The Skull of Alum Bheg —— The Life and Death of a Rebel of 1857

Kim Wagner follows the trail of a skull, found in 1963 in an English pub. A note was tucked inside an eye-socket and that was enough to get Wagner going. Who was this Alum Bheg, how did his skull end up in the pub, are there family members, how was he killed? All these questions lead the author to retell the story of the Indian Mutiny of 1857, locate whatever records there are of Europeans then living in Sialkot in the backwaters of Punjab. Actually, there is quite a bit to be told - if you do not mind a lot of miscellaneous information. Interesting, but repetitive and spinning the story for everything it is worth. And it remains astonishing that this small cadre of Europeans (soldiers, traders, missionaries) managed to hold on to a country the size of India.

A careful concoction of history and fiction, though Mutiny of 1857 is covered by many books and journals but this book is written in different vein altogether.

Very good historic perspective on Britain's foul history as 'empire'.

Wonderful read

Badly needs a map of Northern India in 1857

Very good read. Highly suggested.

The author dedicates huge amounts of research and an entire book to the topic of a note found in the eye socket of the skull. He goes to elaborate lengths to disprove the claims, and many of the details, in the note. In fact, he argues strenuously that the writer of the note is quite unreliable. Yet the main claim of the note, the most essential fact to question, and the one on which the entire book is based, goes unquestioned, that this is the skull of the named individual, Alum Bheg (or Alim Beg). Wagner's premise seems entirely illogical, that the writer of the note, Costello, is a poorly-informed, and perhaps lying, witness to the execution, and yet entirely truthful in identifying and naming the executed sepoy whose skull this is supposed to be. Venturing off to global ports of call, Wagner has and spent uncountable months in his labours, resurrecting the life and fate of 19th-century Indian soldier whose name he got from the note. But the note is a statement by a different 19th-century soldier whose claims Wagner has already argued, perhaps proved, are untrue. If all of Costello's allegations in the note about Bheg are misreported, if not outright lies, why should we believe Costello's claims of the skull's identity? Regardless of how entertaining the book might be, it's presented as history, as nonfiction, when in fact it may be entirely based on fiction. I have put these questions to the author, and I'm hoping for a reply.

Well written, engaging, easy to follow. The author does a great job of providing enough background on the rebellion to have it make sense while using the titular skull as a case study to approach it through. It's a great example of a small story being used to render a large, complex issue easier to digest.

This is a brilliant book that should be read by anyone interested in the British in India. Can’t recommend it enough.

Fascinating book - well written

The kindle edition has been downloaded without any illustrations! Normally we receive kindle edition books with the relevant illustrations available in the regular hardcover edition of the book. Would you pl look into the matter & arrange to download for me the illustrations.

2020年12月13日 在美国审核

2019年9月10日 在美国审核