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Blood Against the Snows : The Tragic Story of Nepal's Royal Dynasty
A portrait of Nepal's doom-laden royal dynasty from its staggering expansion in the 18th century to the massacre in June 2001, a sequence of events worthy of a Greek tragedy. Nepal, a fabulous country of sublime natural beauty, has a history inextricably mixed with kingship. There have been kings in its mountain valleys for millennia. Buddha Siddharta was born a Nepalese prince and the current dynasty traces its ancestry to the Rajput princes from Rajasthan. Nepal is the last Hindu kingdom in the world, in which the same traditions of kingship are practised now as in Vedic times. Kings are gods, and history, kingship and myth are culturally woven together. The current Shah dynasty created modern Nepal and was the complete focus of national identity. It was, then, a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions when the heir to the throne, frustrated by his mother in his desire to marry a girl from a rival clan, slaughtered as many of the royal family as he could find in the palace. In a few bloody minutes Crown Prince Diprendra committed matricide, patricide, fratricide and suicide and ensured for hmself a place in history's pantheon of deranged monarchs. Amazingly, this is not the first time the Nepalese royals have been involved in palace massacres. The story of the Shah dynasty is studded with sanguinary episodes, of intrigues, fratricide, poisoning and the disposal of 'unwanted' relativres that would put the Borgias to shame. The fact that the monarchy has divine status means that its trials and turmoils are instantly shared by the entire country. If the monarchy is in crisis, Nepal is too. Mixing brand new reportage with an unrivalled historical and culturla appreciation of the country, Jonthan Gregson demonstrates how one small mountain kingdom, as wreathed in antiquity as it is in high mountain clouds, has been the setting for a classic revenger's tragedy.
226 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2002
19 people are currently reading
603 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Gregson
14 books4 followersJonathan Gregson is a travel writer, financial journalist and editor.
He was editor of CAM (Cambridge Alumni Magazine), editorial consultant for FIRST magazine, and is a commentator on South Asia for BBC programmes. He taught history at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, in 1975-6 and at Pembroke College in Oxford while studying for a D.Phil. from 1977 to 1980.
He was editor of CAM (Cambridge Alumni Magazine), editorial consultant for FIRST magazine, and is a commentator on South Asia for BBC programmes. He taught history at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, in 1975-6 and at Pembroke College in Oxford while studying for a D.Phil. from 1977 to 1980.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
November 21, 2020
On 1 June 2001, Nepal's Crown Prince Dipendra left the family gathering he was hosting, re-dressed in camouflage clothing and prepared a number of guns. He then returned to the gathering and massacred his father the King, his sister, his younger brother, his mother, and a host of other royals, before turning a gun on himself, and unsuccessfully attempting to end his life.
Despite being in a coma and on a ventilator, with very low expectation of any form of recovery, in the early hours he was crowned King of Nepal, as as such, was immediately placed above the law. It was not possible to suggest, let alone accuse him of any crime, and the palace went into a media blackout. He was physically and mentally unable to rule, and Birendra's younger brother Gyanendra was named Regent.
By this time, speculation in Kathmandu however, was running wild, with news the King was dead being leaked out. There were many theories being put forward, most with no basis. There was everything from the Maoist rebels to the Indian RAW, the CIA or a military coup. Many suspected that Birendra's younger brother Gyanendra was responsible - made worse by the fact he would eventually be crowned.
It was not until Dipendra's heart stopped early on the 4th of June, that Gyanendra become the third King of Nepal in 5 days, and the constitutional constraints were removed, the silence could be broken and a formal commission of enquiry be launched. Gyanendra's crowning ended the line of eldest son's, and he was the first of the 'cadet' or younger brother line to be crowned.
This whole episode is well covered in this book, but it is much more that this. This book explains the whole Shah Dynasty of the Nepalese Kings. Birendra was the tenth of his line - inheriting the crown from his father, as the eldest son. We start with the first King, Prithvi Narayan Shah, who united the separate principalities of Nepal, forming the unified kingdom of Nepal. From there is gets messy with Kings losing power to Prime Ministers, power struggles, ineffective leaderships and a change from absolute monarchy to hereditary prime ministers, to constitutional monarchy.
While the names become repetitive and somewhat confusing, as the Shahs marry the Ranas, Greggson does a good job of setting out each generation of King.
Published in 2003, what we miss out on in this book, is Gyanendra dismissing parliament in 2005, and returning to absolute monarchy, before Nepal was declared a Federal Democratic Republic in 2008, and the monarchy was abolished. The Shah family had reined over the unified Nepal from 1768 until 2008.
