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.