3.5: a little slow at times, but a well-researched, well-written history of delhi. I liked that it had pictures

What a wonderful tribute to Delhi. Dalrymple makes a compelling case that the title of the eternal city belongs to the city on the Jumna/Yamuna (which has been continuously inhabited since the 6th century BC) instead of the Tiber.

Dalrymple manages a patchwork of stories that paints a surprisingly rich and multifaceted portrait of Delhi through history as well as present in this short book. The book reflects his one-year stay in the ancient capital with his wife Olivia, and as readers we get to know the city through colorful locals such as Madame Puri the spunky maternal Sikh landlord, his resourceful cab driver, and the sage-like Muslim scholar Dr. Jaffrey.

The author gives us the ugly as well as the beautiful, telling the riveting plight of the Hijras (modern-day descendents of the eunuch lineage in Delhi reduced from court officials under the Moghuls to panderers for change from threatening to flash themselves), and the recent interreligious violence so vivid in firsthand memories from residents of the massacre of Sikhs that took place in Delhi neighborhoods such as Trilokpuri in the 80s.

Dalrymple effectively portrays Delhi as a quicksilver city, constantly changing and often at a maddeningly quick pace. We follow him as he learns the history of the city from pre-Islamic days of Hindu despots, to Muslim rulers of the early AD centuries (often equally bloodthirsty), through the Mongol invasion and the long rule of the Moghul emperors, and past the relatively brief British dominion to the modern era.

Always vivid, seemlessly told, one cannot help but want desperately to visit Delhi after a reading.

A remarkable memoir of Dalrymple's personal journey of a year through the geo-history of Delhi. One of those books that I wish I had read before I visited these places (>10 years ago now); so much of the context was lost on me, although experiencing it in the moment was of course quite magical anyway. Thank you, Christopher, for the enhanced travel experience!

Este es un gran libro acerca de una bella ciudad. Mezclando efectivamente historia, guía de viaje y anécdotas curiosas, despierta el interés por Dehli y su cultura. Es mas completo de lo que imaginaba, y se percibe el cariño que tiene el autor por la ciudad.

Aunque comienza muy bien y toma bastante fuerza al final, a mitad del libro se pone pesada la lectura porque se siente mas desequilibrada.

I love history and I am a William Dalrymple fan. But this book did not hold my attention like his other books.