In the nineteenth century; at the height of colonialism; the British ruled India under a government known as the Raj. British men and women left their homes and traveled to this mysterious; beautiful country–where they attempted to replicate their own society. In this fascinating portrait; Margaret MacMillan examines the hidden lives of the women who supported their husbands’ conquests–and in turn supported the Raj; often behind the scenes and out of the history books. Enduring heartbreaking separations from their families; these women had no choice but to adapt to their strange new home; where they were treated with incredible deference by the natives but found little that was familiar. The women of the Raj learned to cope with the harsh Indian climate and ward off endemic diseases; they were forced to make their own entertainment–through games; balls; and theatrics–and quickly learned to abide by the deeply ingrained Anglo-Indian love of hierarchy.Weaving interviews; letters; and memoirs with a stunning selection of illustrations; MacMillan presents a vivid cultural and social history of the daughters; sisters; mothers; and wives of the men at the center of a daring imperialist experiment–and reveals India in all its richness and vitality.“A marvellous book . . . [Women of the Raj] successfully [re-creates] a vanished world that continues to hold a fascination long after the sun has set on the British empire.â€â€“The Globe and Mail“MacMillan has that essential quality of the historian; a narrative gift.â€â€“The Daily Telegraph “MacMillan is a superb writer who can bring history to life.â€â€“The Philadelphia Inquirer“Well researched and thoroughly enjoyable.â€â€“Evening Standard
#206680 in Books Historical Books Time-Life 1987-12-12 1987-12-12Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 2.55 x 8.95 x 4.64l; #File Name: 08129167001136 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A necessary read but shouldn't be your only one on the subjectBy CampbellGuyA roller coaster of an effort. Blair's detailed retelling of battalion level combat in the first year+ of the conflict is exhaustive and provides the reader with quite a good understanding of the ebb and flow of action. This is not narrative history and the guys holding the guns make few appearances other than some of the Medal of Honor recipients. Blair's intent rather is to portray the command level decisions which helped define the nature of the conflict. In this he is only moderately successful at best. He clearly has a low opinion of many of the high-level players including Truman; Walker; and MacArthur. He also faults a great deal of the mid-level Army leadership; especially in the earlier parts of the conflict. Whilst many of those he criticizes do fail to hold up to close examination; there exists a certain air of shrillness to Blair's critiques that strongly suggests he has an axe to grind and is guilty of a rather skewed perspective. He also frequently lets Almond off the hook for his egregious failures as a person and a commander which is rather strange given Blair's willingness to skewer others. I will say that to his credit Blair's attitude seems to come from a sincere desire to protect the folks who had to pay the price for others poor decisions so it is not simply criticism for its own sake.I also have some issues with the maps as there are not enough of them and the ones provided frequently do not display the same depth of detail as his narrative. The book is huge; why not enhance it with another 10 or 12 pages of meaningful cartography?Overall this is a book you should read if you desire to develop a deep understanding of the Korean conflict but it should not be taken as a definitive account and should by no means be the only book you read. Pick up Halberstam and Millet to see some other perspectives as well.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A monumental historyBy KMcKayA monumental; meticulously researched and footnoted history that exposes the shocking failures of the Truman Administration--criminal; treasonous failures that almost destroyed the US military and our nation's ability to defend itself and our national interests. The Administration lied over and over to the American people about the Soviet threat; and even denied at first that South Korea had actually been invaded by a tough; disciplined; USSR-trained and -equipped; Red Chinese-supported NORK army in overwhelming force that swept away the pathetically armed and trained ROK constabulary force.After having publicly declared that Korea was irrelevant to US interests; Truman and his Defense Department threw away thousands of American lives in a disorganized; ill-supported; ill-equipped; piecemeal attempt to save South Korea that wasted green troops led by heroically competent and grossly incompetent officers. Ammo shortages; defective weapons that didn't fire; obsolete weapons that fail against enemy tanks; shortages of boots and uniforms; confusion at the top; conflicting orders; deceit by both the Truman Administration in DC and MacArthur in Japan.Blair writes in a crisp; fluid style that reads like a novel; putting the reader in the foxhole; looking down the barrel of a bazooka; sitting in a Washington conference room with senior officials; feeling the raw terror of facing a merciless enemy overrunning defenders; exhausted by tropical heat and sickened wading through night-soil-fertilized rice paddies; fleeing on frozen feet from a tsunami of enemy who bayonet the wounded left behind...it's raw; visceral reality.Critics of the War On Terror who scourge George Bush ought to read this book. All Americans ought to read this book. It is extremely relevant to today's issues and events. "Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it."Korea is a "forgotten war" only because of politics and a politician who insisted it wasn't a war; only a police action. It is not forgotten by those who fought and suffered and lost loved ones in this very brutal; crucial and unfinished war.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. UnforgettableBy Richard I. PervoAs usual; B. describes every action and stays close to the ground; battalion level and up. Everything and Everyone gets due attention. The author pays particular care to the black units and the prevalent racism in the U.S. Army. Korea is where integration began. Among the reputations that suffer are those of Harry Truman; Douglas MacArthur. and Ned Almond. Although he does not cover the home front; B. is attentive to the political milieu and its profound effect upon the war. An additional revelation was the poor approach to negotiations. Properly handled; they could have brought down the curtain in 1951. Ridgway; who did a splendid job with the Eighth army; was a hardline hawk in negotiating policy and gave his superiors almost as much trouble as did MacArthur.
