Thoughtful Reflections, Shared

Empire : How Britain Made the Modern World by Niall Ferguson

How did a cluster of rain-soaked islands on the western edge of Europe build the largest empire the world has ever known? That is the central question Niall Ferguson attempts to answer in Empire. As Indians, we are accustomed to studying the British…

Wings of Fire by A.P.J Abdul Kalam

Re-read this inspirational book after 14 years and found some fresh perspective to look at certain things again.
A simple upbringing in Rameswaram inculcated in him a deep love for humanity and the peaceful environs at home and on the island ingraine…

Daggers of Treason by Niraj Srivastava

I picked up this book while waiting at the railway station of my hometown. The good thing about the book is it's narrative style. The passion of the author in Mughal history is quite evident. The sincerity in presentation of the characters is co…

ছেলেবেলা | Chhelebela | My Boyhood Days by Rabindranath Tagore

In "My Boyhood Days" Tagore takes us back to a time and place that has passed by about 160 years ago. The 19th century Calcutta, the city of his childhood was a place with palanquins for mode of transportation and oil lamps for street ligh…

The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity by Amartya Sen

The first thing that strikes you after reading this book is that it is profoundly thought provoking. It also helps to understand why Dr. Sen is often regarded as"conscience keeper of Economics".His ability to seamlessly straddle fields suc…

If It’s Monday It Must Be Madurai: A Conducted Tour of India by Srinath Perur

In the process of trying my hand at travel blogging I have read substantial number of travel blogs and articles on the net but never a paperback travel book before Srinath Perur's debut work.
The most inherently beautiful quality about the book i…

All Roads Lead to Ganga by Ruskin Bond

All the books by Ruskin Bond I have read so far have been memoirs one way or the other and this book is no exception.
The deep reverence he holds for nature is reflected throughout his writing. Just like Jim Corbett before him, Bond narrates his emot…

S D Burman: The World of His Music by Khagesh Dev Burman

I never met my paternal grandfather. He passed away when I was barely one and a half years old. Growing up I always heard from elders in the family about the physical resemblance between my grandfather and a certain film music composer. That was my …

Scenes from a Writer's Life by Ruskin Bond

Ruskin Bond has lived a lonely and solitary life all his years except for those two years he spend with his dear daddy Aubrey Alexander Bond in the early part of 1940s in New Delhi. In spite of having lived among family and friends some of whom were…

My India by Jim Cotbett

Jim Corbett is known for his adventure filled books but I didn't want to read all that. I wanted to know about JC the man more than the hunter. That is precisely the reason why I picked up this book and how well it served that purpose.
My India d…

I read " Looking for the Rainbow: my Years with Daddy" right after his "Scenes from a writer's life" as it felt like a sort of continuation of the previous book. Ruskin Bond likes to live in the past and that is perhaps the r…

British social life in India, 1608-1937 by Denis Kincaid

While the political role of the British in the history of our country is well covered, the social and economic life of an ordinary English officer in the 17th, 18th and 19th century India hasn't quite received the attention. This book is the fru…

The Last Englishmen: Love, War, and the End of Empire by Deborah Baker

Two things strike you after reading this work. Firstly, the monumental effort in terms of research that has gone into its making. Secondly, it is Deborah Baker's writing style. Although the book is a historical biography for it deals with histor…

Global Discontents: Conversations on the Rising Threats to Democracy by Noam Chomsky and David Barsamian

Global Discontents - Conversations on the rising threats to Democracy by Noam Chomsky and David Barsamian is essentially a political commentary of the renowned linguist on the contemporary international relations and state of affairs with regards to…

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The fundamental thing that reading this book does is it ingrains the writing of Mark Twain in the reader's head for his sarcastic take on moral and racial issues through outrageous use of language. For example, Huck's father questions the le…

Lady Penelope by Lena Kennedy

Penelope by Lena Kennedy is a book about a rebellious girl in 16th century Elizabethan England who liked to live life on her terms and deeply abhorred Royal customs and social rules. Lady Penelope Devereux realised quite early in life that love had …

The Unending Game: A Former R&AW Chief’s Insights into Espionage

Welcome to the world of espionage. It is not what we see in James Bond films for the author Vikram Sood (ex- RAW Chief) dispels that notion right at the outset. Most of it is dull, cold and ruthless with no place for sentimentality and flashy stuff.…

Hinduism and Nature by Nanditha Krishna

The author, Nanditha Krishna, deserves heaps of appreciation for writing this very illuminating book that is sure to broaden the reader’s horizon. In a simple yet erudite language, the book provides the reason(s) behind the intimate relationship bet…

Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cromwell

Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cromwell is the story of the nascent and much reviled profession of theater and playhouses in sixteenth century Elizabethan London. The story is set during those turbulent times when England was under the reign of Queen …