Customer reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars
115 customer ratings
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The Last Mughal
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- The Last Mughal
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Top positive review
The horrors of 1857
26 April 2017
The king who wasn't a king. 1857 in front of your eyes, it's riveting account in detail from Delhi's perspective. The horrors from Indian mutineers and Britishers are tragic. And the lack of command from the last Mughal (despite no fault of his) lead to this catastrophe. History at its best, though a dark chapter in Indian history.
12 people found this helpful
Top critical review
While the book and its cover were in good shape, I discovered later that the pages were ...
8 January 2018
While the book and its cover were in good shape, I discovered later that the pages were arranged in a haphazard manner, for instance pg #140 after pg #60, then pg 62, then pg #70. I cant even make out a pattern in this! This is preposterous.
2 people found this helpful
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26 April 2017
The king who wasn't a king. 1857 in front of your eyes, it's riveting account in detail from Delhi's perspective. The horrors from Indian mutineers and Britishers are tragic. And the lack of command from the last Mughal (despite no fault of his) lead to this catastrophe. History at its best, though a dark chapter in Indian history.
24 November 2015
This book is one of my favourites. Very few writers are as talented story-tellers, as William Dalrymple is. I had never read the history in such lively and convincing manner. Events are described in such a way that you feel everything happening in front of your eyes. This book is, as all works of the writer, thoroughly researched and recreats history as close to the reality as possible. Must read.
19 June 2017
A very detailed look at the events of 1857, in and around what happened in Delhi. Reading it, whatever other feelings come to mind (like the revenge of the british, the destruction of the heritage of Delhi), for me the overwhelming feeling is that of remorse, of a lost opportunity. In-spite of the huge numerical superiority of the Sepoy's, it's indeed tragic that the outcome was not different solely due to lack of command, no foresight to gather intelligence, behaving like a nineteenth century version of a suicide bomber etc. And in-spite of whatever feelings Dalrymple has for Zafar, to me he is as spineless and lazy a head as ever was. Seeing the mood of the mob when they asked him for the royal blessings, it's but natural that he should have got the idea that the Sepoy's will treat him no better than the brutish (oops the british). He should have said no there itself .He had nothing to lose, if he feared for his life at the hand of the rebel's, he should have known that once the war was lost, his chances will be bleak anyways. And once he had taken the decision, he should have made more sincere efforts to assume the role of a central leader. Allowing the Sepoy's to loot the city unchallenged, watching bombings from the Red Fort without doing a single constructive thing, it's but natural what fate had in store for him. To me the the saddest part is that civilians were caught in the crossfire and the parts of Delhi that was lost forever.
4 February 2018
Very beautifully portrayed the era of 19th Century when the Last Mughal King Ruled Delhi. A must read book with great ground work done by the great historian William Dalrymple. I love reading this book and still reading it. It is creating interest in your mind page by page a better experience. People from Delhi will like to read this book more as all the events are related to this city.
31 October 2017
Supremely brilliant book. Perfect example of how to make history informative, interesting, gripping and unbiased.
Author has done unbelievable amount of research and detailing. I could not believe that the so much of minute information about 1700s is recorded and available to reproduce as history. If you love history, this is must read.
Author has done unbelievable amount of research and detailing. I could not believe that the so much of minute information about 1700s is recorded and available to reproduce as history. If you love history, this is must read.
6 January 2019
Well researched and meticulously put together in chronological order. Perhaps the title could have been the Last years of the Last Mughal !
The genesis of “ The Clash of Civilizations” occurred much earlier than what is currently being discussed. !!
The genesis of “ The Clash of Civilizations” occurred much earlier than what is currently being discussed. !!
24 November 2017
The book is an excellent insight into the events around India’s first war of independence. His observations on failures of Zafar as an Individual as well as king to control revolt and make it sustainable is remarkable. I am particularly impressed by his observations on Zafar and all Mughal Emperor to maintain communal amity in the society despite all odds.
29 October 2018
History buffs go for it.Ordered the book and delivered the very next day. its paper bind and included all the mughal pictures added in the hard bind copy I found in Oxford cafe. Was on sale and less than market price
13 June 2019
Outstanding book. Day by day account of the indian mutiny of 1857 and the lives of the rulers and the soldiers involved, both on the indian and the british side.
27 March 2018
One of my all time favourite books. Dalrymple has shown what true mastery of a subject is all about. Complex subjects and events narrated in such a mode of superb story telling- can be done only by a master!
There are 107 customer reviews and 115 customer ratings.