Five stars.
Despite being in a coma and on a ventilator, with very low expectation of any form of recovery, in the early hours he was crowned King of Nepal, as as such, was immediately placed above the law. It was not possible to suggest, let alone accuse him of any crime, and the palace went into a media blackout. He was physically and mentally unable to rule, and Birendra's younger brother Gyanendra was named Regent.
By this time, speculation in Kathmandu however, was running wild, with news the King was dead being leaked out. There were many theories being put forward, most with no basis. There was everything from the Maoist rebels to the Indian RAW, the CIA or a military coup. Many suspected that Birendra's younger brother Gyanendra was responsible - made worse by the fact he would eventually be crowned.
It was not until Dipendra's heart stopped early on the 4th of June, that Gyanendra become the third King of Nepal in 5 days, and the constitutional constraints were removed, the silence could be broken and a formal commission of enquiry be launched. Gyanendra's crowning ended the line of eldest son's, and he was the first of the 'cadet' or younger brother line to be crowned.
This whole episode is well covered in this book, but it is much more that this. This book explains the whole Shah Dynasty of the Nepalese Kings. Birendra was the tenth of his line - inheriting the crown from his father, as the eldest son. We start with the first King, Prithvi Narayan Shah, who united the separate principalities of Nepal, forming the unified kingdom of Nepal. From there is gets messy with Kings losing power to Prime Ministers, power struggles, ineffective leaderships and a change from absolute monarchy to hereditary prime ministers, to constitutional monarchy.
While the names become repetitive and somewhat confusing, as the Shahs marry the Ranas, Greggson does a good job of setting out each generation of King.
Published in 2003, what we miss out on in this book, is Gyanendra dismissing parliament in 2005, and returning to absolute monarchy, before Nepal was declared a Federal Democratic Republic in 2008, and the monarchy was abolished. The Shah family had reined over the unified Nepal from 1768 until 2008.
Five stars.
May 6, 2014
Interesting book. I bought it to get a firmer understanding of the events that took place in 2001 Nepal, where the primary royal clan was wiped out by the wacked-out Crown Prince. But the author first sets the foundation by giving the reader a round education on Nepalese history, starting with the great warrior who founded the family dynasty.
While I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about the world, Nepal always seemed to have a blank spot in the geography of my mind. Tibet? Check. Burma? Check. Nepal? Ummm....Sherpas?
Thanks to this book, I have a much better grasp of the nation, the fierce patriotism of its people, and the strange royal families (and prime ministers) who have ruled the country. The author keeps the reader enthralled with the historical characters and then leads up to the catastrophe itself. I was hooked.
Book Season = Year Round
While I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about the world, Nepal always seemed to have a blank spot in the geography of my mind. Tibet? Check. Burma? Check. Nepal? Ummm....Sherpas?
Thanks to this book, I have a much better grasp of the nation, the fierce patriotism of its people, and the strange royal families (and prime ministers) who have ruled the country. The author keeps the reader enthralled with the historical characters and then leads up to the catastrophe itself. I was hooked.
Book Season = Year Round
September 23, 2022
In works of non-fiction as such, where you have been fed varieties of conspiracy theories that spawned over time, it gets hard to come into terms with the book when just one of the many stories is taken into fullest consideration as a prime requisite. And when its about documenting incidents like that of Royal Masaccre of Nepal, where we have witnessed attempts to suppress possible evidences that could lead to more cognitive closure to the investigation, I think its not the writer we are to blame for.
Reviewing the writing and not the story, Gregson appears to have made a justifiable attempt to pen down the entirety of Nepalese Royal Family from the reign of Prithvi Narayan Shah to that of Birendra Bir Bikram Shah. One plus point of the book is that it beautifully captures the culture of Nepal. Many new, though minor, details were incorporated that helped me in building a brand new insight to the story.
In all, loved the writing and mostly the writers zeal towards the book.
Reviewing the writing and not the story, Gregson appears to have made a justifiable attempt to pen down the entirety of Nepalese Royal Family from the reign of Prithvi Narayan Shah to that of Birendra Bir Bikram Shah. One plus point of the book is that it beautifully captures the culture of Nepal. Many new, though minor, details were incorporated that helped me in building a brand new insight to the story.
In all, loved the writing and mostly the writers zeal towards the book.
August 25, 2015
In common, I suspect, with many westerners world history often passes me by, and the fact that the Crown Prince of Nepal murdered his father the king and 9 other members of his immediate family before turning a gun on himself in June 2001 was news to me when I chanced across this book recently.
