William dalrymple book is not only a gripping

A wise and rewarding book fizzing with dalrymples signature erudition and lightness of touch. From the prizewinning author of white mughals and city of djinns, nine lives is a distillation of twentyfive years of exploring india and writing about its religious traditions a modern indian canterbury tales which introduces us to characters and takes us deep into worlds we could never have imagined existed a buddhist monk takes up arms to resist the chinese. Likewise, the anglomaratha confrontations are superficially covered. In from the holy mountain an awardwinning travel writer sets off on an extraordinary adventure retracing the journey of the 6th century monk john moschos and his student sophronius the sophist. William dalrymples story of a colonial love affair will change our views about. Dalrymple has done a great service in not just writing an eminently readable history of. White mughals, which won britains most prestigious history prize, the wolfson. In his most ambitious and riveting audiobook to date, william dalrymple tells the story of the. In his most ambitious book to date, bestselling historian william dalrymple tells.

Oct 20, 2009 the book also traces the beginning of the tragic rift between hindus and muslims that followed this wretched, tragic war. The scottish historian and travel writer william dalrymples new book return of a king. This is quite simply a stunning achievement independent on sunday. The last mughal emperor, zafar, came to the throne when the political power of the mughals was already in steep decline.

William dalrymple is the author of five acclaimed works of history and travel, including city of djinns, which won the sunday times young writer of the year award and the thomas cook travel book award. Best of william dalrymple score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Using moschos writings as a guide for his travels, william dalrymple recounts with elegance the peoples of eastern christianity who have kept orthodoxys flame alive. But none would make a better job of it than william dalrymple in his thrilling, magnificently evocative return of a king. The anarchy, relentless rise of the east india company by. David robinson has appreciated william dalrymples writing on india for a long time, and in reading dalrymples latest book, he finds a writer as insightful, probing and as gripping as ever. More hardhitting than either of his previous books, from the holy mountain is driven by indignation. He only had to ask his elders at home, before he embarked on this project.

After five years work with a trove of documents in several languages, dalrymple has emerged not only with a gripping tale of politics and power but also with evidence of the surprising extent. From the holy mountain download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. I absolutely loved how fun and interesting history can be when we have some like mr. Kohinoor the story of the worlds most infamous diamond is authored by william dalrymple and anita anand and, before i even get to the summary i have to say, it is a must read. Dalrymple gives us every swordslash, every scam, every groan and battle cry. In his wonderful new book, the last mughal, william dalrymple has not just revised forever the old british story. William dalrymples triumphant return to travel writing not only illuminates indias relationship with religion but casts the genre itself in a new light. Buy the anarchy 9781408864371 by william dalrymple for. Part of the achievement of this magnificent book is the way william dalrymple effortlessly melds the two motifs so that the public story of the british conquest of india and the poignant tale of a love affair interpenetrate, with each adding a dimension to the other. Dec 08, 2016 kohinoor the story of the worlds most infamous diamond is authored by william dalrymple and anita anand and, before i even get to the summary i have to say, it is a must read.

This book would be compulsive reading even if it were not a uniquely. The relentless rise of the east india company by william dalrymple published by bloomsbury. William dalrymple is the most scholarly of writers. Jan 22, 2004 that is when i stumbled upon this one written by william darlymple. Dec 06, 2012 altaf hussainreuters author william dalrymple.

William dalrymple s new book, white mughals, is devoted to a particularly colorful example of just how intimate the encounter between british and indian could get, and how barbed the consequences could be. The book is not a mere recitation of what conspired with the diamond, but is why did it have to end. The anarchy tells the remarkable story of how one of the worlds most magnificent empires disintegrated and came to be replaced by a dangerously unregulated private company, based thousands of miles overseas and answerable only to its shareholders. William dalrymples new book, white mughals, is devoted to a particularly colorful example of just how intimate the encounter between british and indian could get, and how barbed the consequences could be. It is certainly the most surprising book i have read for many months. This week saw the release of william dalrymples the anarchy. Since i not only love to travel, but also love to learn about peoples and cultures around the world, this group is very intriguing to me. Dalrymple has emerged not only with a gripping tale of politics and power. From the holy mountain 9780805061772 by william dalrymple. William dalrymple on the anarchy and the cunning of the east. Having previously read the last mughal, this raised my expectations from william dalrymple, and white mughals certainly did not disappoint. This is not really a book which talks about the citys history that i was looking for, its much more than that.

