Book Description
Rajasthan is a growing destination for both Indian and Western visitors, who are attracted by the region's history, tradition, luxurious hotels, and cuisine. This lush new book, written by a leading architecture and social historian, traces the evolution of palace architecture in Rajasthan from the 16th to the early 20th century. George Michell focuses on the major capitals of Rajput power, including Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Bikaner, as well as the lesser centers of Alwar, Bundi, Kota, and Jaisalmer, providing a glimpse into the lives of the often-colorful maharajas who lived in these and other fantastic palaces.
From the early fortresses of Chitor and Amber to the spacious city complexes in Jaipur and Udaipur and the Art Deco-style Umaid Bhavan in Jodhpur, Princely Rajasthan is at once a remarkable architectural history and a sumptuous visual evocation of Rajput courtly life. Antonio Martinelli's dazzling photographs bring to life the magnificent settings of the palaces, their outstanding architectural features and murals, and the royal collections of paintings, furniture, palanquins, and armor. AUTHOR BIO: George Michell trained as an architect and has a Ph.D. in Indian archaeology. He has published numerous books on Islamic and Indian architecture. Antonio Martinelli is an internationally renowned photographer who has worked extensively in India, Europe, and Japan.
Customer Reviews:
A Typical Lonely Planet ..........2007-01-09
This book offers everything you expect from a Lonely Planet travel guide - background infos you need to know about the country (Do's, Don'ts, how to get by in India on your own, etc.), sights, restaurant and hotel listings and much more for your trip to Rajasthan.
Like most Lonely Planets, it is a bit thin on history and culture, the description of the sights is sometimes very short.
The Delhi chapter is extensive, though.
You get everything you expect from a LP, but if you are interested in history and Indian culture and religion, buy another book to accompany this LP on your trip.
Book Description
Visit the "land of princes" with its great desert forts and palaces bearing traces of India's royal heritage. See the pink sandstone city of Jaipur and the water palaces at Udaipur. 1,000 full-color illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Never received.......2007-04-01
No review since the product was never received. Its been almost two months now and no book. Amazon should do a review of this supplier and determine why they advertise a product as available but then cannot ship it.
for virtual and actual travelers.......2004-01-01
India has long been on my must-visit list, and after reading this gorgeous book, another in a lovely series that Knopf publishes, my appetite has been re-whetted. But even if you're strictly an armchair traveler, this book will satisfy as an informative if idealized picture of Rajasthan, the most romantic state of India. I hope Knopf produces more books on the rest of India soon.
Great book, and Birkali is a great place!!.......2000-12-27
By reading this book, i realised how great the city of Birkali really is, and I was impressed by all of the great innovations and technological advancements that have come about from that great city. I truely reccomend this book, and i feel you should also look at the autobiography: "Devi Singh: The life of a true innovator." Go Blue!
Knopf Guide India : Rajasthan : Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer,.......2000-06-22
Knopf has compiled a typically excellent guide that will be as useful and interesting to read after the trip as it is during. If anything, the guidebook is better as a post-trip reference manual than a guide becuase it is so packed with information, photographs and drawings. The information is accurate and detailed. Because it is not a typical guide (does not list attractions in a bullet-point sort of way), should be purchased if you are deciding to go to India or in addition to a more by-the-numbers guide.
Like all the Knopf Guides, I recommend it highly.
Exquisitely Done!.......2000-04-28
This book is worth purchasing if just for the drawing/maps. I've rarely seen their equal. The information about each fort, palace and temple is illustrated and the sections on artists and authors related works is wonderful. You see things so clearly you can make up your own mind where to go. Aesthetically pleasing.
