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This history lane is neither dull nor dreary
Reviewed by G. S. Cheema
The Age of Wrath: A History of the
Delhi Sultanate
by Abraham Eraly
Penguin Viking Pages 443. Rs.699
Abraham
Eraly specialises in blockbusters. Two of his earlier books were so
voluminous that they became four in subsequent editions. The Age of
Wrath is, thankfully, shorter. My own memories of this period are
based on my recollections of Wolseley Haig's volume of the Cambridge
History of this period during my student days. It was mostly a dreary
recital of sieges and battles, with depraved monsters posing as
sultans. Hence, the shorter the better.
James rakes in £33-m
The creator of S&M
aficionado Christian Grey saw her earnings treble as the number of
copies sold around the globe passed the 100-million mark. According to
the Sun on Sunday, accounts filed at Companies House show that
James' business, Fifty Shades Limited, made £43.9 million in the year
to September 2013, with pre-tax profits of £33.4 million. Profits
after tax were £25.5 million. The 51-year-old paid herself a salary
of just £7,800 but took a dividend of £3.24 million.
The mettle of a true star
Reviewed by Aradhika Sharma
Conversations with Waheeda Rehman
by Munni Nasreen
Kabir.
Penguin Viking
Pages 256
Rs 499
Exceedingly charming, candid,
humourous and disarmingly honest Waheeda’s conversation unfolds the
eventful life she has lived with élan and style. Told
retrospectively, Waheeda puts in perspective, what must have been
major upheavals in her life, when she lost her parents early in life
and then became the toast of tinsel town before she was out of her
teens. Kabir does her bit by directing the conversations in avenues
that lead to interesting and introspective narratives of times and
people bygone; but still vibrant and alive because they are so much a
part of public memory.
Rites of passage
Reviewed by Harbir K.
Singh
Growing up in Mist
by Shiva Gupta
Jasmine Art Printers, Mumbai.
Rs 175
The writer of this book,
Shiva Gupta, is unbelieveably young, just 19 and has written an
interesting book. Bharat is the name of the main character and the
book starts with his first day at a convent school at Ludhiana. The
school is one of the poshest schools of the city. He narrates his
daily experiences at the school, his new friends, a few of his old
ones and the smart girls of his class. As Bharat is new in the school
in Class 11, it takes him some time to adjust to the new environment.
He also agonises about the selection of subjects and tries to decide
whether to opt for medical, non-medical or arts. His life at school is
lots of fun with friends. They tease each other whenever free and
together about girls in their class.
Sharp focus on South Asia
Reviewed by P. K. Vasudeva
-
Perspectives on Bilateral and Regional Cooperation South and Central Asia
Ed Rashpal Malhotra, Sucha Singh Gill and Neetu Gaur.
Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) Chandigarh. Pages 484
Rs 900.
-
Leveraging Economic Growth for Collective Prosperity in South Asia
Ed Rashpal
Malhotra, Sucha Singh Gill and Neetu Gaur
CRRID, Chandigarh. Pages 274. Rs 500.
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South and Central Asia Quest for Peace and Cooperation
Ed Rashpal Malhotra, P L Dash, Sucha Singh Gill and Murat M Bakhadirov
CRRID, Chandigarh. Pages 256 Rs 495.
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