The relentless rise of the east india company hardcover 10 sep 2019. White mughals by william dalrymple, hardcover barnes. In this exemplary work english not only tells a remarkable story and explores the meanings of the. From william dalrymple awardwinning historian, journalist and travel writer a masterly retelling of what was perhaps the wests greatest imperial disaster in the east, and an important parable of neocolonial ambition, folly and hubris that has striking relevance to our own time. In his third book william dalrymple has dug deep to present the case of the middle east s downtrodden christians. William dalrymples book nine lives, in search of the sacred in modern india, offers us a marvelous journey through his own traveldestinations in a country piled up with countless beliefs and faiths. Prizewinning and bestselling historian william dalrymple returns with his biggest book yet. As always, william dalrymple has written a book which is hard to put down. Like all of william dalrymples books, this history of the east india company. Jul 20, 2017 in this vivid history of one of the worlds most celebrated gemstones, the indian diamond known as the kohinoor, anita anand and william dalrymple put an inventive twist on the old maxim. In white mughals william dalrymple tells the story of a british resident in hyderabad, james achilles kirkpatrick, around 1800. In his most ambitious and riveting book to date, william dalrymple tells the story of. William dalrymple is the author of nine books about india and the islamic world, including.

William dalrymple return of a king the battle f book. Apr 27, 2004 in this book dalrymple not only provides a fascinating look at the private lives and liaisons of the british in india, but also a comprehensive view of angloindian relations from the first arrival of english tradesmen in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to the sepoy mutiny and the beginning of the raj period. That is when i stumbled upon this one written by william darlymple. We are reading books that take place in india this month.

Return of a king is a history which resonates with contemporary politics and reads like a richly drawn novel. The anarchy is not simply a gripping tale of bloodshed and deceit, of unimaginable opulence and intolerable starvation. William dalrymple on why britain shouldnt be speaking nostalgically about empires amid brexit the british author talks about his new book the anarchy, the rise of the east india company, and. In this book dalrymple not only provides a fascinating look at the private lives and liaisons of the british in india, but also a comprehensive view of angloindian relations from the first arrival of english tradesmen in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to the sepoy mutiny and the beginning of the raj period.

From the prizewinning author of white mughals and city of djinns, nine lives is a distillation of twentyfive years of exploring india and writing about its religious traditions a modern indian canterbury tales which introduces us to characters and takes us deep into worlds we could never have imagined existed. It is shot through with an unappeasable moral passion. The difference between these two images is the distance travelled by william dalrymple s the anarchy, a graphic retelling of the east india companys relentless rise from provincial. William dalrymples new book, the anarchy of how a commercial. The narrative traces a 200year offense which was not only aided and enabled by indian sepoys but even paid for very largely by the loans given. Patrick radden keefes say nothing is my book of the year, not only for its incredible reporting and gripping storytelling but because it offers the best history ive ever read of the troubles and its legacies for the u. William dalrymple is the author of six previous acclaimed works of history and travel, including city of djinns, which won the young british writer of the year prize and the thomas cook travel book award. Return of a king by william dalrymple used very good. That is perhaps the true lesson of the companys historyand one that makes dalrymples book worth reading by everyone, m.

William dalrymple, the sunday times, the origins of both british attitudes to islam are charted in nabil matars brilliant and gripping study, an astonishing compendium of groundbreaking research whose very title is a measure of quite how original and surprising this book is. Dalrymple has done a great service in not just writing an eminently readable history of eighteenthcentury india, but in reflecting on how so much of it serves as a warning for our own time stuart kelly scotland on sunday a magnificently readable book, deeply researched and richly atmospheric, written with a historians understanding of. William dalrymple on why britain shouldnt be speaking. In this vivid history of one of the worlds most celebrated gemstones, the indian diamond known as the kohinoor, anita anand and william dalrymple put an inventive twist on the old maxim. Ahdaf soueif, tls books of the year ive always enjoyed william dalrymples work.

