Rich historical fiction - Empire of the Moghul

"Empire of the Moghul" is one of those series where everyone gets something out of it. Its got all the elements of fiction for the fiction-mongers and rich historical undertones for the non-fiction lovers. I particularly loved the book as I am generally interested in empires and the culture and history of civilizations. This was my very first book of this series and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Written in a nice pacy manner, the Raiders from the North encompasses the events and time period in the middle-eastern-asian history that led to the rise of the Moghul empire in India. The book chronicles the life and times of the first Moghul emperor Babur and how even after a series of disappointments as a ruler and conqueror, he continued his quest of establishing a big empire...finally landing up on the shores of Hindustan. The Raiders....succeeds well in painting an extremely detailed character sketch of Babur and his family as well as the political environment prevailing at that time in middle east and central Asia. It also gives insights into some of the major conquests Babur undertook in his prime and the politico-social reasons behind his success and / or failures. The book also brings about a critical analysis of the Timur dynasty, their life and culture and more importantly their motivations, strategy and thought towards the conquered cities like Samarkhand, Kabul and finally India.

A good book for anyone who wants to read the history behind the Moghuls and India under the Moghul rule with a twist of fiction that makes up for an easy and interesting read.

A tale of madness, insanity and genius behind the making of Oxford English Dictionary

I picked up this book because a conspiracy theory - true or not - always makes up for an intriguing read. The Professor and the Madman, turned out to be much more than a mere account of a conspiracy. It is a masterful piece of research around the most celebrated English literature.

The Professor and the Madman is the story of 2 men who probably had the most impact on the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. However, unlike what the title suggests, more than the making of the dictionary, it is a character study of the 2 most important people behind the dictionary and the strange bond they shared.

Professor James Murray, the distinguished editor of the OED project and Dr. William Chester Minor, an American Military Surgeon's paths cross in strange twist of fate this strange association probably became the biggest reason behind the success of the OED project. What makes this association most interesting is that for most part of the project, Professor Murray was oblivious of the rather dark life of Dr. Minor, who apart from being a murderer was also a committed insane confined to an asylum. His astounding contribution to the making of OED behind the walls of this asylum and his struggle to continue towards this single goal in life is as much inspirational as it is unbelievable.

This strange relationship between Murray and Minor, the insanity and genius of Minor and and how it shaped the greatest achievement in the English literature - the OED  - is what this book is all about. Simon Winchester, a master journalist, has time and again brought out  many such obscure stories of historical essence to his readers and this one is no different. It is an extremely well researched book that gives an equal space to all prevailing viewpoints whether it is about the identity and / or insanity of Dr. Minor or about their relationship.

It is an exemplary work of research and journalism and for all those interested in knowing the darker truths behind seemingly harmless events in the history, The Professor and the Madman will definitely deliver the goods.

Rockers and Rollers - a Ball Breaker, the AC/DC way

Warning: This book contains explicit content. Reader discretion is solicited.

Well I had really really high hopes from this book, being a chronic rock and metal fan and I was in for a laugh riot of Epic proportions.

Brian Johnson gives a no holds barred account of his tryst with the various automobiles in his life. Yes, its not about AC/DC, its all about Brian Johnson and his obscenely funny anecdotes about his cars, bikes and automobiles. And yes, its not about the technicalities or merits of the featured automobiles as well, it's one man's journey mapped around the milestones that happen to be automobiles.

Written in a truly Brit style sprinkled with metaphors that are insane, obscene and gross at times, Rockers and Rollers is probably the most easy read I have ever had. Coming from a non-Brit culture, it was almost a discovery of sorts for me in the grossest and funniest of metaphors. I would remember and recollect some metaphor or line even a day after and burst into a fit of laughter. On more than one occasion, I had to stow the book away away while reading in public to control my laughter.  I mean the man has not even tried to tone it down to suit a mass audience. In an attitude befitting of a Rockstar, he writes as if he doesn't give a damn! Which of course he doesn't

Coming to the book, well the content is neither inspirational (as expected from a Biography) nor informational (about the author's life) nor factual ( about automobiles) but a simple story about a man and his love (or hate) for his automobiles. Probably one of the things that could have been done better is to stick to some kind of a chronological order. The book rocks back and forth in present, past, childhood, teenage and adulthood with freedom only a creative brain like brian can only afford but to readers, it could be a tad bit difficult to follow.