Book Description
This stunningly lavish volume is based on Pauline van Lynden's notebooks, photographs and other material gathered over fifteen years of wanderings in Rajasthan, India. The book begins with Pauline's first overwhelming impressions of color, people and places. In search of material, making friends on her way, she discovers the Rajasthani cities, is invited to a royal wedding and finds artisans devoted to their centuries-old crafts. After some time, a longing for quiet draws her to the countryside, and the second half of the book focuses on the villages and a rhythm of life which has not changed much over the centuries. The fourteen chapters of the book are each introduced by two pages of stories and descriptions by Pauline to explain, in a personal way, the following pages of photographs. The text is limited to her impressions, as the book is meant to be essentially a visual experience. With her artistic background, an upbringing in international surroundings, a curious and eclectic mind, a keen photographer's eye and a great sensitivity for detail and atmosphere, Pauline is perfectly equipped to bring her own view of Rajasthan to the public in this informed and evocative manner.
Customer Reviews:
Gorgeous!.......2007-04-05
When I was the in-house stylist for Style Guide I had this incredibly beautiful Indian girl with dark eyes for an intern. She wore the brightest colors to work everyday and spoke in this rich lilting voice. One day I finally asked her where she got it - "the clothes or the accent?" she asked, "Both", said I. Well, she said, the colors are from my mother's land and the accent is from my father's land. Turns out that my pretty intern's mom came from the desert state of Rajasthan, in the North Western part of India. I have since then browsed innumerable coffee table books on Rajasthan, but Pauline Van Lynden's Rajasthan is certainly a notch above the rest. The photographs are lavish, the details touching, the effect spellbinding. Royals, artisans, dressmakers, housewives - Van Lynden gives us a breathtaking glimpse into these myriad lives.
Another plus is Van Lynden's tone - always inquisitive but never condescending. There might be other books which will give you a lot of information about Rajasthan but Van Lynden's Rajasthan shall remain a front runner due to its evocative prose and dazzling photographs which seem to leap off the page. I recommend Van Lynden's Rajasthan as an antidote for any colorless day.
Beautiful!.......2007-01-06
Tons of fantastic pics, details of fabrics, places etc. If you like Rajastan sty;e, you will fall head over heels for ths heavy "coffee table" book!
Book Description
An engrossing narrative of a colonial subject's life contemplating his Imperial masters at the height of colonialism in India; based upon the first eight years of his life-long diary.
Amar Singh, a Rajput nobleman and officer in the Indian Army, kept a diary for forty-four years, from 1898, when he was twenty, until his death in 1942. In it he writes about the Jodhpur court, the Imperial Cadet Corps, and the British Expeditionary Force in China during the Boxer rebellion. A century before hybridity, he constructs a hybrid self, an Edwardian officer cum gentleman and a martial Rajput cum manor lord. With a diary acting as an alter ego and best friend, Amar Singh resists becoming "a coolie for the raj" when he finds the British to be friends as well as racist masters. He writes and reads extensively -"to keep himself amused," he says, and to avoid the boredom of princedom and raj philistinism. Here the authors focus on the first eight years of Amar Singh's diary (1898-1905), offering a rare and intimate glimpse into the British colonialism from the point of view of a loyal subject. Illustrated with fifty photographs and facsimiles from Amar Singh's readings.
Average customer rating:
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Stones in the Sand: The Architecture of Rajasthan
Giles Tillotson
Manufacturer: Marg Pubns
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ASIN: 8185026521 |
Book Description
This volume presents the characteristic traditional architecture of Rajasthani towns and cities: the stone built forts, palaces and havelis, temples, tanks, and kunds, from the 16th century onwards when religion developed the distinctive style of domestic and civic architecture for which it is well known. These articles, written by experts in diverse fields, illustrate how these great and beautiful structures were first conceived, constructed, and inhabited.
Book Description
India Treasures is a monumental work of fiction covering the sweep of Indian history. A search through palaces and a maze-like fortress for a Maharaja's legendary hidden treasure weaves together stories of danger and romance, and of spiritual and artistic triumphs. The book portrays key historical persons and events in the nation's religious, cultural, and political evolution.
