The memoirs of some 70 British men and women whose lives followed the course of Anglo-India through its last 50 years.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
One of the most enjoyable books I have read ... It is an authentic record of the survivors of British India ... a book which takes on where Kipling left off ANTONIA FRASER Both a guide and an entertaining companion ... Humour, drama and regret fill its pages MAIL ON SUNDAY A lovely and compelling account of what India meant to the British between 1900 and 1947 ... One of the best THE TIMES
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
Charles Allen is an oral and military historian specialising in colonial matters. He is the author of several previous books and lives in north London.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Charles Allen's collection of stories about the British Raj in India by those who lived it is a wonderful insight into an often turbulent period of both British and Indian history. With first-hand accounts by the men an women who were a part of the Raj, Allen presents us with a kalidescope of exactly how it was in India in the early part of the 20th century. Whilst many of the eyewitnesses offer a typical British upper class view, there are wonderful descriptions of everyday life in village India. We are also presented with a glimpse of the moral standards of those who lived in the hill stations during the hot Indian summer and one can only surmise that with the passing of time, not much has changed. Kipling would have been proud of this broad panoramic view of the land he loved and wrote about with such affection. The cassette version is a sheer delight and is worth more than one listening. A must for any Indiophile or lover of Kipling.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Sarakani
Format:Paperback
Pithy though this book is it will keep you glued and captivated. British individuals who were masters or participants in Colonial India talk frankly about what it was really like. Many of the people featured in this book like Deborah Dring, Reginald Savory and Philip Mason (who also introduces the volume) would now be dead. The voices were recorded for radio in the mid 1970s. Now the memoirs resurface like something out of a faraway fairytale.
Charles Allen, now getting on himself was originally put in charge of the recordings for a BBC radio series documenting the period of Colonial India between 1900 and 1948 from then living witnesses to a bygone age by Philip Mason. Thank goodness that Mason had the courage to launch this project which was regarded as somewhat politically incorrect even then. Allen is much suited to the task as the heir to a British family that lived and worked in Colonial India over several generations.
The stories reveal a peculiar breed - the very caricature of the English as they once were putting up an even more formal front than they would have at home as the rulers of India - few in number but ruling by prestige. Every part of the book reveals character, humour or history with priceless aphorisms spoken in true English style:
"You get these burning plains right across India, fifteen hundred miles of them, absolutely flat with revisers wandering through them fed by the snows, and behind them the greatest range of mountains in the world. You gradually go up from tropical ... climbs, through European and Alpine flora until you get right up into the snows. I don't think there is anything in life which is such a relief and such a physical delight as going from the heat of the plains in the hot weather up into the mountains"
This is just the tip of an iceberg of a series of sensational real life recordings, but there is more leaving aside some nice photographs, cartoons and sketches reproduced from period material. There are quotations from books such as by Maud Diver from her "The Englishwoman in India" 1909 and bits from period material:
"It is clearly to be understood that no one except on duty is allowed to accompany him and in no circumstances whatever are any ladies allowed to proceed to the border" (from a travel permit).
Practically every aspect of Indian Colonial life is examined up and down the hierarchy from the Viceroy down to corporals and Anglo Indians of mixed blood - though the book leaves you yearning for more - it is not an exhaustive treatment thankfully. We get a great sense for the climate, the "subjects", the pace of life, flirtation, gardening, travel and the rituals associated with that once prominent institution the Club. We look into the army barracks and the Mess -with some men deprived of women for five to seven years and how they bore it, and into the endless parties at Simla in Summer . There are also accounts of the profligacy of the times such as sport, hunts and shoots and the snobbery and segregation that accompanied Colonial life altering through the decades. However, with their power, the British seemed to have dispensed their responsibilities with aplomb - it was a miracle that they did so for so long.
This past best-seller is a must for those who wish to understand the English and Colonial India - it will deserve repeat readings and sharing with friends. A vital reference - precursor to famous TV dramatisations like "Jewel in the Crown".
Charles Allen, now getting on himself was originally put in charge of the recordings for a BBC radio series documenting the period of Colonial India between 1900 and 1948 from then living witnesses to a bygone age by Philip Mason. Thank goodness that Mason had the courage to launch this project which was regarded as somewhat politically incorrect even then. Allen is much suited to the task as the heir to a British family that lived and worked in Colonial India over several generations.
