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The Anarchy

The Relentless Rise of the East India Company

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The Anarchy

By: William Dalrymple
Narrated by: Sid Sagar
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About this listen

Bloomsbury presents The Anarchy by William Dalrymple, read by Sid Sagar.

THE TOP 5 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S BEST BOOKS OF 2019
THE TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR
FINALIST FOR THE CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE 2020
LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2019
A FINANCIAL TIMES, OBSERVER, DAILY TELEGRAPH, WALL STREET JOURNAL AND TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘Dalrymple is a superb historian with a visceral understanding of India … A book of beauty’ – Gerard DeGroot, The Times

In August 1765 the East India Company defeated the young Mughal emperor and forced him to establish a new administration in his richest provinces. Run by English merchants who collected taxes using a ruthless private army, this new regime saw the East India Company transform itself from an international trading corporation into something much more unusual: an aggressive colonial power in the guise of a multinational business.

William Dalrymple tells the remarkable story of the East India Company as it has never been told before, unfolding a timely cautionary tale of the first global corporate power.

©2019 William Dalrymple (P)2019 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 18th Century Asia Colonialism & Post-Colonialism India Military Modern Politics & Government South Asia Colonial Period War Thought-Provoking Iran Middle East Dutch East India
All stars
Most relevant
well worth the 'read' for the awareness of the destruction caused by the avarice of the directors of the East India Compan

lesson for today

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Couldn't stop listening. History explained at its best. Narration was clear and never felt boring - on a subject as this sometimes names, years, currency can be. But both author and narrator were brilliant beyond comparison.

Great work, perfect audio

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Excellent and detailed account of the rise and rise of the first capitalist superpower. The story of capitalism writ large not only monopolising trade and industry but replacing traditional government and military power in a single entity whose purpose is simply profit and whose congregation the stock holder.

World history

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A very informative and detailed book about the challenges the country of India faced with this greedy and violent company

Extremely detailed

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It was very interesting to learn about the history of the EIC. The one thing that distracted from the story is the conversion of currencies. Just give the modern equivalent, I can’t imagine the rest is of any value to the reader/listener.

Very interesting

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