Jonathan Gregson places the murders firmly in their historic and social-political context as well as exploring the possible immediate reasons why Crown Prince Dipendra may have behaved so bizarrely that day. Gregson wrote the book in 2002 with this edition published in 2003 so the book ends with the faltering attempts of the new King Gyanedra (the murdered King's only surviving brother) catapulted to authority in such a hideous way, trying to manage the shock waves reverberating around the nation and the political consequences of the event, contemplating difficult choices. History shows that in the end it proved impossible for him to feel able to maintain a monarchy in the light of the political opportunities the massacre gave to the Maoists.
For a documentry about the event aired in 2013 see :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAxDl4...
I found Gregson's book highly readable and informative. The world has grown so much smaller it is important, I think, to take whatever opportunities we can to become more informed about the world stage.
Jonathan Gregson places the murders firmly in their historic and social-political context as well as exploring the possible immediate reasons why Crown Prince Dipendra may have behaved so bizarrely that day. Gregson wrote the book in 2002 with this edition published in 2003 so the book ends with the faltering attempts of the new King Gyanedra (the murdered King's only surviving brother) catapulted to authority in such a hideous way, trying to manage the shock waves reverberating around the nation and the political consequences of the event, contemplating difficult choices. History shows that in the end it proved impossible for him to feel able to maintain a monarchy in the light of the political opportunities the massacre gave to the Maoists.
For a documentry about the event aired in 2013 see :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAxDl4...
I found Gregson's book highly readable and informative. The world has grown so much smaller it is important, I think, to take whatever opportunities we can to become more informed about the world stage.
October 28, 2012
After reading this book, I thinkn Princes William and Harry got off easy, naked pics aside.
Gregson's look at the tragic circumstances that led to the murder of the Nepalese royal family is a good read. It is not, and cannot be, a complete investigation. It seems that some things are kept back, held close to the chest of those who survived, and this is not Gregson's fault. The book is well done, in depth, and, somewhat surprisingly, sympathic to all those involved.
Part of how Gregson gains that sympathic view and provides context is a very detailed overview of the history of the noble family. He shows how the family's history contributed (his thesis it seems) to the murders, making the murders more than simply a prince upset at his family's rejection of his chosen bride. Futhermore, Gregson looks at the fallout and aftermath of the murders, even while he questions why things were done in a particular way.
While sympathic in tone (Gregson has some sympathy for the prince but also for his victims - including one woman who Gregson seems not to like, but still sympathizes with), Gregson does not sugercoat what happened and writes in an easy to follow and gripping manner.
Gregson's look at the tragic circumstances that led to the murder of the Nepalese royal family is a good read. It is not, and cannot be, a complete investigation. It seems that some things are kept back, held close to the chest of those who survived, and this is not Gregson's fault. The book is well done, in depth, and, somewhat surprisingly, sympathic to all those involved.
Part of how Gregson gains that sympathic view and provides context is a very detailed overview of the history of the noble family. He shows how the family's history contributed (his thesis it seems) to the murders, making the murders more than simply a prince upset at his family's rejection of his chosen bride. Futhermore, Gregson looks at the fallout and aftermath of the murders, even while he questions why things were done in a particular way.
While sympathic in tone (Gregson has some sympathy for the prince but also for his victims - including one woman who Gregson seems not to like, but still sympathizes with), Gregson does not sugercoat what happened and writes in an easy to follow and gripping manner.
June 8, 2010
The author does a good job of making history easy to read, although the subject matter and events seem more like a mix between a soap opera, action movie, and novel. The first half of the book covers the first couple centuries of the Shan dynasty in Nepal, and then the second half delves into the intrigue and events leading up to the final main event, which incorporates machine guns, illicit affairs, a royal family, diplomats, and a host of other aspects. I was sold after reading the title of the first chapter - "Shooting Cats".
September 9, 2012
Incredible account of the tragedy that fell upon the royal family of Nepal. A tragedy that changed the direction of the last Hindu monarchy, and which resulted in the current situation of politics, freedom, and social justice in Nepal.
February 13, 2020
This book provides and excellent overview of Nepali history as seen from the top-down view of its royal family and dynastic prime ministers. Anchored on the horrific Narayanhiti Massacre of June 2001, the book chronicles the rise and fall of the Shah dynasty and its counterpart, the Rana prime ministers.
