Shrabani Basu - Victoria & Abdul (2nd Hand Paperback)
Synopsis
The tall, handsome Abdul Karim was just twenty-four years old when he arrived in England from Agra to wait at tables during Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. An assistant clerk at Agra Central Jail, he suddenly found himself a personal attendant to the Empress of India herself.
Within a year, he was established as a powerful figure at court, becoming the queen's teacher, or Munshi, and instructing her in Urdu and Indian affairs.
Devastated by the death of John Brown, her Scottish ghillie, the queen had at last found his replacement. But her intense and controversial relationship with the Munshi led to a near-revolt in the royal household.
Victoria & Abdul examines how a young Indian Muslim came to play a central role at the heart of the empire, and his influence over the queen at a time when independence movements in the sub-continent were growing in force.
This story shows how much Victoria cared for her subjects even if they were a continent away. Victoria went to great lengths to learn the language and customs of her subjects in India. She relied on Abdul's teachings to become a more understanding ruler and for that, I find that I admire her even more.
Yet, at its heart, it is a tender love story between an ordinary Indian and his elderly queen, a relationship that survived the best attempts to destroy it.
Details
- Format : Standard 2nd Hand Paperback
- Condition : Very Good
- Category : Non-Fiction - Britain
- Published : 2010 (This Ed. 2017 - The History Press)
- ISBN : 9780750982580
- SKU : B001823
- PPC : LL400gm
- RRP : £9.99
- Quantity Available : 1 only.
Movie Tie-In Edition.
External Reviews
"This is a solid historical work that has been well researched. It reads like good history."
"This book was very interesting and I enjoyed getting to know the account of Queen Victoria and her entourage. The details of the time period - the customs, the travel from property to property, the staff, the clothes, the hunting, parties, the close relationship between the 2 - all fun stuff to read."
- Goodreads Reviews.
The Author
Shrabani Basu is an author, journalist and historian. She has also written Curry: the Story of the Nation's Favourite Dish (2003) and Spy Princess: the Life of Noor Inayat Khan (2006). She is based in London.
Internal Reviews
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