It's an endearing and honest account of all the things that went wrong with this dude's life when it comes to automobiles.

Well me lads...this is shaker from a crazy ol' git..that's sure to get you laughing like a twat! Go figure.

Tuxedo Park - the untold story of science behind world wars

I never imagined the impact one man could have had on the path and destiny of the World War II that we have been a witness to. This man turns out to be Mr. Alfred Lee Loomis - did you ever hear of him? I'm sure not....I also did not...before my almost impulsive interest in the literature associated with World War 2 made me pick up this book.

Tuxedo Park tells the story of an American high society called Tuxedo Park and one Alfred Loomis, who turned his big mansion at Tuxedo Park into an almost mystical and highly secretive lab.This lab became the birthplace of the ideas and inventions that almost single handedly turned the tide of the World War 2 in the favor of the Allied forces and gave rise to many modern day technologies we find commonplace today.

If you want to investigate the reasons and origins of how this whole arms race started, this is the book to read. It is also a second hand account into the journey of a few committed scientists that led to the invention of atomic bombs that laid to waste, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first hand account being the biography of Dr. Oppenheimer, who headed that team.

The book takes you through the life of Alfred Loomis, a kind hearted millionaire, a shrewd wall street hero and a passionate scientist. This name is probably not even mentioned once or gets only a passing mention in the zillions of historical accounts of World Wars. However, Tuxedo Park is arguable the first account of this mysterious and enigmatic personality who played a most pivotal role in all the scientific progress that humankind made in defense related science during those few turbulent and devastating times. From spending without batting an eyelid on establishing a private state of the art laboratory to lobbying fervently for budgets for these researches to heading a number of committees that for the first time took the application of scientific concepts and applied it to defense. To mys surprise, almost every Nobel laureate and leading scientist have been associated with this man. Yet, I am truly amazed at the contribution this man has made to further science and even more intrigued by an almost conspicuous yet mysterious absence of this guy from any popular account - either of science, war or history. This book to a large extent unravels this mystery.

It will definitely appeal to all those who are intrigued by this heady and potentially dangerous collaboration between science and defense and how it has led to the evolution of the so called world <nuclear> powers as we know them today.

My Name Is Red - Orhan Pamuk

If there is ever a fiction writer that can teach you a history, I'd bet it will be Orhan Pamuk. His much acclaimed book "My Name is Red" is a treatise in middle eastern philosophy and history. Written in an absolutely refreshing style it chronicles the lives of miniaturists and the deep philosophy that guides their art, wrapped around an intriguing murder mystery.

Honestly that is all about it.

For an uninitiated in middle eastern history like myself, I felt it was a bit tough on the reader. So many names of kings, artists, books, kingdoms etc. throws the reader a bit off. There are sections filled with descriptions and discourses only about kings, paintings and stories behind those paintings that one, if not genuinely interested in them, feels the urge to skip through and come to the main plot again. Expecting the readers to deep dive into such intricate details of a culture not so open otherwise, is a bit put-off. I knew that this is rich content but also had the extreme sense of - this is not for me - while I was skimming through these sections. That is the BAD part about this book.

Now the GOOD part - the narration style is simple outstanding and befits the background of a murder mystery. In the above context , for the interested readers, it gives a lot of insight into the culture and philosophies of the middle east. The story line in itself is quite strong as well as the mystery element. That is something that kept me interested even with all the mind boggling historical details. For the readers interested in Islamic Philosophy, there is no dearth of some really thought provoking discourses on the nature of life and universe. For the readers looking for a good murder mystery, there's enough intrigue and suspense built into the story. And for those who simply want the pleasure of reading, I would say it will make an interesting provided one is ready to look beyond the sometimes overwhelming historical account.

The Shiva Trilogy - Redefining Indian Fiction

To be honest, I was never too much into Indian literature barring a few like Arundhati Roy, Sulman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Jhumpa Lahiri and the ilk and was particularly indifferent to the fiction scene.

