latest Book Review Archives

28 Jan

A forgotten battle, spirituality and diplomacy

Flick through a fresh perspective on the battle of Kurukshetra, relish the magic of a spiritual life that is said to lie within each one of us and explore the various unknown facets of the Indo-German relationship in a single treatise. The IANS bookshelf for this week offers an exciting mix of fiction and non-fictional reads. 1. Palace of Assassins; Author: Aditya Iyengar; Publisher: Hachette; Pages: 223; Price: Rs 299 The battle of Kurukshetra has come to its catastrophic end after eighteen long days. As Ashwatthama, the lone survivor of the Kaurava camp, slowly regains consciousness, he realises, to his…

17 Jan

The brothers who failed the West in Afghanistan?

Title: A Kingdom of their Own - The Family Karzai and the Afghan Disaster; Author: Joshua Partlow; Publisher: Simon Schuster; Pages: 432; Price: Rs 799 What went wrong for the West in Afghanistan? Why couldn't a global coalition led by the world's pre-eminent military and economic power defeat "a bunch of farmers in plastic sandals on dirt bikes" in a conflict that outlasted both the World Wars combined? Was it the nature of the country, the flaw in the outcome they wanted, or their unreliable local allies? All of these may be contributing reasons but perhaps holding the key is…

16 Dec

The schizophrenic, suspicious world of spying – and its costs (Book Review)

Title: The English Teacher; Author: Yiftach Reicher Atir (translated by Philip Simpson); Publisher: Penguin; Pages: 272; Price: Rs 399 Review By- Vikas Datta For any spy agency, even more worrisome than the possibility of its agents abroad being unmasked and inviting some sort of reprisal from the targeted country, is the prospect of its spies (or even ex-spies for that matter), their heads full with secrets, going missing. And it can take any measure to forestall such an eventuality or neutralise the threat. On the other hand, the spies, who have lived in hostile territory under false identities, with constant…