The Age of Kali: Travels and Encounters in India

The result of 10 year's living and travelling throughout the Indian subcontinent, The Age of Kali emerges from Dalrymple's uneasy sense that the region is slipping into the most fearsome of all epochs in ancient Hindu cosmology: "the Kali Yug, the Age of Kali, the lowest possible throw, an epoch of strife, corruption, darkness and disintegration". The brilliance of this book lies in its refusal to slip into the cultural pessimism of books such as V.S. Naipaul's Beyond Belief. Dalrymple's love for the subcontinent, and his feel for its diverse cultural identity, comes across in every page, which makes its chronicles of political corruption, ethnic violence and social disintegration all the more poignant. The scope of the book is particularly impressive, from the vivid opening chapters portraying the lawless caste violence of Bihar, to interviews with the drug barons on the North-West Frontier, and Dalrymple's extraordinary encounter with the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. Some of the most fascinating sections of the book are Dalrymple's interviews with Imran Khan and Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, which read like non-fictional companion pieces to Salman Rushdie's bitterly satirical Shame. The Age of Kali is a dark, disturbing book which takes the pulse of a continent facing some tough questions. --Jerry Brotton

Reader Reviews:

Excellent and insightful (0/0 people found this helpful)

William Dalrymple is absurdly young to write so well and -- rarer still -- for his journalistic enterprise which seems to effortlessly reach the inner sanctums of the movers and shakers of the Indian sub-continent. Whether it is murderous bandit leaders from Bihar or the haughtily imperious Benazir Bhutto, Dalrymple has a fine eye for the bizarre and the mystic. This is really a wonderful fusion of travel writing, journalism and political essay. Having just read Jules Stewart's excellent The Savage Border, I found these two books complemented each other very well.

Ace (0/0 people found this helpful)

This really blew my mind.It gave me so much more of an insight into India and its history than any Lonely Planet and really captured my imagination whilst travelling in India.A very inspiring writer.

Snapshots of the subcontinent (3/3 people found this helpful)

William Dalrymple's 'The Age of Kali' carries the subtitle 'Indian Travels and Encounters' but actually includes writings on Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean island of Reunion (in fact a département of France). It is less a historical analysis in the mold of the brilliant 'City of Djinns' but a collection of essays and articles, most of which were previously commissioned and published by magazines and newspapers. Much more jounalistic in style, it is arguably more informal than some of his other books, but no less engaging or informative for that. His obvious love for the sub-continent is reflected in a gently ironic voice that somehow makes light work of the tales of atrocity, corruption and ineptitude here. He is not as pessimistic or misanthropic as Paul Theroux, and is able to imbue his descriptions of even the most hopeless situations with a comic absurdity. Although the content of the book is highly contemporaneous - the pace of development in India and the shifting political landscape post-911 makes parts of the book seem a little dated - the book gives a comprehensive overview of the forces at work on the subcontinent.

Whereas 'City of Djinns' and his later work 'White Mughals' were heavy on historical narratives and anecdotes, 'The Age of Kali' finds the author a more visible presence. Like in his stunning debut 'In Xanadu', the book leaves you impressed by his bravery in pursuit of his subject. From accessing the base camps of the Tamil Tigers to travelling the lawless mountain routes of Northern Pakistan, Dalrymple builds a vivid and remarkable picture of the region seldom exposed by journalists of any nationality, and often with considerable personal risk. Although the book has no unifying objective, the articles included build an informative overview without any prescriptive remit. If you enjoy this - which you should - you should read the aforementioned titles in the author's back catalogue. If you want to complement it with some fiction, try Rohinton Mistry's 'A Fine Balance' or 'Family Matters'.

The Age of Kali (3/5 people found this helpful)

Dalrymple is as bold and observant as he is masterfull in painting in words images of an India still coming to terms with the exit of the British and partition from Pakistan.Fearless in his quest for answers he brings us the nitty gritty on the forming of modern India. An absolute must read for any one planning to travel to the Sub Continent

Essential reading for all visitors to India (19/22 people found this helpful)

I read this on my first trip to India recently. It made more sense of this vast continent than all the newspapers, guidebooks and personal guides put together.

Pack this book along with your antimalarials, insect repellent, and camera for the best possible insight to the real India.

The Age of Kali: Travels and Encounters in India

William Dalrymple

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