The Maharajah's Box: An Exotic Tale of Espionage, Intrigue, and Illicit Love in the Days of the Raj

Rating:
Summary: Splendid Tale About A Forgotten 19th Century Plot
Review: "The Maharajah's Box" reads as well as any splendid mystery written by the likes of Agatha Christie or P. D. James. But best of all, it is a gripping account of a forgotten plot in 19th Century British history, which had widespread reprecussions for Great Britain's relations with both France and Russia. Campbell does an admirable job recounting the sordid tale of Maharajah Duleep Singh, the last king of Lahore, in what is now Pakistan and northwestern India, and his feeble, almost comical, attempts at regaining his throne. Along the way we meet an intriguing, often bizarre, cast of Indian spies, Russian politicans and soldiers and Irish revolutionaries. If you're interested in a true story of political intrigue, this is one tome which shouldn't be missed!

Rating:
Summary: A newspaper article would suffice
Review: This book describes a forgotten tale of an Indian Maharaja removed from his throne by the British, and his futile attempts to return to India.

The book is extremely long. It details every letter and every telegram the author was able to place his hands on. It might be interesting if you have some family connections to the Maharaja, but otherwise, it is just tiring.

A newspaper article would have summarized the whole affair in enough detail. The book is too detailed to be interesting.