Best Foreign Books
Chosen by William Dalrymple
- The Dapuri Drawings by Henry Nolte. On the birth of Company school art via the botanical passions of early British plant collectors.
- Scent in the Islamic Garden by Ali Akbar Husain. Indo-Islamic gardens of the Deccan and the connossieurs of scent in Hyderabad.
- Children of Kali by Kevin Rushby. Travel book on Veerappan and his ilk, the thugee panic of the 1900s—and US Islamophobia now.
- Captives by Linda Colley. Britons in captivity in India, North Africa, North America, a book about the vulnerability of Empire.
- Early India by Romila Thapar. Recovers Indian prehistory from the saffron crazies.
Best Indian Books
Chosen by Khushwant Singh
- White Mughals by William Dalrymple. A well-done historical book written like a detective story. Gripping stuff.
- The Imam and the Indian by Amitav Ghosh. A small essay collection, worthwhile read.
- Ladies Coupe by Anita Nair. Didn’t get the critical acclaim it deserved. Lively characters.
- The Cooking of Music by Sheila Dhar. Essay collection on Indian classical music and musicians. Her humour, style is inimitable.
- Laugh All the Way to the Vote Bank by Pamela Philipose. The witty, bitchy book is a humorous take on politicians.