Readers will experience meeting the Buddha; being lost in the Great Indian Desert with a caravan merchant; riding an elephant into battle with the famous Emperor Ashoka; painting a celebrated mural masterpiece with a medieval artist; joining a lovely princess as she defies her powerful father for the enemy king whom she loves; transcending life's trials as a disciple of a great Sufi saint; sharing the perils of a noble Muslim family targeted by a hostile Sultan; and matching wits with the mighty Mughal Emperor Akbar.
The novellas are linked by the treasure hunt through the immense fortress of Mangarh by government tax raiders during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's suspension of civil liberties in the mid-1970s. Vijay Singh, the capable and conscientious leader of the searchers, battles a corrupt political boss who imprisons the Maharaja of Mangarh and preys on the lovely princess Kaushalya. Vijay fears that in Mangarh his secret may be exposed: he claims to be of the high Rajput caste, but in fact he is an Untouchable from a nearby village.
Included in the book are a Reading Group Discussion Guide and an extensive Glossary.
The sequel, India Fortunes, which depicts major historical characters and events from the 1600's through the 20th century, is scheduled for publication in the fall of 2002.
Customer Reviews:
Must read if you're interested in India/Rajasthan.......2006-05-20
I'm a huge fan of historic fiction and this book and the sequel did not disappoint! I'm not Indian, but my boyfriend is. I have spent a LOT of time traveling with him all over Rajasthan where both books are based, so I have a very good feel for the region. The author does a really good job weaving history lessons into a good story. My only complaint was that I couldn't find a lot of the words in the glossary. That's proobably more to do with bad editing. If you've traveled in Rajasthan, this will bring back memories and go deeper into the history of the area. If you're planning a trip, I strongly suggest these books before you go. It will make your trip much more rewarding!
So good you never want it to end!.......2006-01-27
Other reviewers have given great analyses of this book, so I'll skip that. Just want to say this: if you have ANY interest in India, or if you like history or historical fiction at all, you will NOT be able to put down this book. I actually read it at stoplights! That's how good it is! All I can say is thank god there's a sequel that I can start reading now!
India Treasures is an engaging novel.......2003-10-11
India Treasures is as entertaining as it is intriguing, shifting you back and forth from present day to a variety of historical periods, weaving a story full of history, mystery, intrigue and atmosphere. I highly recommend this book. Whether you're an Indophile or a mystery-lover, you'll find yourself pulled into each story-within-a-story and a little sorry to look up and find out that you're really sitting on your own couch.
Superb and Exciting Indian Historical.......2003-08-06
With the straightforward narration of Rutherford and the structure of Michener, this book is so well done that it exceeds in pace and excitement both Rutherford and Michener.
I am from India and a voracious reader of all types of books (including the aforementioned Rutherford and Michener), and I am unusually critical of those that write about India and don't have their books ring true. I initially picked up the book with the feeling that it might be amusing, but probably wouldn't be terribly accurate. Mr Worthington has exceeded even Indian authors on the accuracy front: his names ring true, the language rings true (including the use of Indian words: for example he makes the fine distinction between jauhar and sati), and the characters ring true. M.M. Kaye (the author of The Far Pavilions) lived in India for many years, and yet got the shade of meanings of some Indian words wrong, while as I read Mr Worthington's India Treasures I felt that a fellow Indian had written it.
Mr Worthington's best achievement, though, is that he has rooted the main story in present times, with historical stories that have a link to the main story. While each can be read separately, the book is best enjoyed in sequence, as this generates in the reader an accurate picture of how modern India evolved into the complex society that it is today, with the myriad external influences combining and sythesizing with internal realities.