While it sometimes adopts a too-credulous approach to prophesies and omens and a too-casual narrative style, the book provides a solid view into the political workings of modern Nepal. I wish I had read this book prior to Battles of the New Republic, if only to give those Battles more context and to provide myself with greater empathy for the forgotten people of Nepal, who are infrequently mentioned here.
The tragedy of crown prince Dipendra is woven especially well, with a few chapters devoted to his upbringing and discontent within the royal family. The culmination of the book in the early days of King Gyanendra’s reign leaves it feeling a little unfulfilled—had it been written a decade later, it would have been much more fleshed out and had a more “satisfying” narrative conclusion.
The other area where it feels like promises were unfulfilled are in the descriptions of the (powerless, young) Shah Kings under the Ranas. The inserted photos hint at untold stories that would have helped give a fuller picture of the Shah dynasty, matching the treatment of the last Shahs.
While it sometimes adopts a too-credulous approach to prophesies and omens and a too-casual narrative style, the book provides a solid view into the political workings of modern Nepal. I wish I had read this book prior to Battles of the New Republic, if only to give those Battles more context and to provide myself with greater empathy for the forgotten people of Nepal, who are infrequently mentioned here.
The tragedy of crown prince Dipendra is woven especially well, with a few chapters devoted to his upbringing and discontent within the royal family. The culmination of the book in the early days of King Gyanendra’s reign leaves it feeling a little unfulfilled—had it been written a decade later, it would have been much more fleshed out and had a more “satisfying” narrative conclusion.
The other area where it feels like promises were unfulfilled are in the descriptions of the (powerless, young) Shah Kings under the Ranas. The inserted photos hint at untold stories that would have helped give a fuller picture of the Shah dynasty, matching the treatment of the last Shahs.
May 17, 2018
I borrowed this library book prior to an upcoming trip to Nepal, hoping to learn about a particular piece of Nepal history - the royal massacre in 2001 - of which I had only very hazy memories. The book exceeded my expectations: it covers the long history of the royal and ruling families from when the region was separate but warring hill kingdoms. This history not only provides context for the massacre (which is covered in the last few chapters), but also for understanding other aspects of Nepal. Example: I just went to the Himalayan Times website and read a story about activity on Everest, which had this detail: "...placed a statue of late king Prithvi Narayan Shah, the unifier of modern Nepal, on the top of Mt Everest." Now I know who Shah was, how he unified Nepal, his approach to ruling, and the stories of his successors, all the way to the last king (the monarchy was abolished in 2008). Gregson does a masterful job tying everything together, adding other details that are useful and interesting (e.g., describing the mix of Hindu and Buddhist religions), and making it all very readable. More a 4.5 than a 4, in fact.
May 31, 2017
I wouldn't say Jonathan Gregson is an 'expert' in these matters. It was an aerial view of the situation that was certainly closer than most sources would have gone. However, if you ever had any interest in the palace situation or the royal one and asked enough people; this book seems as though it was a documentation of the dark whispers that some civilians knew all along. But overall, this book does a good job of putting together those bits and pieces of names, dates and numbers.
April 24, 2017
A tragic story that took me awhile to get into the intricacies of the royal heritage that is Nepalese. Like all books like this, more photos would be enticing among the text. I celebrated finishing it by eating at a Nepalese restaurant!
December 5, 2007
The revolutionary struggle going on in Nepal has major international significance. This book provides valuable background as to why such a revolution is necessary.
December 23, 2012
Fascinating look at Nepal's royalty--past & present (book was written in 2000 so not exactly current).
June 12, 2014
A must read for those who keep interest in Nepali Royal Family.
February 6, 2017
Absolutely loved it!! Definitely worth reading!
September 14, 2023
2.5/5 This book reads like a thriller rather than a historical account. Exciting but no references at the back means some questions around the validity of the facts and proceedings.
February 23, 2018
Most Nepali, including myself, have bias towards the ruling body - good or bad. I still remember the week when this was the news, when foreign media had already reported the death of the ruling body but our own local media had not relayed any information. There was so much confusion, uncertainty, and tension in the air, it felt as if you could cut the air with butter knife; and even I, as a preteen, felt this heavy atmosphere at the time. This hunger for information and lack of factual information brewed a lot of conspiracy theories - which most people still believe in to this day. The author has done a good job depicting the picture of this turmoil from staying outside of the bias bubble.
I liked the book (liked = 3 in goodread's rating), but I cannot make myself rate it "really liked it" as I tend to link my ratings to the content/knowledge in the book ... and I wish there was no bloody and violent history in my homeland. I want to reiterate, the author has done a good job documenting the progression that led to, during, and the aftermath of this violent incident.
