices every now and then, but most seem to be either backed by some evidence or logical conclusions. For instance, at one point, he calls England’s captains, “bold and fearless men,” (Milton 6) which may not have been true. It is very possible that some of them feared something and it is unlikely that none of them feared anything. Nonetheless, he offers as evidence the fact that they “steered their ships through such `grevious stormes’ that one in three was lost.” This does seem to lend evidence to his claim. He displays no blatant hostility toward any particular group. Rather, he has praise and criticism for almost every actor.

Milton is particularly good at drawing logical conclusions from the sources he deals with. The books conclusions are logical and can be justified by the evidence he submits. Whenever he calls an actor brave, he provides stories and anecdotes about that figure’s courageous feats. If he suggests that nutmeg was, at the time, more precious than gold, he backs up that claim by referencing a journal entry from the time, in which one trader speaks of trading a sack of gold for a small amount of nutmeg. Milton’s claims are solid.

His book achieves its purpose. Once presented with the tremendous affect of the clashes and transformations caused by the Spice Trade, one can hardly argue that it did not change the world. Indeed, the book is very meaningful, as it makes one realize how fortunate the world is to have such easy access to small things such as spices. Nutmeg is now a standard ingredient in baking. It is easy to take for granted. But Milton shows that men once fought and died for it and that it did, indeed, change the world.

Works Cited

Milton, Giles. Nathaniel’s Nutmeg. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999.