Rating: 
Summary: A superb read!
Review: A superb read! The author come across as being sincere and objective in his writing and reporting. He often tries to report views of opposite sides, that helps the readers to make sense of the situation and make their own judgement. Even in his grimiest account of the oppressive tradition, the author respects the Indian heritage instead of outright condemnation from a westerner's point of view. I enjoy reading the historic background of the many issues discussed. As the essays are written over a period of time, the author is able to track the development of the subject. This helps to present more than just a snapshot of the subject; the outcome of the subject often provide thought-provoking insight and perspective to the matter. The diversity of the issues in various political, cultural and social-geographical background reminds that the Indian sub-continent is mulitifaceted, one should keep an open mind and not quick to form one's perception of South Asia.
Rating:
Summary: A superb read!
Review: A superb read! The author come across as being sincere and objective in his writing and reporting. He often tries to report views of opposite sides, that helps the readers to make sense of the situation and make their own judgement. Even in his grimiest account of the oppressive tradition, the author respects the Indian heritage instead of outright condemnation from a westerner's point of view. I enjoy reading the historic background of the many issues discussed. As the essays are written over a period of time, the author is able to track the development of the subject. This helps to present more than just a snapshot of the subject; the outcome of the subject often provide thought-provoking insight and perspective to the matter. The diversity of the issues in various political, cultural and social-geographical background reminds that the Indian sub-continent is mulitifaceted, one should keep an open mind and not quick to form one's perception of South Asia.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating & Foreboding
Review: As human society careens into a new century amidst an onslaught of technological breakthroughs, consumer (re)values and mixed-message morality, all sorts of fire-breathers and reactionaries have come out of the woodwork, ancient texts in tow, to proclaim that the "End of Days" is nigh. Of course, such finger-wagging foreboding has been spouted by prophets/preachers for hundreds of years, but considering the rate of massive change occurring at the moment, and the massive change inevitable to come, these apocalyptic ruminations begin to have a seductive ring. Interestingly, most of the world's religions/belief systems contain some sort of Armageddon-theory, in which the wicked and faithless will be scathed & slain and their countless victims will emerge from the wreckage to claim their place in the new golden age. Foresight into the future or control-mechanism of those behind the scenes? What better way to encourage the downtrodden and dispossessed to quietly suffer than by programming into them that their day will come?So it's not surprising that in conflicted caste-ridden India, with ninety percent of its groaning 1-billion-mark masses dwelling in abject poverty, that belief of The Age of Kali is at an all time high. Hindu cosmology proclaims that there are four successive ages, from the highest to the lowest, and at the moment the world is currently head-deep in (quote) "the Kali Yug, the Age of Kali, the lowest possible throw, an epoch of strife, corruption, darkness, and disintegration." In his travelogue _The Age of Kali_, William Dalrymple investigates the myriad socio-political problems behind this prevalent belief, touring the subcontinent with a keen eye and clever pen. From Untouchables in utter squalor to celebrities and drug-barons, Dalrymple details an enormous contrast of existence, sometimes literally from one page to the next. India is a place so geographically and culturally vast that no author could hope to adequately condense it all in one volume, but this book does give the reader a fascinating glimpse of how the ramifications of the past influence the present and possible future for the Indian subcontinent. Dalrymple avoids the patronizing attitude and excessive descriptive prose of his contemporaries: each essay is clearly written, with passages of subtle elegance sliced neatly into the general flow of open-eye observations. The book is structured masterfully, as well: the topics broached are dark and disturbing, but Dalrymple segments caste-war and attempted genocide between the ridiculous posturing of India's first rap-roll star; tempers gang-rape and corruption with asides on the Hollywood-esque lifestyle of a popular harlequin writer and how the statues of ancestral Gods are bathed, shaved, and fed by devotees. This technique makes the horrors and atrocities digestible but in no way softens their impact: in my opinion, the contrast strengthens of overall impression that India is in a very precarious position. For those planning to visit India in the near future (as I am), _The Age of Kali_ is an excellent introduction. For those simply interested in reading about a land of such baffling contradictory reports, this book is a lucid portrait of a land and people on the verge. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: the Age of Everything
Review: Dalrymple covers a lot ground including Bahir, Rajasthan, Bombay, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa, Sri Lanka, Reunion Island, & even Pakistan: Islamabad, Peshawar. Everywhere he goes Dalrymple(with the assistance of expertly chosen guides) gives you a sense of the historical scope of each city or region from its moment of grandeur to its moment of decline, with an equal amount of scrutiny being given to recent happenings and current political trends. In India facts must be dug for amid the many fictions in circulation and Dalrymple never one to take anyones word for anything does some admirable journalistic investigation of a murder at an elite boarding school, gathers together all the conflicting eyewitness accounts a modern day sati, and he even spends some time getting cozy with the notorious Tamil Tigers whom he finds to be amazingly young(their female contingent or 'Freedom Birds' remind him of Bond girls). And he interviews a lot of memorable figures including the militant Hindu revivalist Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia and Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto(both scathing portraits) as well as many who recollect and recreate for him in conversations and tours of dusty palaces tales of unimaginable opulence and decadence of India's not too distant past. The old cities are vanishing or have vanished, existing as heaps of stone tucked between modern office buildings. The cities are modernised, there is even an Indian equivalent to silicon valley but the rural areas remain in what seems another century.
