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63 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple, 12 Nov 2006
This review is from: The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi, 1857 (Hardcover)
This is an astounding read; William Dalrymple at his finest and strongest. Drawing upon a wealth of previously unpublished material from the Indian National Archive, Dalrymple presents the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the events leading up to it, and its aftermath with unprecedented breadth. The subject has been deeply researched and there are extensive, informative, footnotes throughout. For students of the period this book should be mandatory reading. But part of its brilliance is that this book is, for the general reader, a highly accessible read - the narrative flows and moves at a gripping pace. The story is a tribute to the civilians of Delhi, caught like proverbial grains of wheat between the giant millstones of the opposing factions. Whilst it relates to events of 150 years ago powerful contemporary messages are reinforced. That racial and religious intolerance and bigotry serve to spawn extremism and "self righteous hysteria".
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic read, 22 Mar 2007
This review is from: The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi, 1857 (Hardcover)
I have just finished this book, I enjoyed every page thoroughly. Do not be put off by the size of this book, I finished it too soon. William Dalrymple has a tremendous knowledge of his subject and a real sympathy for the people of Delhi. This history is highly scolarly yet a real page turner, there is humour as well as horror. If you liked this apart from Dalrymple's other books 'The Moghul Throne' by Abraham Eraly is a great book too (another reviewer has made this recommendation, I second it).
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33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Last Mughal - A Review, 27 Oct 2006
This review is from: The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi, 1857 (Hardcover)
Written with erudition and a flowing style, William Dalrymple conjures up the spectacle of Mughal Delhi in its twilight superbly.
William Dalrymple's painstaking research brings to a wider view, documents and first-hand accounts from Indian and Pakistani sources (including the last Emperor's) which have not been acknowledged by Western historians before. The resulting story captures the grand sweep of events spiced with vignettes about each of the key personalities and testaments to their characters - quite apart from being an enthralling read it could convert into a great film.
The Last Mughal cannot be recommended too highly - it's a superb piece of a scholarship from a writer who has a strong feeling for for India's past and present. It tells of the events which created modern India and neatly dovetails these with the pressures it faces today.
A superb book from a superb writer.
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