My highest praise, though, would be reserved for the language and the manner in which Mr Worthington tells the story. He plunges the reader without delay into an intriguing situation and a wonderful story. Those who are captivated by books such as ...and Ladies of the Club, The Far Pavilions, Sarum, and Steinbeck's East of Eden, will find that the straightforward storytelling and language reminds them of those books, and also of the time when they were children and their favorite adult read them stories that they did not want to end and that kept them captivated way beyond their bedtimes. That feeling of "don't let it end" keeps one reading and reading until, sadly, it does end (but, never fear, there is a promised sequel!). The characters and stories will stay with you for a long, long time. The understanding of India will, perhaps, stay with you longer.
This book, in my estimation, is accessible to children of age 14 and above. The story of the elephant is particularly entrancing. The main story, set during a period in India's history under Indira Gandhi, called "The Emergency", when individual rights were suspended for eighteen months, and the government rode rough-shod over people, will probably be an eye-opener for many people, including those in India who were born after 1975.
Unlike any other book on India that I am aware of, this book cuts an illuminating swathe through Indian history (even I learned something about Indian history), and blends history and fiction seamlessly into a superb entertainment.
There is romance in this book, there is adventure in this book, there is history in this book. I am impressed enough by this book to be inspired to write my first Amazon.com review, and I have been buying books from Amazon since early 1997. While I started the book prepared to find faults and shrug it off as another one of those books on India, I found that it won me over in short order. I hope Mr Worthington keeps on writing, I hope more readers discover this gem, and I look forward with pleasurable anticipation to his next book.
Read it! As the much used (and sometimes abused, though not in this case) phrase goes, "You will not be disappointed!"
A Treasure of India.......2002-03-24
This epic tale of India draws the reader in by weaving ancient India events into an ongoing modern day treasure hunt. Each chapter brought a new understanding of the history that makes up the
complex and exciting world of present day India. The historical chapters read as separate stories while the present day chapters are an ongoing novel within a novel. I found this book difficult to put down and enjoyable to read. The chapter with the battle on elephants featuring Emperor Ashoka made me feel like I was right in the middle. I could smell and feel the battle scenes. I reccomend it for anyone who is searching for a greater understanding of India or just a good read.
Average customer rating:
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Impressions of Rajasthan
Carisse Busquet , and
Gerard Busquet
Manufacturer: Flammarion
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Rajasthan
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Princely Rajasthan: Rajput Palaces and Mansions
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The Unforgettable Maharajas: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Photography (Roli Books)
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A Princess Remembers: The Memoirs of the Maharani of Jaipur
ASIN: 208011171X
Release Date: 2003-10-24 |
Book Description
Rajasthan is India's tradition-rich northwest royal province, home of maharajas, of imposing forts and grand palaces, and 3,000 year-old settlements. So it is also a land rich in street color, popular pageantry and a unique ethnic design language. Impressions of Rajasthan takes photography lovers across one of the most inspirational regions on the Indian subcontinent, offering a unique look at the painted imagination of India with murals of pure pattern, mandalic abstractions and figurative story-panels. It is a rich, distinct decorative tradition-often as humorous as it is pious-woven into everyday visual life.
Morandi's camera also masterfully captures the everyday lifestyle of contemporary Rajasthan, in particular, Rajasthani women who are the carriers of this pattern language tradition: chatting in small groups, buying fruit at the market, and painting their homes with murals in which religion, history, and politics are described in a brushstroke.
Book Description
In many South Asian oral traditions, herons are viewed as duplicitous and conniving. These traditions tend also to view women as fragmented identities, dangerously split between virtue and virtuosity, between loyalties to their own families and those of their husbands. In women's songs, however, symbolic herons speak, telling of alternative moral perspectives shaped by women. The heron's words--and women's expressive genres more generally--criticize pervasive North Indian ideologies of gender and kinship that place women in subordinate positions. By inviting readers to "listen to the heron's words," the authors convey this shift in moral perspective and suggest that these spoken truths are compelling and consequential for the women in North India.
The songs and narratives bear witness to a provocative cultural dissonance embedded in women's speech. This book reveals the power of these critical commentaries and the fluid and permeable boundaries between spoken words and the lives of ordinary village women.
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