- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Robinson Publishing; New edition edition (25 Mar 2004)
- Language English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Welsh
- ISBN-10: 184119882X
- ISBN-13: 978-1841198828
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 13 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 861,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
‘This is a book about gems that is also a gem of a book’
Sunday Times
Product Description
In the beginning diamonds came from India. And the greatest of those ancient stones, the Koh-i-Noor, the Mountain of Light, cut a deep and bloody path across the history and legends of the country. Fought over, cursed and occasionally lost, from the mines of Golconda in the south to the mughal palaces of Agra and Delhi in the north, it finally reached the Sikhs in the Punjab, only to be seized by British agents eager to please the young Queen Victoria. It now lies in the Tower of London, its ownership still disputed. Kevin Rushby follows the trail of this great jewel through fascinating corners of India and crossing the path of dealers, smugglers and petty crooks. The historical characters are no less colourful, from the bloodthirsty tyrants who built mountains of human heads to the man-god Krishna. He unravels the religious symbolism and mysticism behind our passions for diamonds, on a journey that is humorous, informative and, as it progresses, more than a little dangerous.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Diamonds, crime, lions, Indian culture, pilgrimages.......,
By A Customer
This review is from: Chasing the Mountain of Light: Across India on the Trail of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond (Paperback)
After his debut book, the excellent Eating the Flowers of Paradise, Kevin Rushby has set himself a very hard act to follow. The author is now on less well-known territory as he sets out to trace the origin diamonds in India, in particular the world famous Koh-i-nor diamond. True to his adventurous spirit, he soon ventures off the beaten track in Southern India, where he injures his elbow in a bus crash in which the passengers force the bus driver to continue the journey despite causing the crash through his falling asleep, because 'it is his duty'. This book has a sense of crime fiction about it, as the author investigates through various channels where diamonds were historically mined. He encounters many people who appear unprepared to talk about diamonds, and has difficulties being unable to speak the local language, but manages to ascertain that there is some small scale prospecting and possibly illicit dealing taking place. While journeying northwards, he meets many colourful Indian characters, takes part in a Jain pilgrimage and goes in search of the rare and endangered Asian lion with a former maharajah. The story, packed with historical insights into India, takes a surreal twist when the author is mugged and drugged in Delhi, which he accepts so philosophically that the reader is obliged to remind himself that he is reading factual travelogue and not crime fiction. This book takes you well off the tourist trail and puts things in an enlightening historical context. The author does not attempt to make this into an adventure travel book, but he scratches below the surface of Indian life while being culturally sensitive, and his modesty ensures a refreshing lack of hyperbole.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
for all officionados of curses and legends,
By A Customer
This review is from: Chasing the Mountain of Light: Across India on the Trail of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond (Travel Literature) (Hardcover)
If you are into ancient curses and legends this is a great travel book. Kevin rushby is always an interesting and readable travel writer, but with this book he has picked a perfect background story for his book. The legend of the Kohi noor would make a great movie or piece of historical fiction, and it is surprising that it has only been the focus of travel writing, but that aside, rusby has done it justice. As others have said below, the book could have stood more historical facts, but the other more detailed travel aspects are still entralling - buy it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
legendary,
By A Customer
This review is from: Chasing the Mountain of Light: Across India on the Trail of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond (Paperback)
so0me things kind of pass you by, like the fact that there is a diamond in the crown jewels apparently cursing the british royal family. Still Mr Rushby illuminated me in this fascinating travel book
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