The stories reveal a peculiar breed - the very caricature of the English as they once were putting up an even more formal front than they would have at home as the rulers of India - few in number but ruling by prestige. Every part of the book reveals character, humour or history with priceless aphorisms spoken in true English style:
"You get these burning plains right across India, fifteen hundred miles of them, absolutely flat with revisers wandering through them fed by the snows, and behind them the greatest range of mountains in the world. You gradually go up from tropical ... climbs, through European and Alpine flora until you get right up into the snows. I don't think there is anything in life which is such a relief and such a physical delight as going from the heat of the plains in the hot weather up into the mountains"
This is just the tip of an iceberg of a series of sensational real life recordings, but there is more leaving aside some nice photographs, cartoons and sketches reproduced from period material. There are quotations from books such as by Maud Diver from her "The Englishwoman in India" 1909 and bits from period material:
"It is clearly to be understood that no one except on duty is allowed to accompany him and in no circumstances whatever are any ladies allowed to proceed to the border" (from a travel permit).
Practically every aspect of Indian Colonial life is examined up and down the hierarchy from the Viceroy down to corporals and Anglo Indians of mixed blood - though the book leaves you yearning for more - it is not an exhaustive treatment thankfully. We get a great sense for the climate, the "subjects", the pace of life, flirtation, gardening, travel and the rituals associated with that once prominent institution the Club. We look into the army barracks and the Mess -with some men deprived of women for five to seven years and how they bore it, and into the endless parties at Simla in Summer . There are also accounts of the profligacy of the times such as sport, hunts and shoots and the snobbery and segregation that accompanied Colonial life altering through the decades. However, with their power, the British seemed to have dispensed their responsibilities with aplomb - it was a miracle that they did so for so long.
This past best-seller is a must for those who wish to understand the English and Colonial India - it will deserve repeat readings and sharing with friends. A vital reference - precursor to famous TV dramatisations like "Jewel in the Crown".
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Lelia
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
A gem of a book! Too often, stories of the experience of imperialism are scrubbed to fit in with more modern sensibilities instead of staying true to the authentic tale. This book is glorious for the truth of the voices and the attitudes, morals and viewpoints that were the norm for the time. Invaluable to understanding what life was really like, and what motivated those who were the Raj. This was a wonderful read, completely free from political correctness and censorship. Finally a book that seemed to tell the tale as it was. The book flows well, the stories are engaging, the language is crisp and clear, and valuable information is present on every page. There is no attempt to portray the people as anything other than who they were, they are allowed to tell their own stories. I'm very thankful that someone realised how valuable this material would be to future generations and took the steps to capture it while it was still available.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A must read for fans of the British Empire
Loved it! Read it under an umbrella in Fort Lauderdale last week and really enjoyed it. Brought the era of the British Raj to life through narratives of people who actually lived... Read more
Published 21 days ago by chica
5.0 out of 5 stars
A loving look into a bygone time
In the best tradition of Kipling, Allan recalls the good and the bad of the last days of the Raj in India.
Published 3 months ago by Leigh Ross
4.0 out of 5 stars
India and the Empire
Fascinating to have an intimate look at a period that has completely vanished. Rather than dry history, here one is face to face with topography, people, customs, and social... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Calvin Hennig
5.0 out of 5 stars
Soul of The Raj and Toupees Overboard
If a first-time traveler heading for New Delhi tomorrow could take only one book on the plane, and had already enjoyed Passage to India, Burmese Days and The Jewel in The Crown to... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Agnes Grey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pleasures, risks and sacrifice
This is the first book of a trilogy based on the personal and recorded accounts of residents of the British Empire between the world wars and the closing stages of British rule. Read more
Published 21 months ago by John the Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Compelling
I know people often say, "I couldn't put it down"...but literally I could not put this book down! Wonderfully written, a classic! Read more
Published on March 2, 2011 by S. Hamilton
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must read
Seldom have I ever read a more absorbing book of history as this one. This small sized book based on the tales who lived their lives during exceptional and interesting times is... Read more
Published on January 16, 2011 by Ameer Hamza Adhia
5.0 out of 5 stars
Plain Tales review
First read this book when I was in grad school. Enjoyed it just as much this time. Fascinating account of the last century of the British Raj in India.
Published on June 27, 2010 by mary wright
1.0 out of 5 stars
Bait and Switch
The copy I was promised was "Used - like new", the copy I recieved was in poor condition -- stained, pages creased, browning with age. Read more
Published on December 30, 2009 by Lucy Luckett
5.0 out of 5 stars
plain tales from India/Charles allen
I read this book long ago, which I picked from the pavement book seller
in Delhi. I read and reread it. Read more
in Delhi. I read and reread it. Read more
Published on June 28, 2009 by P. nagi
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