Today I am proud to say that I am a transformed reader. Since the time I have gotten hooked on to this phenomenal opium of a book series called "The Shiva Trilogy" I am hunting like a madman for more and more Desi masterpieces. Though I still feel that the writer could do well with a tighter language and editorial...but who cares...the plot and the storyline..makes up more than enough for these minor imperfections. What a storyteller this Amish Tripathi has turned out to be...I would say move over Chetan Bhagats and let the real storyteller please stand up!

The way he has taken Indian mythology and turned it over its head to produce a masterclass fiction work is just amazing. India and Indians are hyper sensitive about religion and anything even remotely related to it. But Amish has managed to cleverly steer away from our religious watchdogs and given a non-controversial (at least to me it seems so) new Avataar to the most enigmatic and mysterious of our Gods - Lord Shiva. He has made Lord Shiva look like a cross between all the Superheroes of the west with a panache and Charisma of 007- so powerful is the character.

The narrative is absolutely gripping and just when you are on the brink of acknowledging the sheer brilliance , Amish raises the stakes as he pulls a rabbit out of the hat and makes the story and the reader twist in their tracks. Amazing imagination and awesome storytelling is what you could expect from this guy. With an easy on the grey cells style of writing, it just makes it so difficult for one to leave the book unfinished. I'd go as far to say that he could be the "Dan Brown" Indian Fiction scene has always been waiting for.

I'm already super excited at the prospect and possibilities of the concluding book - "The oath of the Vayuputras" (getting released in March) and even more at the rumors of a motion picture being planned with Rithik Roshan as Shiva!!

Sounds too good to be true..but that's what I heard on the movie grapevine...but I do hope that it turns out to be true.

Confession time - I've been hit like a bolt by some seriously good Indian fiction so much that I have already listed out my next reads - Ashwin Sanghi series and "The Asuras".

Folks, trust me on this one, if you haven't checked out the Shiva Series already...please go and grab your copies now!

Overall Verdict - Superb

Victim of its own Success - The Oath of the Vayuputras falls at the final hurdle

Staying true to some of the best selling fiction / fantasy series across the globe, the Shiva Trilogy concludes with a "just about there" final book "The Oath of the Vayuputras" that fails to match the level of its predecessors.

In part, I feel it was because of a complicated construct of the series that needed a closure on too many open story tracks and partly on the quality of work and success exhibited by the earlier books.

On this note, let me say here, in all fairness, that "The Oath of the Vayuputras" is not at all a bad read...but...somehow it takes the readers from a high of the previous books and suddenly brings them crashing down to the plains of banality and trite. Under a completely unnecessary urge to give a rational garb to all aspects of the story, I think Amish actually ended up trivializing and over-simplifying actions and concepts that were the key to this "high".

What I failed to appreciate was that why some of the key issues could not be left alone to the better imagination of the readers? After all,the readers does like and expect to get drowned in the shreds of intrigue and mysticism in a work of fiction/fantasy. The book kind of looses the plot here. Instead of leaving the reader in awe and admiration of "Shiva - The Mahadev", it merely leaves him as another warrior lord who's lost a lot in the battle.

A zillions words have been wasted on detailing out the war strategy discussions of each group of characters sidelining "Shiva" for chapters together. In fact, if you are observant enough, you will realize that most of the key battle happens without Shiva at the forefront. After waiting for the much hyped "battle of the centuries", suddenly you'd find Shiva missing from all the action in every key plot or battle and pursuing some other agendas that at times, don't even add much to the main plot anyways. And  before you know it, the war ends without much action and the story leapfrogs few years in future with Shiva leading an inconsequential life again.

I think, as a reader, I expected more from this epic "battle" and more so from "Shiva" which was not to be!! This was the most disappointing thing for me about this concluding book - that it did not give a befitting end to this great legend called Shiva masterfully created in the previous books.

None the less an excellent 1st attempt. As I had mentioned in one of my earlier reviews, Amish has produced a mini "miracle" in how Indian and Global readers look at Indian fiction / fantasy writing. That, to me, is the greatest accomplishment of this series and an incentive for all those who have not yet read it to go and indulge themselves.

I sure hope that more such awesome stuff will come out of Amish's pen and am looking forward to his next series in great anticipation.

Inside Hitler's mind - book review of Mein Kampf

Finally managed to finish the humongous treatise of a book on Hitler....arguable the most authentic text written about the world's most hated man. It took me about 6 months to get over the finishing line.

