Nightrunners of Bengal (Story-Tellers S.) [Paperback]

John Masters (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 2000 | Series: Storytellers

Novel on the Indian mutiny, a classic

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Rupa; New edition edition (May 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0285635522
• ISBN-13: 978-0285635524
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #382,169 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Meaningless and merciless mutiny, August 21, 2001

By 

"annat78" (Yekaterinburg Russian Federation) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nightrunners of Bengal (Paperback)

This book reminds me the masterpiece of Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter". Pushkin wrote about the greatest Russian peasant's mutiny, so calles "Pougatchevschina". Masters wrote about the Indian mutiny. The problem is just the same - the price of justice. You can be absolutely politically correct and think that Pougatchev and Rani Sumitra were the greatest patriots possible. You may be absolutely sure that Russian serfdom & British raj are abominable. But the fact is that the victory of Russian peasants or Indian sepoys will be the beginning of chaos. Pushkin wrote about "meaningless and merciless Russian riot". Masters understands what does it mean. As an Anglo-Indian he lived through the downfall of his world and he write about his own hard earned experience . Rodney Savage, the hero, lived through the destruction and death of everything he thought true: his family, his regiment, his faith and his spiritual innocence. This book is about the acquisition of humanity by the man who has to start all over again. "Nightrunners" is a bit old-fashioned. Of cource, Kipling's influence is very strong, but I recommend it to everybody who want to read about the real mutiny & not about the much praised "fight for freedom and independence".

P.S. English is not my native language, so excuse me for my mistakes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars India in its glory, in 1857., January 4, 2011

By 

Newcastle Bookworm - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nightrunners of Bengal (Story-Tellers S.) (Paperback)

The scenery, sights, sounds, smells and societies of India in 1857.

Masters was born in Calcutta, the fifth generation of his family to

serve in India. His knowledge of and love for India is mind-blowing, and his adventures are hair-raising.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Read Flashman Instead, February 7, 2011

By 

Frankie (penetanguishene) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nightrunners of Bengal (Story-Tellers S.) (Paperback)

Warning: The Mutiny only takes place after you've read half the book.

Background is fine, but endless yammer over the (not soon enough to be widowed) hero's weird relationship with his new bluestocking girlfriend (he can't quite seem to make up his mind)is numbing...

I've just tonight finished Masters' "The Deceivers". I had hoped there would be less of the bizarre female-worship, but it's back again in full together with whole chapters of delirium as usual.

Was Masters an opium "addict" along with liberal supplies of booze? Certainly the most convincing passages - and they are endless - of the two heroes' hallucinations ring true, if boringly.

Anyway, if you take women as they come and enjoy rip-roaring historical fiction, this isn't the book for you. For the Mutiny, highly recommended is the great George MacDonald Fraser's "Flashman in the Great Game".