The best books on india, ancient and modern five books. Sep 10, 2019 dalrymple has done a great service in not just writing an eminently readable history of eighteenthcentury india, but in reflecting on how so much of it serves as a warning for our own time scotland on sunday a magnificently readable book, deeply researched and richly atmospheric, written with a historians understanding of power and a. He divides his time between new delhi and london, and is a. My only regret reading this wonderful history is that it was not published a decade earlier evening standard william dalrymple, in his sparkling new history of the first angloafghan war, draws striking parallels between that 19thcentury conflict and natos current afghan imbroglio. After five years work with a trove of documents in several languages, dalrymple has emerged not only with a gripping tale of politics and power but also with evidence of the surprising extent of cultural exchange in previctorian india, before the arrogance of empire set in. The anarchy, william dalrymples gripping book on the east india companys relentless rise in the indian subcontinent from. He has no rival as a narrative historian of the british in india. The best books on india, ancient and modern recommended by william dalrymple. The top 5 sunday times bestsellerone of barack obamas best books of 2019longlisted for the baillie gifford prize for nonfiction 2019a financial times, observer, daily telegraph, wall street journal and times book of the yeardalrymple is a superb historian with a visceral understanding of india a book of beauty gerard degroot, the timesin august 1765 the east india company defeated.

The books narrative account and interviews never stop to move on, and before you know it, you are on top of a hill, or become a part of a pilgrimage, or are participating in song and dance. The author siddarth sagar presumably a second generation asian could not or did not bother to get indian names right. The battle for afghanistan 18391842 is an eloquent, animated account of the first angloafghan war, long regarded as britains most disastrous imperial adventure. But, i think the gripping sequence of events as told by dalrymple does not need illustrations to entertain, especially if you are bitten by the history bug. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read.

Best of william dalrymple meet your next favorite book. The anarchy by william dalrymple, paperback, 9781408864388. Wellesley thought of governing india not as a corporate but a state enterprise. His stories of the 9 people he chose to write about are gripping, indeed fascinating. But, i think the gripping sequence of events as told by dalrymple does not need illustrations tomore hi, the book does indeed contain a few illustrations. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. A rich and gripping account of eastern history, the rise of islam and orthodox spirituality. In this book dalrymple not only provides a fascinating look at the private lives and. I received this book when i joined the armchair travelers group. William dalrymple, the most versatile chronicler of india past and present, distilled another complex yet highly topical history into the anarchy, a bloodcurdling account of the east india co.

Buy the anarchy 9781408864371 by william dalrymple for only. Aurangzeb in 1707, the mughal empires grip on india began to slip. The awardwinning writer selects five books on india and says that the mahabharata, eight times the length of the bible, is one of the great works of literature of mankind and every bit as good as its made out to be. The anarchy, william dalrymples gripping book on the east india companys relentless rise in the indian subcontinent from 1756 to 1803, settles many things. Dalrymple is surely right that in the end, it all came down to money. William dalrymples the anarchy traces the relentless. Any financial penalty will just mean less taxes that they have to pay, and less bonuses to the. White mughals is the romantic and ultimately tragic tale of a passionate love affair that crossed and transcended all the cultural, religious and political boundaries of its time james achilles kirkpatrick was the british resident at the court of the nizam of hyderabad when in 1798 he glimpsed kahir unnissamost excellent among womenthe greatniece of the nizams prime minister and a.

Kirkpatrick went native to an extent that didnt please his superiors, and by focussing on him and his indian wife, khair unnissa, dalrymple offers a sweeping look at the india of the day and the complex interaction of cultures muslim. William dalrymple read kingdoms of faith by brian a. This book talks about our colonial history and the culture of those days. A gripping read which also discusses mughal court life in south india, which is. In this evocative study of the fall of the mughal empire and the beginning of the raj, awardwinning historian william dalrymple uses previously undiscovered sources to investigate a pivotal moment in history. In his most ambitious and riveting book to date, william dalrymple tells the story of the east. Sep 12, 2019 this week saw the release of william dalrymples the anarchy. The anarchy is not simply a gripping tale of bloodshed and deceit. But its a strange sort of fascination these are religious obsessives whose lives and behaviour are weird, sometimes in the extreme. Niyaz ahmed hi, the book does indeed contain a few illustrations.