So here's what I think about the book -

Definitely a heavy read. If you try it like a bedtime read as I did, it will probably take you forever to finish. Quite thorough in coverage of the politico-social environment in Hitler's time and gives quite an insight into the culture of Germany. I really liked the detailed discourses on political questions and the role of state and education in the 
progress of a country. Some of the ideas are so compelling that you would feel they are equally relevant in today's times. Each of the subjects he has chosen to spell his mind on have been given full justice and Hitler has really made an effort to out across his point of view, forcefully though, supported by ample examples and favorable arguments. Amazing comparison and analysis have been drawn on the political parties and their respective leaders at that time. I liked the discourse on the all important question of Jew, though fraught with a lot of prejudice, it really gives a nice insight into how Hitler analysed the events around him to arrive at his notions.Now being on the other side of the World Wars I can't get myself to agree with a lot of his conclusions but nonetheless a good study of what went on inside the man's head. Particularly liked the chapter on War propaganda a lot. The principles put forth by Hitler make just so much of sense.

While the man was frankly a genius in his analytical, oratory and observation faculties but clearly prejudiced when it comes to drawing inferences and conclusions. That I felt was the root cause of why he did what he did.

On the book, i'd say just as his thoughts, the book goes from one subject to the other randomly making it a bit tough on the reader to assimilate the information in the context of the bigger picture.

I am told that the "Rise and fall of the third Reich" is a better and more coherent book to read but well if you want to read about Germany and Hitler what could be better than right from the horses mouth. After this I am definitely going to read the "Rise and Fall" as well and compare the notes.

My verdict is - if you can survive through the heavy content and random flow and manage to finish the book, you'll definitely be come out wiser on the matter of one Mr. Hitler.

Ramayana as you "NOT" know it

Asura takes you on an interesting journey. If you have grown up in India watching or reading Ramayana, this book is bound disturb you. For the simple reason that it questions every fact in the original Ramayana and turns it on its head and poses difficult questions on our age old understanding of Ram, Ramayana and the history (or mythology) of that time. In this element, the book definitely keeps you engrossed as you'd want to keep on reading to know the author's perspective on famous incidences and stories from Ramayana, that you know, probably by heart.

I am an agnostic, so could really look at it from an objective standpoint. Really it was an interesting experience and exercise to try to map out and compare what I knew and what "Asura" has to say. I am sure the book has been thoroughly researched and it is simply amazing to see how two completely different versions of the same story can exist and more importantly how two sets of people could believing equally ardently in their versions. Having said that, it is definitely a bold book in that it questions the faith of a larger part of the country in their most popular god - Lord Rama. I am surprised that the book has managed to steer clear from any controversies and the hardliners have not picked up on Mr. Neelkantan yet. It's a bit of nice coincidence that I read 2 books back to back - Mein Kampf and Asuras, both trying to tell the other side of the story and attempting to change the perception of arguably the 2 most celebrated villains of the world.

Coming to the meat of the book, well as the title says, it chronicles the rise and fall of Ravana, through the eyes of Ravana and a fairly nondescript yet pivotal character Bhadra. The book paints the Asura society as more open minded and culturally modern in outlook and the Deva (read Ramarajya) culture as extremely orthodox ridden by many societal issues like casteism, inequality etc. It also pins the source of all such evils to one class - the Brahmins and doesn't leave an opportunity to take a dig at them.

Whats interesting is that the book doesn't attempt at justifying any actions of Ravana and calls out loud all his vices and evils and leaves him for what he is while the same "let-it-be" approach has not been extended in characterizing Rama. You will feel, at a number of places, that while Ravana's actions have been accommodated as a part of his nature and personality, Rama's actions have been specifically highlighted in order to bring to the attention of reader that the common perception about him may not be as true and correct. Some of the pivotal incidents of Ramayana, Rama's actions and the very basis of the war has been shown in a completely different light.

The USP of this book lies in the intrigue it creates with arguments against the much accepted notions and the faith on Lord Rama and Ramayana and does that brilliantly. Well paced and well written, Neelkantan has surely pulled out a cracker in more than literally terms.