I liked the book (liked = 3 in goodread's rating), but I cannot make myself rate it "really liked it" as I tend to link my ratings to the content/knowledge in the book ... and I wish there was no bloody and violent history in my homeland. I want to reiterate, the author has done a good job documenting the progression that led to, during, and the aftermath of this violent incident.
March 20, 2016
2008 bookcrossing musings: This is a really sad book. Just to see all the grief and bloodshed this family has gone through, and you do wonder, what was it all for.
It´s certainly an interesting read, and I learned a lot about Nepal - barely knowing anything beforehand. It isn´t a dry history book either so I got through it in a few days. Although the main focus is on the massacre of the royal family in 2001, there is also a history of the Nepalese royal family from it´s roots, and also, coinciding, a history of Nepal as a country, from it´s roots.
Whether the Crown Prince was completely off his head on drugs or he knew exactly what he was doing.. I don´t know. But I feel like he had been pushed as far as he would by the constrictive life expected of him, and just couldn´t see a realistic way out, so he flipped. Hard to feel so much sympathy though when you read about what happened that night.
It´s certainly an interesting read, and I learned a lot about Nepal - barely knowing anything beforehand. It isn´t a dry history book either so I got through it in a few days. Although the main focus is on the massacre of the royal family in 2001, there is also a history of the Nepalese royal family from it´s roots, and also, coinciding, a history of Nepal as a country, from it´s roots.
Whether the Crown Prince was completely off his head on drugs or he knew exactly what he was doing.. I don´t know. But I feel like he had been pushed as far as he would by the constrictive life expected of him, and just couldn´t see a realistic way out, so he flipped. Hard to feel so much sympathy though when you read about what happened that night.
August 3, 2011
This is a really interesting overview of not just the event the book is titled after, but of the violent political history of the ruling family for the last ten generations. Filled with jealousy, and the frequent mentally ill ruler - it seems that drug use and violence are normal parts of the royal family.
What was most interesting about this take was that even with multiple eye witnesses that the crown prince was the murderer, or not only both his parents, his siblings, and eight more family members, that while he was still legally alive (although comatose), the powers that be were too afraid to speak out against him, and so a proper investigation was never made. If he hadn't shot himself, he would have been reigning kind, and it appears that no one would have spoken against him. The whole incident may have been swept under the rug, while a drug addled, depressed, mentally ill king ruled the country.
What was most interesting about this take was that even with multiple eye witnesses that the crown prince was the murderer, or not only both his parents, his siblings, and eight more family members, that while he was still legally alive (although comatose), the powers that be were too afraid to speak out against him, and so a proper investigation was never made. If he hadn't shot himself, he would have been reigning kind, and it appears that no one would have spoken against him. The whole incident may have been swept under the rug, while a drug addled, depressed, mentally ill king ruled the country.
December 27, 2014
I can't believe I didn't read this book much earlier. I couldn't put this book down. The author does a wonderful job of giving the 2001 massacre of Nepal's royal family sufficient historical context. Without knowing the history of the royal family, and in general, how Nepal's military and government have evolved over the last several hundred years, you could easily draw very superficial conclusions about what happened. The author does a good job of making Nepal's complex history reasonably digestible, while also providing as much detail--and identifying where there were gaps in information--about the royal massacre and the history of the monarchy leading up to 2001. I recommend this book to anyone who is fascinated by royalty (i.e. my sister!) and is also interested in getting a crash course on Nepal's rich history.
November 11, 2016
This book is about 180 pages longer than it needs to be which meant most of it was pointless, boring and poorly written. The first 120ish pages gives a thorough history of Nepal's royal lineage in a tedious and unexciting manner. Most of the history has no relation to the massacre and any backstory related to massacre could have been explained in no more than 20 pages. This book almost ignores the average Nepalese citizen. Sure there's some juicy bits, Anglo-Nepalese war, Kot Massacre but each of these is glossed over in only a few pages. To add insult to injury the author is not the best writer to grace the earth and is consistently exposed in repetitious phrasing and clunky sentences.
There's a reason this book is not available in paperback.
There's a reason this book is not available in paperback.
October 4, 2017
A real event, the slaughter of ten members of the Nepalese royal family in 2001, by the Crown Prince, who then turned his weapon on himself, is the background to this history of Nepal.
The author does not attempt to explain WHY the massacre occurred as the perpetrator is not alive to reveal his reasons. Instead, Gregson builds an historical, cultural, religious, geographical, warfaring, and tribal picture of the small mountain kingdom, so the reader can explore and hypothesise the tragedies and triumphs over time that may have led to the circumstances to provoke the Crown Prince into such terrible actions.
