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Combat of Shadows
Harry Winton, the British manager of a tea estate in Assam leads a blessed life—a job which gives him power over scores of men; a rambling bungalow perched on the edge of a cliff; and an unencumbered, solitary existence in the verdant reaches of the Assam highlands—until the Anglo-Indian beauty, Ruby Miranda, enters his life.
Beneath her charming demeanour, Ruby conceals a throbbing desire: to become a pucca memsahib to an Englishman.
But when Harry goes on leave to England and returns with an English wife, his relationship with Ruby takes an ominous turn. An irreversible web of deceit, adultery and revenge begins, which culminates in a chilling dénouement.
One of Malgonkar’s most complex and layered novels, Combat of Shadows is a finely etched portrait of a society in flux.
Beneath her charming demeanour, Ruby conceals a throbbing desire: to become a pucca memsahib to an Englishman.
But when Harry goes on leave to England and returns with an English wife, his relationship with Ruby takes an ominous turn. An irreversible web of deceit, adultery and revenge begins, which culminates in a chilling dénouement.
One of Malgonkar’s most complex and layered novels, Combat of Shadows is a finely etched portrait of a society in flux.
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
9 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Manohar Malgonkar
33 books54 followersManohar Malgonkar was an Indian author in the English language of both fiction and nonfiction.
Malgonkar was born in a royal family, and educated at Bombay University. He was an officer in the Maratha Light Infantry, a big game hunter, a civil servant, a mine owner and a farmer, and he also stood for parliament. Most of that activity was during the build up to Indian independence and its aftermath, often the settings for his works. The socio-historical milieu of those times form the backdrop of his novels, which are usually of action and adventure. He also wrote non-fiction, including biography and history.
Malgonkar lived in a remote bungalow, at some distance from the town of Belgaum, Karnataka. His only child Sunita (educated at the famous Lawrence School Sanawar) died at a young age.
Malgonkar was born in a royal family, and educated at Bombay University. He was an officer in the Maratha Light Infantry, a big game hunter, a civil servant, a mine owner and a farmer, and he also stood for parliament. Most of that activity was during the build up to Indian independence and its aftermath, often the settings for his works. The socio-historical milieu of those times form the backdrop of his novels, which are usually of action and adventure. He also wrote non-fiction, including biography and history.
Malgonkar lived in a remote bungalow, at some distance from the town of Belgaum, Karnataka. His only child Sunita (educated at the famous Lawrence School Sanawar) died at a young age.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 9, 2020
I don't generally leave reviews (too lazy), but because there are so few reviews of this book, I feel compelled to leave one.
This is an outstanding book and, at least in the US, it's currently available for free if you have Kindle Unlimited. It's only $2.00 if you don't have Kindle Unlimited, and it's well worth that price. This is also a book about colonial India written by an Indian author, so those of you seeking out works about different parts of the world of by authors from other parts of the world - get to it and get this book.
The book covers a period of about two years (1938-1940) during the British Raj in Assam. The main character, Henry Winton, oversees a tea plantation for a company called Brindian Tea. While told in third person, we see much of this world from Henry's perspective.
Henry has been overseeing the tea plantation at Silent Hill for about five years and is viewed as something of a new-comer by his peers. He has a dangerous combination of high and low self-esteem. Because of previous failures in his pre-tea planting life, Henry is constantly seeking the approval of his superiors and his peers and conforms the British tea planting community viewpoints as much as possible. He is lonely and insecure and he tries to do all he can to prove his worth to his fellow Englishmen.This leads him to have a strong sense of racial superiority over the Anglo Indians and Indians that he encounters and supervises in his daily life.
This dynamic leads Henry to make a lot of foolish choices in his own life and cause a lot of pain to all around him.
The book is very effective in demonstrating the complicated and difficult relationships between the British, Anglo Indian, and Indian communities in Assam at this time. We as readers also learn a lot about the power dynamics between the British tea companies and their workers, the challenges workers face(d) in trying to assert their rights, and the difficulties they encounter in finding genuine people to fight for them. It is also a very absorbing story and I finished it in two sittings. The emotions displayed by the characters all feel very real. I cared about them and was constantly angry with Henry, while sometimes feeling sorry for him. I could easily see this being made into a movie (if these kinds of movies were still made). The setting is beautifully described and I encourage anyone unfamiliar with the setting to search Google for pictures of Assam, the animals and plants described, and the architecture from this period so they can visualize the story.
