The Last Mughal cover art

The Last Mughal

The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi, 1857

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The Last Mughal

By: William Dalrymple
Narrated by: Robert Bathurst
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About this listen

Bloomsbury presents this Abridged edition of The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple, read by Robert Bathurst.

At 4pm on a dark, wet winter's evening in November 1862, a cheap coffin was buried in eerie silence: no lamentations, no panegyrics, for as the British Commissioner in charge of the funeral insisted, ‘No vesting will remain to distinguish where the last of the Great Moghuls rests.' This Mughal was Bahadur Shah Zafar II, one of the most talented, tolerant and likeable of his remarkable dynasty who found himself leader of a violent uprising he knew from the start would lead to irreparable carnage.

Zafar's frantic efforts to unite his forces proved tragically futile. The Siege of Delhi was the Raj's Stalingrad, and Mughal Delhi was left an empty ruin. The Last Mughal charts the desecration and demise of a man, his dynasty, his city and civilizations mercilessly ravished by fractured forces and vengeful British troops.

©2006 William Dalrymple (P)2007 Bloomsbury Publishing Asia India Modern South Asia World

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All stars
Most relevant
William Dalrymple at his best. A sad story of oppression and misunderstanding on both sides. Well told etc etc etc

Spotlight on history

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It’s really depressing to see how great empires fall.
It’s hard to believe how much blood was shed and the barbaric actions of brits against Indian civilians

It’s thrilling and depressing

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We enjoyed listening to this audiobook on our long motorway drives. I felt the voice would dip in volume or enthusiasm as points but overall well recommend for anyone interested in piecing together accounts of Indian History.

Enjoyed throughout...

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Gripping from the start and you never want the exploration to end. If I have one negative criticism it would be Bathurst's narration. The movement from narrative to quotation is indistinguishable, you never know if you are listening to Dalrymple or quotation from one of the long dead players in the account

As ever Dalrymple's research shines though

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I had a limited view of what happened which was largely fed by the atrocious actions against women and children. This book showed me a different view and explains what the English men did to innocent Indians.

Enlightening information about the Sepoy uprising

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