A word of caution though, read it with a pinch of salt and keep your objectivity on while reading this book. It may hurt your faith at times and lead you to read too much into this book. It's a good piece of mythological fiction and I would urge you to leave it at that.

While I am writing this, I am reminded of another gem of a movie, actually 2 movies from Clint Eastwood - The flag of our fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima - that attempted the same with one historical moment in the WW II history between US and Japan. Strongly recommend them to the readers if you are the kind who can accommodate more than 1 perspective without taking sides.

The untold story of before and after "300 - The Movie"

Most of us will be familiar with the Hollywood blockbuster "300". We probably remember for its superb graphics and a very inspiring story, but since then I had been really wanting to know more about the culture of Spartans and Greeks in general. Beyond 300, the movie, the Greek history and culture has always been placed at a very high pedestal by the historians for being the forefathers of democracy and adding to the world knowledge with their numerous and valuable contributions in all fields of life - sociology, politics, philosophy, art, science, theatrics and many more.

This book, gives you a historical perspective on all of these in the context of the turbulent and violent times of 300-400 BC. The book chronicles the life of prominent Greek philosophers, kings, tyrants, generals and slaves of that time and manages to weave an almost unbelievable yet magical story. At no point the book turns into a boring historical account, so wonderful is the narration style. Full marks to Michael Scott for that.

The book starts with a reference to "300" the movie follows it the historical account of that famous battle of Thermopylae and lures the reader into the mystical world of the Greeks. From then on wards, starts the anecdotal account of the Greek history and how it not only shaped the Greek world but the world as we know it today. Thoroughly researched, the narration time and again tries to relate back to the current world geography, issues and political philosophy which only goes to remind you that how much knowing your past can help you understand and appreciate the present in a much better way.

I'd say this is a must read book for anyone interested in world history and particularly politics. Believe me that period in history is nothing less that a Bollywood blockbuster with love, tragedy, sex, romance, betrayals and hell yeah..loads of action!!

Before I sign-off, many thanks to Michael Scott for bringing this wonderful piece of history to us.

Charles Chaplin - An Autobiography

Penning the story of his life, the master entertainer mesmerizes the readers yet again with a heart warming, awe inspiring and motivating  account of the life and times of a genius that was Charles Chaplin. Every page of his book, just like his movies, is sure to move you into fits of laughter or throws of cries, but never ever fails to entertain you.

Brilliantly written, Chaplin employs all the skills of his years of script writing to this book and makes it come alive in readers' minds. One would almost feel like they are watching another one of a Chaplin Classic.

The book starts with an account of Chaplin family and the tough growing years of Charlie Chaplin, also the years that shaped up his personality and cinematic perspectives. At no point in time, Chaplin tries to glorifies his tough growing up years as some of the other "rags to riches" celebrity stories do. He remains as humble in his book as he has throughout his life. In fact, as one would find out that it is his strong roots contributed a lot to his endearing nature and optimistic perspective towards life in general and was a key inspiration for his movies.

As one moves from his childhood years to his early days in circus, broadway and comedy troupes and theater  one notices that even with his gifts,he had to struggle at every step as he failed to compromise on what he thought was the right thing to do.  It was left to the foresight of certain individuals who could see his merit and encouraged him.

The book also reveals another side of Chaplin - his strong family values and the importance he gave to his relationships. Of course he has had this share of casual flings and marriages but the strong bonds he shared throughout his life with his brother Sydney and his mother gives you an insight of the emotional side of the man. Some of his memoirs of his mother are simply beautiful and the fact that for both the brothers, the well being of their mother and the cognizance of her ordeals while bringing them up remained the most important reasons guiding their decisions tells you how strong they felt about their mother and each other.

His tryst with famedom reveals another interesting aspect about him, the man clearly had no charm for money and riches. His honest confession that he had millions stacked up in the accounts and he was clueless on what to do with it for most part of his life again points out to the strong connection with his growing up years where getting a decent one time meal was a luxury.Throughout his book he makes an earnest attempt to depict his follies, weaknesses and guilty passions as truly as possible, without any justification. 

I think if some one ever makes a movie about Charlie Chaplin, it would be be almost like reading through this book. Enchanting, mesmerizing and endearing...the qualities that Charlie Chaplin wooed the world with.

A must read for me......