The tiny island of Run is an insignificant speck in the middle of the Indonesian archipelago - remote, tranquil, and now largely ignored. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, however, Run's harvest of nutmeg turned it into the most lucrative of the Spice Islands, precipitating a fierce and bloody battle between the all-powerful Dutch East India Company and a small band of ragtag British adventurers led by the intrepid Nathaniel Courthope. The outcome of the fighting was one of the most spectacular deals in history: Britain ceded Run to Holland, but in return was given another small island, Manhattan.

A brilliant adventure story of unthinkable hardship and savagery, the navigation of uncharted waters, and the exploitation of new worlds, Nathaniel's Nutmeg is a remarkable chapter in the history of the colonial powers.

'An exciting account of the dangerous voyages, bizarre transactions and desperate battles of the Spice Wars.' - The Washington Post

'Fascinating . . . an epic tale, told superbly . . . There is plenty of gore, chance, and piracy to the story.' - The Wall Street Journal

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