Customer Reviews

The Black Hole of Calcutta

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Noel Barber describes this history as a reconstruction. What he means is that he has had to take all the conflicting accounts and piece together a reasonable description of the events that led to the capture of Calcutta in 1756 by the NaBob, and the nightmarish situation where 146 British subjects were crammed into a 14 foot by 18 foot room. Only 23 people were still alive 10 hours later.

This book describes miscalculations taken by the British and by the Indian Ruler, the bravery, the cowardary, the ignorance, and the brutal attitudes taken by all sides.

Noel Barber does not mince words: the nightmare of the Black Hole could have been avoided over and over again, but the head of the British India Company and the Military Head mismanaged at every turn. They deserted their posts, and even when they had the means of saving the other members of the Fort (without risk to themselves), they refused.

The chapter covering the Night of the Black Hole was disturbing enough that I lost sleep that night. The situation has an unreal aspect to it that makes one wonder about the people who stood on either side of the barred windows that night. Captives and captors exhibited both the best and worst of human nature.

I suppose one would be tempted to claim that the entire story is a type of microcosm of our present world. I pray not.

I really didn't have time to read this book, given that I was in the middle of several projects. But once I started, I couldn't put it down. Good descriptive writing. Fascinating character studies pieced together from contemporary sources. Makes an interesting study of leadership (or the lack of it) and human nature. Dark and intriguing, especially because of its historicity.

I'd only heard the phrase "the black hole of Calcutta" before as "it's as dark as the black hole of Calcutta in here," never in connection with the real story. I didn't even know it was a real place! Anyways, the true events detailed in this book are enough to raise the hair on the back of your neck--the stupid decisions by the British military and the night spent in the Black Hole especially.