About the Book
Over a million Indian soldiers fought in the First World War, the largest force from thecolonies and dominions. Their contribution, however, has been largely forgotten. Manysoldiers were illiterate and travelled from remote villages in India to fight in the muddytrenches in France and Flanders. Many went on to win the highest bravery awards.For King and another Country tells, for the first time, the personal stories of some ofthese Indians who went to the Western Front: from a grand turbanned Maharaja rearingto fight for Empire to a lowly sweeper who dies in a hospital in England, from a Pathanwho wins the Victoria Cross to a young pilot barely out of school.Shrabani Basu delves into archives in Britain and narratives buried in villages in Indiaand Pakistan to recreate the War through the eyes of the Indians who fought it. There areheroic tales of bravery as well as those of despair and desperation; there are accountsof the relationships that were forged between the Indians with their British officers andhow curries reached the frontline. Above all, it is the great story of how the War changedIndia and led, ultimately, to the call for independence.
About the Author
Shrabani Basu was born in Calcutta, graduated from St Stephen's College, Delhi, andearned her Master's at Delhi University. She has been the London correspondent ofAnanda Bazar Patrika group since 1988, writing for Sunday, Ananda Bazar Patrika andThe Telegraph. Basu has appeared on several radio and television programmes in theUK including Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4 and several documentaries on QueenVictoria, Noor Inayat Khan and curry. She founded the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trustin 2010 to campaign for a memorial for the WWII heroine. The memorial was unveiledby Princess Anne in November 2012. She is the author of Curry: The Story of theNation's Favourite Dish, Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan and Victoria &Abdul: The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant.
About the BookOver a million Indian soldiers fought in the First World War, the largest force from thecolonies and dominions. Their contribution, however, has been largely forgotten. Manysoldiers were illiterate and travelled from remote villages in India to fight in the muddytrenches in France and Flanders. Many went on to win the highest bravery awards.For King and another Country tells, for the first time, the personal stories of some ofthese Indians who went to the Western Front: from a grand turbanned Maharaja rearingto fight for Empire to a lowly sweeper who dies in a hospital in England, from a Pathanwho wins the Victoria Cross to a young pilot barely out of school.Shrabani Basu delves into archives in Britain and narratives buried in villages in Indiaand Pakistan to recreate the War through the eyes of the Indians who fought it. There areheroic tales of bravery as well as those of despair and desperation; there are accountsof the relationships that were forged between the Indians with their British officers andhow curries reached the frontline. Above all, it is the great story of how the War changedIndia and led, ultimately, to the call for independence.About the AuthorShrabani Basu was born in Calcutta, graduated from St Stephen's College, Delhi, andearned her Master's at Delhi University. She has been the London correspondent ofAnanda Bazar Patrika group since 1988, writing for Sunday, Ananda Bazar Patrika andThe Telegraph. Basu has appeared on several radio and television programmes in theUK including Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4 and several documentaries on QueenVictoria, Noor Inayat Khan and curry. She founded the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trustin 2010 to campaign for a memorial for the WWII heroine. The memorial was unveiledby Princess Anne in November 2012. She is the author of Curry: The Story of theNation's Favourite Dish, Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan and Victoria &Abdul: The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant.