The extraordinary adventure-filled story of how England came to own Manhattan in the seventeenth century

THE 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION WITH A NEW FOREWORD FROM WILLIAM DALRYMPLE

'A book to read, reread, then read again to your children' Independent on Sunday

'Once embarked upon the journey of the book, one is loath, sometimes unable to turn back' Sunday Times

'A book that makes the reader sit in a trance, lost in passionate desire to pack a suitcase and go to the fabulous place' The Spectator

The legendary story of how one man's actions led to the birth of New York - and the beginning of the British Empire.

In 1616, English adventurer Nathaniel Courthope stepped ashore on a remote island in the East Indies on a secret mission - to persuade the islanders of Run to grant a monopoly to England over their nutmeg, a fabulously valuable spice. This infuriated the Dutch, who were determined to control the world's supply. For five years Courthope and his band of thirty men were besieged by a force one hundred times greater. His heroism set in motion a series of events that led to England owning Manhattan, culminating in the creation of New York and the launch of the British Empire.

Beautifully told, Nathaniel's Nutmeg is a modern classic of adventure, ambition and exploration.

Milton has a terrific eye for the kind of detail that can bring the past vividly to life