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The Anarchy

The Relentless Rise of the East India Company
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( 15,516 ratings, 1,778 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Anarchy by William Dalrymple is a riveting account of the rise of the East India Company and its transformation from a trading entity into a powerful and ruthless colonial force. Dalrymple vividly narrates how the company, during the 18th century, managed to dominate and exploit vast regions of India, showcasing an extraordinary piece of history that significantly shaped the modern world.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are fascinated by gripping historical narratives and want to explore the dramatic rise and fall of the East India Company. The detailed storytelling and rich analysis by William Dalrymple offer an engaging insight into the events that shaped modern Indian history.

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The Anarchy

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Anarchy by William Dalrymple meticulously charts the rise of the East India Company from a modest enterprise to a formidable colonial force. Set against the backdrop of a crumbling Mughal Empire and a burgeoning British dominance, the book provides a captivating narrative of power, ambition, and historical upheaval. In August 1765, a pivotal moment in history occurred as the East India Company triumphed over the young Mughal emperor, compelling him to institute a new administrative regime in his wealthiest provinces. What began as a trade organisation morphed into an unprecedented amalgamation of commerce and colonial ambition, with English merchants collecting taxes through a merciless private army.

The Anarchy is a critically acclaimed historical masterpiece that has garnered numerous accolades:

THE TOP 5 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S BEST BOOKS OF 2019

THE TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR

FINALIST FOR THE CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE 2020

LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2019

A FINANCIAL TIMES, OBSERVER, DAILY TELEGRAPH, WALL STREET JOURNAL AND TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

"Dalrymple is a superb historian with a visceral understanding of India ... A book of beauty" – Gerard DeGroot, The Times

Through vivid storytelling and rigorous research, Dalrymple delves into the intricate and often dark history of the first global corporate power. Each page of the book unfolds a timely and cautionary tale, chronicling the tactics and transformations that allowed the East India Company to wield immense influence and control over vast regions of the Indian subcontinent. This is not just a history book, but a profound narrative exploring colonialism, corporate greed, and the ruthless quest for power, making The Anarchy a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of modern economic and political landscapes.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

An energetic and compelling page-turner, The Anarchy by William Dalrymple skilfully explodes patriotic myths and provides a forensic light on the historical relationship between commercial and imperial power. Richly researched and magnificently readable, it combines evocative descriptions with a narrative that highlights previously neglected perspectives. Dalrymple's engaging storytelling and deep insight make this an essential read on the history of the East India Company and its impact on British and South Asian history.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781408864395

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 September 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 540g

Pages: 576

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About the Author

William Dalrymple is one of Britain’s great historians and the bestselling author of the Wolfson Prize-winning White Mughals, The Last Mughal, which won the Duff Cooper Prize, and the Hemingway and Kapuscinski Prize-winning Return of a King. A frequent broadcaster, he has written and presented three television series, one of which won the Grierson Award for Best Documentary Series at BAFTA. He has also won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award, the Sunday Times Young British Writer of the Year Award, the Foreign Correspondent of the Year at the FPA Media Awards, and been awarded five honorary doctorates. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, the Royal Asiatic Society and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and has held visiting fellowships at Princeton and Brown. He writes regularly for the New York Review of Books, the New Yorker and the Guardian. In 2018 he was presented with the prestigious President’s Medal by the British Academy for his outstanding literary achievement and for co-founding the Jaipur Literature Festival. William lives with his wife and three children on a farm outside Delhi.

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