An interesting read about a country with which I admit I was unfamiliar. It was also a challenging read with lots of facts - names, dates, places.
The author does not attempt to explain WHY the massacre occurred as the perpetrator is not alive to reveal his reasons. Instead, Gregson builds an historical, cultural, religious, geographical, warfaring, and tribal picture of the small mountain kingdom, so the reader can explore and hypothesise the tragedies and triumphs over time that may have led to the circumstances to provoke the Crown Prince into such terrible actions.
An interesting read about a country with which I admit I was unfamiliar. It was also a challenging read with lots of facts - names, dates, places.
September 1, 2020
From the reign of Prithvi Narayan Shah to the horrific events of June 2001, this fascinating and heavily detailed account of the lives of the Kings of Nepal is essential reading. The engaging narrative spans 240 years taking the reader through the early rise of the Shahs and their domestic rivalries, to the assault on their power and status by the Ranas and finally through to the gruesome massacre which shocked Nepal. The book is now a little outdated. Nepal is a Republic and King Gyanendra no longer reigns in Kathmandu. Nonetheless, this is a thrilling read that successfully marries the rich traditions of Nepalese culture, the erratic fortunes of Nepal's Kings and the intrigues and mysteries surrounding the last days of King Birendra and his family.
August 22, 2016
Fascinating, even necessary book for anyone with an interest in Nepal - but pretty much no one else, unless you really just like true-life Shakespearean tragedy. Gregson does a good job not only explaining the 2001 tragedy, but also covers the similarly tragic history of the entire Shah line, from the mid-1700's to present.
My only complaint - and it's an unavoidable one - is that about 100 years into the story, all the names starting to blur together, and so it was really hard to keep the numerous key players straight.
My only complaint - and it's an unavoidable one - is that about 100 years into the story, all the names starting to blur together, and so it was really hard to keep the numerous key players straight.
December 26, 2019
Compelling reading into the history of Nepal, the Shah dynasty and the events leading to what could be one of the most awful killings within a Royal family ( by one of their own kin). Also gives you a ringside view of our neighbor’s history about whom, we sadly know so little. Well researched and it tells you what unfulfilled love can do to a man.
Also clears a lot of the conspiracy theories on Prince Gyanendra, the king's brother.....though not a scholarly work...interesting book which is unputdownable."
Also clears a lot of the conspiracy theories on Prince Gyanendra, the king's brother.....though not a scholarly work...interesting book which is unputdownable."
April 12, 2016
I picked up the book at the Kathmandu Airport on my way back after my first trip to Nepal. Written in a pacy and factual style - it is an engrossing read you like to feed on history or non fiction and have a thing for trivia. Interesting nuggets like the link that many of the influential clans share with India, especially the Rajputs - Chettris (name a corruption of Kshatriyas) or Gorkhas (from Gorakhnath) and about the evolution of the ruling Shahs and their intrigues with the Ranas. An interesting read overall.
February 26, 2018
More of a high 3 then a full 4. It was good. I don't think that the chapters of history before the actual event were necessary. A quick summary could have been just as good but it was still fascinating to learn how the dynasty started and the cultural and physical history as well. It was also interesting to have it looked into the various different protocols that come into conflict with the tragedy. Not informing the royal couple, who to save first and where to take the bodies. A very informing read.
January 17, 2017
Well written book that reads like as a story. It also really tells you the chaos and intensity of the Nepalese monarchy. The first quarter of the book is the least exciting part, though still excellent, it only gets better closer to the end and the big scene. The life of the star prince of this piece of history is well expressed and personalized, making the reader really connect with him, understand him, all just before he commits his terrible regicide.
November 7, 2018
I bought the book to get a better understanding of the country I am going to visit next week, as well as being attracted to the tragic story itself. While it was a little slow at first in laying forth the origins of the Shah dynasty it quickly picked up and was hard to put down. I recommend it even for those not traveling to Nepal but just interested in a fascinating story of family dynamics with all the advantages and within all of the constraints of royal families.
August 3, 2020
This was informative and gave a lot of background and details, but there were a few things about the way that it was written that made me uncomfortable. The author justified colonialism and said that if Nepal had been colonized, it “likely would be better off today.” Secondly, the author is a British man born in colonized India who appears to write almost exclusively about South Asian countries. I will definitely only be reading books on Nepal by Nepali/South Asian authors moving forward
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews