|
The
enduring appeal of our icons
Reviewed by Roopinder
Singh
Celebrity: Its Changing Face in
India through the Ages
By Preminder Singh Sandhawalia
Authorhouse, London.
Pages 165. Rs 600
While
achievements are always celebrated, which accomplishments get
accolades depends on the people of the time, the values that a
particular culture holds dear at that moment, and a host of other
factors. The author sets out to examine the changing perceptions of
societies, through different eras, for celebrating achievements and
thus fashioning their heroes.
Sense
of deja vu, all over again
Reviewed by Khushwant S. Gill
Return of a King: The Battle
for Afghanistan 1839-1842
By William Dalrymple
Bloomsbury. Pages 567. Rs 799
The
Afghan dilemma never seems to end. Armies and nations come and go but
the endless cycle of violence, death and destruction flows on. For a
beautiful land and it's people this is a continual tragedy on a
monumental scale. Celebrated writer and historian William Dalrymple
strums this cord perfectly as he unfolds a captivating tale of
19th-century imperial intrigue, human ambition, bravery, treachery,
incompetence and hubris.
Fortunes
& misfortunes
Reviewed by Balwinder Kaur
Beggar's Feast
By Randy Boyagoda
Fourth Estate. Pages 311. Rs 599
The
astrologer's prediction sealed his fate, labelled unlucky little
Ranjith became the scapegoat sacrificed in the hope of better times by
a family battling drought and deprivation in the backwaters of Ceylon.
The unsuspecting, unwanted child was abandoned at the temple in Kandy
town.
Reliving
a troubled decade
Reviewed by Rajiv M Lochan
Remember to Forget
By Neel Kamal Puri. Rupa.
Pages 181. Rs 250
Deft
story telling is Neel Kamal's forte. Her pen paints the antinomies of
living in Punjab with a skill unmatched till now. In her latest book,
she takes us into a Punjab still haunted by memories of the 1984
pogrom against the Sikhs. The traumatised make efforts to overcome
that harsh experience, the innocent get mauled by a state that sees
dissent where none exists.
Raj
rewound
Reviewed by Cookie Maini
Reliving the Raj: Daughter of Empire
By Pamela Hicks Hachette, London.
Pages 262. Rs 699
I
was
fortunate enough to visit the stately British Mansion "Broadlands"
of the Mountbattens when I visited Southhampton for a conference
commemorating 60 years of Indian Independence. Even though the
Mountbattens' stint in India was barely 15 months, it apparently
remained etched in their mindscape.
Kindle Store (paid)
|
