Page 157 - Book Reviews

'Futurism' is in the past

The borderline cases of Jammu & Kashmir

Three books based on memories and eye-witness accounts show how the state's contested history has contributed to its contemporary divisions and tortuous complexities

The game of the Ivory Throne

Sentiment and argument

The eternal gold rush

In India, gold has a unique position for Hindus as the sacredness of the metal goes back to the start of creation

Delhi, water wars and graphic notes from underground

Sarnath Banerjee's fourth graphic novel on the underbelly of life in India's capital city is another tour de force

Anatomy of American jihadists

The author of four books on terrorism, Mr Bergen writes with authority and range, drawing on his many sources in the intelligence community, and putting recent developments like the San Bernardino att

Lunch with BS: Ferdinand Mount

The author of a book on the history of the Raj portrayed through the lives of his ancestors tells Kanika Datta most people in Britain are ready to take a more dispassionate look at those two centuries

Teachable moments in diplomacy

Throughout, Mr Rana keeps the story moving, notwithstanding pit-stops to draw attention to particular aspects of diplomatic practice and innovation

Falling on and off the map

The Republicans in interesting times

Both authors conclude their books with suggestions on how to fix the right

Gregory David Roberts's new book remains in Shantaram's shadow

Despite the familiar intricate plot-lines and colourful characters, this long-awaited sequel fails to live up to its predecessor

The better half of women's empowerment

Mr Dutta writes about the agents of social change - mothers, teachers, non-governmental organisation (NGO) workers - who have helped fan the ambitions of their daughters and pupils

China and Pakistan 'axistential' issues

Andrew Small's book aims to provide "a starting point for thinking through the most important issues at stake" to understand the underpinnings of this relationship

Manipur, in the heart of darkness

Author weaves a rich tapestry of state, stitching together its historical, political, security, economic and cultural threads, bringing it to life with stories of the numerous victims of that unending

Dark money behind the radical Right

Dark Money is a persuasive, timely and necessary story of the Koch brothers' empire

Modern Turkey from death throes to rebirth

This military history traces Great Power machinations after the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire but provides an inadequate link to the current crisis in West Asia

Capitalism and the rise of xenophobia

"Old xenophobia is monstrous, spectacular, and quickly identifiable. New xenophobia is less visible… [It] operates with varieties of 'push-in' violence"

Misogyny as a religion

Indoctrination has been and remains the most formidable weapon of all times, the horror of which we are witnessing today in the rise of the Islamic State

Sound of silence, echoes of protest at Lekhana in Bengaluru

Bengaluru-based literature weekend Lekhana looked at art of writing and positon of the artist in the world