Author and scholar David Chaffetz will give a RAAC Talk about his recent book, Raiders, Rulers and Traders. In his book, Chaffetz explores the lively history of the great horse empires that shaped civilization from the Bronze Age through the twentieth century. Readers learn that horses were not just a form of transportation, but a transformative force that enabled empires to rise, trade routes to form, and cultures to connect from Iran and Afghanistan to China, India, and Russia.

David Chaffetz is an independent scholar with a lifelong passion for Middle Eastern and Asian history. His first book, A Journey through Afghanistan, earned critical praise from Owen Latimore, the doyen of Inner Asian studies. Chaffetz has contributed to the Asian Review of Books, the South China Morning Post, the Nikkei Asian Review, and Fortune. He belongs to the Royal Society of Asian Affairs, the Royal Asiatic Society (Hong Kong), the Gremio Literario (Lisbon), and the Explorers’ Club (New York). He serves on the Advisory Committee of the American Library.

The RAAC Talk is free. Hearing assistance is available.