Tales of Old Batavia

The city of Jakarta is today the capital of Indonesia, but it has had other incarnations, and other names, most notably as the regional headquarters of the Dutch East Indies when it was known around the world as Batavia. As the capital of the Netherlands’ highly unlikely empire in the far east of Asia, Batavia was for 200 years the lynchpin for the spice trade. This book features highlights from the rich history of one of the most fascinating cities of Asia.