The British in India, David Gilmour
The British in India, David Gilmour
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The British in India
A Social History of the Raj

Author: David Gilmour

Narrator: Michael Page

Unabridged: 23 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/18/2018

Synopsis

An immersive portrait of the lives of the British in India, from the seventeenth century to IndependenceWho of the British went to India, and why? We know about Kipling and Forster, Orwell and Scott, but what of the youthful forestry official, the enterprising boxwallah, the fervid missionary? What motivated them to travel halfway around the globe, what lives did they lead when they got there, and what did they think about it all?Full of spirited, illuminating anecdotes drawn from long-forgotten memoirs, correspondence, and government documents, The British in India weaves a rich tapestry of the everyday experiences of the Britons who found themselves in “the jewel in the crown” of the British Empire. David Gilmour captures the substance and texture of their work, home, and social lives, and illustrates how these transformed across the several centuries of British presence and rule in the subcontinent, from the East India Company’s first trading station in 1615 to the twilight of the Raj and Partition and Independence in 1947. He takes us through remote hill stations, bustling coastal ports, opulent palaces, regimented cantonments, and dense jungles, revealing the country as seen through British eyes, and wittily reveling in all the particular concerns and contradictions that were a consequence of that limited perspective. The British in India is a breathtaking accomplishment, a vivid and balanced history written with brio, elegance, and erudition.

About David Gilmour

Sir David Gilmour is one of Britain’s most admired and accomplished historical writers and biographers. His previous books include The Last Leopard, The Long Recessional, The Ruling Caste, and The Pursuit of Italy.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Marks54 on January 18, 2019

This book is a social history of the British Raj and more generally the British presence in India, written by a novelist who is also an historian. The intent of the book as a social history is to “open a camera lens” on the lives of the British people who took part in the rule of India over its long......more

Goodreads review by Asim on August 15, 2023

At times, it was unputdownable, and at times, it was a stretch, but only because it has so many subjects that a few might not be able to grab attention when you are in a particular mood. In any case, it was a spectacular idea to model a work of history as a camera with an open shutter. With so many......more

Goodreads review by Julian on March 13, 2023

Oh, my lord was this book a slog. I feel as if Mr. Gilmour found every diary kept of every person from Great Britain who went to India and recorded their lives, their trials, and their tribulations. The book just became repetitive and repetitive and it really didn’t seem to offer any major insights......more

Goodreads review by Chris on March 28, 2019

No man ever went to the East Indies with good intentions — Walpole Gilmour certainly went through the archives to research this tome, however it seems strange that he included very few documents and recollections from Indians and AngloIndians. The British were there for 300 years and it changed both......more

Goodreads review by Stephen on October 02, 2018

A fascinating and encyclopedic account of the British in India over three centuries, told often through the letters and accounts of those who lived and worked there. This is a brilliant historical account which avoids over simplifications or political posturing. Divided into thematic chapters such a......more

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