I tried to read William Dalrymple's acclaimed first book, [b:In Xanadu: A Quest|124431|In Xanadu A Quest|William Dalrymple|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171869042s/124431.jpg|2157138] a few years ago. The opening chapter was amazing, wonderfully atmospheric, but after that his obsession with architecture started to get me down, and I eventually abandoned it halfway through.

I liked this one much better. It's a good balance of anecdotes about daily life and the people he meets during a year in Delhi, and historical interludes. Oh, and some architecture :) It's very cleverly constructed, with the historical interludes in reverse chronological order, so that it's like watching an archaeologist peel back layers of history. Dalrymple is endlessly curious, and interviews scholars, sufis, eunuchs, faith healers, djinn-exorcisers, the last descendants of the Mughals, Anglo-Indians hankering after the empire, and more. Well-researched, beautifully written, a gem of travel literature, even if you've never been to Delhi (I haven't) and don't plan to go (I don't).