Sahib (79 page)

From the reviews of
Sahib:

‘Richard Holmes, whose mastery of the British Army is unequalled, describes its Indian experience with affectionate realism and a wealth of anecdotes … [A] worthy memorial of one of the most extraordinary experiences in British history’

M
AX HASTINGS
,
Sunday Telegraph

‘Impressive … There are some spectacular anecdotes and a colourful cast of characters … Exhaustively researched, remarkably informative … For anyone interested in the Raj this book is a must’

Observer

‘Marshalling his material like an experienced quartermaster, Richard Holmes makes bold forays over a battle-strewn landscape. His underlying curiosity about how such a numerically slight body of men managed to subdue this vast country is infectious … Holmes is adept at describing what it felt like to serve in India – from the teeming troop deck of an East Indiaman on the voyage out, through the smells of an Indian marketplace, to the experience of barracks and, of course, military engagements’

Sunday Times

‘Holmes is a passionate and richly entertaining champion of the rank and file’

Daily Telegraph

‘Insightful, colourful, relevant and pithy’

The Times

‘Holmes’s chief concern is to portray the life rather than the actions of the British soldier, and he does this well’

Guardian

‘[Holmes is] a narrative historian almost without peer and a master at marshalling first-hand accounts … He opens with a magnificent set piece … Thirty-eight tightly-packed chapters follow, each crammed with incident and insight’

Spectator

‘Holmes has a sound knowledge of the terrain, he marches at a brisk pace, and he carries a good supply of meat and spirits in his knapsack … The fare he provides is as pungent as the curries on a regimental guest night … the great achievement of this book is to give us a soldier’s-eye view of life in India’

Literary Review

‘A wonderful memorial to Britain (and particularly its soldiers) in India … Anybody with a fondness for history and an interest in the story of the Empire will surely love this book’

The Field

‘A unique insight into the pleasures and pains of Indian service’

S
AUL DAVID
,
BBC History Magazine

HarperPress
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Publisher
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Hammersmith
London, W6 8JB

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins
Publishers
2006

Copyright © Richard Holmes 2006

Richard Holmes asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

Maps by John Gilkes

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EPub Edition © 2011 ISBN: 978-0-00737034-4

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