Much of India is being turned upside down as the lower castes have tired of the ill treatment afforded them by the upper castes. The wealthy upper castes are not quick to let go of their privileges though and much of the countryside in areas like Bihar has become a battle zone for caste wars. It is when Dalrymple passes through this dangerous countryside which is ruled by police on the payroll of politicians with long criminal records that he thinks of the violent and dark age of Kali. In different ways the different parts of India are in the throes of monumental changes, this change often manifests itself in mysterious ways. The old ways are very much alive next to, within, and around the new ways. India has absorbed many invaders and within her borders contains many different religions, languages, races and for long periods of time there is peace and balance but in such a strictly regimented society where everyone has their allotted place and duty every change and shift makes everyone uneasy. The Moghuls for the most part peacably ruled both Muslim and Hindu, then the English ruled in their way taking over and consolodating an already existing imperial network and though the English left in 1947 their system in many ways remained in place and the full impact of their departure is perhaps just now being felt. India has restlessly begun to search for a new shape. Unfortunately an era of violence (to Dalrymple comparison with the Balkans is not an unfounded one) seems imminent.
In contrast to these dire realities and contingencies Dalrymple explores some fascinating hybrid civilizations that existed on the borderlands between peacefully comingling cultures. One on Reunion island and another in the north of Pakistan where a garrison of Alexanders troops mixed with Indians, Persians, Chinese, and Central Asians to create what became known as Gandharan civilization. Dalrymple explores their ruins at Peshawar.
Rating:
Summary: Challenge Your Preconceptions
Review: Dalrymple has the reputation of being one of the best Western writers today on India, and the reputation is well-deserved. This collection of essays written in the late 90's gives the Western reader a fresh look at this extraordinarily complex country, and pushes the reader into examining Western notions we take for granted. Take for example "Sati Mata," an account of a young widow accepting suttee, suicide on her husband's funeral pyre. Surely no woman would choose to do such a thing, surely she was drugged and forced--or maybe not. Dalrymple's sensitive examination of this practice, long officially banned, and his description of the life this woman had ahead of her as a widow, makes us wonder. Or take his chapter on caste wars--he explains how caste bears little relationship to the Western notion of class, how to rise above one's caste not only disrupts society, but breaks the cosmic cycle. Dalrymple paints a painful picture of this often cruel and violent society, especially for women--how impossible it is to prove a charge of rape, how cruelly the widows of the holy city of Vrindavan are exploited. At the same time the portrayals of modern India, of its first rock star and a writer of pulp romances, are clever and funny. This book made me wonder how such a society can ever become truly democratic, a system which relies so heavily on the autonomy of the individual, the equality of all, a fair system of justice. India boasts it is the largest democracy in the world, but the descriptions of politics in these essays cast serious doubt on that statement. At the same time the author reminds us that Hindu civilization is the only of the great ancient civilizations to survive--certain aspects of Hindu life remain unchanged from what they were during greek and Roman times. And ancient Hindu art and literature survive today and are part of daily life and tradition. It is hard for the Western mind--almost impossible for an American mind--to grasp such longevity. Particularly troubling to a reader today are the chapters on Pakistan, our ally in the War on Terror. Dalrymple's description is of a completely corrupt, lawless and dangerous society, where strongmen rule and governments are easily toppled. Will Americans once again regret who we considered an ally in a moment of crisis? One Amazon reviewer says this is a book for those who love and those who hate India. You may come away from it feeling both emotions.
