White Mughals

I finished Dalrymple's lastest book last week and I was astonished at how he can make history so readable. What a brilliant researcher. I am involved in research myself by how he managed to cover so many sources and with such depth and then make such a clear picture of it all is masterly. It's a must read for anyone who wants to know more about the early Anglo-Indian history before things turned really nasty

Thanks that's another book on my list, this list just keeps growing!!
At number one at the moment of books to read is Third Class Ticket anyone read it???

Third Class Ticket is a must read.

i know this is an old thread, but why not resuscitate it?

thanks to all who recommended william dalrymple, i have just finished reading 'white mughals' and found it wonderful.

it is the story of an eighteenth century love affair between a high born indian muslim woman and the english resident of hyderabad. unknown to most of us because the recent history is so different, at this time there was a huge crossover between indian and english society in india.

the book reads more like a novel and is almost un-put-down-able. dalrymple's sharp sense of humour abounds in footnotes as he comments on the story he is telling.

absolutely recommended, especially if you would like to read about a little known aspect of indian history.

I am well into it and was very disinclined to like the book. But, now I find it quite an absorbing and stimulating piece..

apart from the fact that it is extremely well written, i was fascinated by the level of crossover by some of the english into mughal culture.

i liked dalrymple's concluding remarks: '...East and West are not irreconcilable, and never have been. Only bigotry, prejudice, racism and fear drive them apart. But they have met and mingled in the past; and they will do so again.' (p. 501).

this is a message that is well worth hearing and spreading today in the light of the hatred and foment that is being spread world wide, particularly between muslim and non-muslim. and i hold both sides responsible.

That's funny, I just got the book last week (haven't started it yet) It's good to know that I will enjoy it!

One of those books, that starts off on a rather plain note and ends up altering the way you regard people, rich or poor. I've still not made up my mind which part is fiction and which is fact.

Highly recommended especially if you're the cynical type.

Big fan of Dalrymple's especially "City of Djinns" & "The Age of Kali" which were basically in short story format. I thought his talent was challenged in writing a much longer story such as this.

It may be just my literary "peabrain" but I found it hard to keep straight in my mind all the characters, time/place locations, & alliances and thus quickly lost any momentum I could generate in my reading. However I do find the book, as a whole, an invaluable reference full of interesting tidbits and facts that beg for further exploration on a future trip to India. It's got a place in my reference library for sure!

I just returned from a visit to Hyderabad, must read White Mughals again.

It amazed me how much I enjoyed it..

i decided after reading that i must visit hyderabad. and then i read 'city of djinns' and decided i must visit delhi. wonder what he's working on now...

I actually saw a tourist in a Hyderabad cafe reading White Mughals

Makes me want to see the former residency building. I'll work toward getting a letter of recommendation..

I gotta tell ya the photo opposite page 270 (possibly a not to distant relative of CyberHippie?) makes me laugh out loud everytime I look at it. They were interesting times for sure!