Rating:
Summary: Must read book on India
Review: Dalrymple has written an incisive book on contemporary India. He also shows how the country is changing. Most westerners, particulalry Americans either don't know or don't care about India. Client states of the US are the preocupation of the government and ordinary people alike while deep seated prejudices are exhibited in everyday life. I hope that those who will have a chance to read Dalrymple will be better informed and will not be as prejudiced against the country and people from this country.
Rating: 
Summary: william dalrymple shines
Review: Dalrymple offers an enjoyable and well-written travel narrative that, in a sense, takes one back to india. His knowledge of india's people and places is transferred to the reader through engaging, sophisticated, and poetic language. i didn't think i'd like it when i first cracked the spine, but it turned out to be a real page turner. another great work from william dalrymple
Rating:
Summary: Slice of Life
Review: Dalrymple provides insightful slice of life stories that reveal how different and yet similar this culture is to the west. A multi-faceted look at a complex society. A skilled writer.
Rating:
Summary: An important book, a "must-read"
Review: Dalrymple's work is a real surprise. To be honest, I hadn't even heard of the author until I read (on this site) a rather poisonous reader's review of Jason Elliot's excellent book about Afghanistan (An Unexpected Light) that included a statement like, "He's no Dalrymple..." Dalrymple's travels in India are masterfully recorded. He manages to meet and talk with major figures in India's fast-changing society, including a variety of notorious and violent characters. Dalrymple investigates the slow erosion of the caste system, the increased awareness of women's rights (and the fissure that the issue has opened between urban and rural populations), the corruption and the squalor, and India's newly emerged wealth and power in a way that is both direct and sympathetic. In the earlier sections of the book (which is really a loose collection of long journalistic essays) Dalrymple investigates the subcontinent's increasingly corrupt political system and the resulting rise of the ultra-nationalist BJP, whose members often use language eerily similar to that of the Nazis in the 1930s, inciting violence and murder while attacking the Muslim minority. Given that India now has a domestic nuclear weapons program the emergence of the BJP is downright scary, and important to understand in terms of its origins. India has an increasingly powerful role to play in world affairs, and a growing middle class of technology-literate citizens. But if Dalrymple is right, it seems also to be collapsing under the weight of its own history. This book provides important insight into a culture that is otherwise too easy to ignore.
Rating:
Summary: Keen observation made this book an instant classic
Review: I always enjoyed William's writing: witty, poignant, funny, straight to the point & non-judgmental. His works resembled Jan Wong's works about China. It's remarkable that in the midst of chaos, the ordinary people carry on as always. India is like a dark continent to me, mythical & mysterious. Should I be a tourist, I would definitely not be able to see the 'real' India & this book is the 2nd best thing of being there physically. It's interesting to note that despite India's vast continent, it is never a united country. William's travelling to Goa (heavily influenced by the Portuguese culture), Reunion Island (off the coast of India which is a literally a melting pot) had proven just that. Furthermore, there's also mentioning about the emergence of true Indian superstar that could compete head on with the best of America's (thanks to satellite cable TV); the emergence of the Indian version of the Silicon Valley; the uneasiness of Indians towards sexuality despite its offering of the classic, Kamasutra; caste system is also very much alive in India despite effort by the previous Government to abolish such a system; appreciation of the meaning "an eye for an eye"; India as a slow trampling elephant instead of the nicknames "waking tigers" given to its other Asian counterparts; the residue of the British colonisation that has yet been erased completely from the continent; India's uneasiness with its neigbours particularly Sri Lanka and Pakistan, etc. A gem that proves irresistable. Highly recommended.
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