In short - this is a great read about colonial India, written by an Indian author, that is available for free for US readers through Kindle Unlimited or at very low cost and you should all go read it. It's absolutely worth your time if you like reading good fiction and appreciate beautiful prose.
Also - for some reason, Goodreads is stating that this book is around 130 pages. That is not correct - it's a bit over 300, but a very absorbing and easy read.
This is an outstanding book and, at least in the US, it's currently available for free if you have Kindle Unlimited. It's only $2.00 if you don't have Kindle Unlimited, and it's well worth that price. This is also a book about colonial India written by an Indian author, so those of you seeking out works about different parts of the world of by authors from other parts of the world - get to it and get this book.
The book covers a period of about two years (1938-1940) during the British Raj in Assam. The main character, Henry Winton, oversees a tea plantation for a company called Brindian Tea. While told in third person, we see much of this world from Henry's perspective.
Henry has been overseeing the tea plantation at Silent Hill for about five years and is viewed as something of a new-comer by his peers. He has a dangerous combination of high and low self-esteem. Because of previous failures in his pre-tea planting life, Henry is constantly seeking the approval of his superiors and his peers and conforms the British tea planting community viewpoints as much as possible. He is lonely and insecure and he tries to do all he can to prove his worth to his fellow Englishmen.This leads him to have a strong sense of racial superiority over the Anglo Indians and Indians that he encounters and supervises in his daily life.
This dynamic leads Henry to make a lot of foolish choices in his own life and cause a lot of pain to all around him.
The book is very effective in demonstrating the complicated and difficult relationships between the British, Anglo Indian, and Indian communities in Assam at this time. We as readers also learn a lot about the power dynamics between the British tea companies and their workers, the challenges workers face(d) in trying to assert their rights, and the difficulties they encounter in finding genuine people to fight for them. It is also a very absorbing story and I finished it in two sittings. The emotions displayed by the characters all feel very real. I cared about them and was constantly angry with Henry, while sometimes feeling sorry for him. I could easily see this being made into a movie (if these kinds of movies were still made). The setting is beautifully described and I encourage anyone unfamiliar with the setting to search Google for pictures of Assam, the animals and plants described, and the architecture from this period so they can visualize the story.
In short - this is a great read about colonial India, written by an Indian author, that is available for free for US readers through Kindle Unlimited or at very low cost and you should all go read it. It's absolutely worth your time if you like reading good fiction and appreciate beautiful prose.
Also - for some reason, Goodreads is stating that this book is around 130 pages. That is not correct - it's a bit over 300, but a very absorbing and easy read.
May 4, 2025
The author can certainly spin a good tale!
July 21, 2024
Both the title and the epigraph of this novel are straight out of the Bhagavad Gita:
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 7, Verse 27 –
इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत |
सर्वभूतानि सम्मोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप ||
O successor of Bharat, the dichotomies of yearning and repugnance ascend from delusion.
O vanquisher of enemies, all living beings in the material dominion is conned by these.
Weirdly though, the ethical or philosophical issues indicated in the plot are nowhere in indication in the action and the characters in the novel...
The story centres round Henry Winton, the young British Manager of an Assam Tea Garden, a feeble and self-centred man persuaded early in life of the advantages that accrue ‘if you eased upon your sense of values.’
He is justly responsible for the death of an Indian Shikari and also engineers the death of a Eurasian who is having an illicit affair with his wife. To confound matters further, Winton himself has had an affair with the girl the Eurasian loves and eventually pays for both these deaths with his own life.
The narrative makes it profusely clear that the moral questions involved are far less important to the novelist than the necessities of a fast-moving fiction with a chocolate-box finale.
Malgonkar’s picture of the British officials, the Eurasians and the labourers on the Tea estate shows him adopting a totally ‘pucka sahib’ insolence evocative of Kipling and John Masters.
Let us complete the discussion with Dr. A. Venkateswarlu Naidu’s observations, stated in his article, ‘Racial Discrimination in Manohar Malgonkar’s Combat Of Shadows’. The professor says:
‘The roots of racial and colonial discrimination lay in a social caste. While the ruling race completely disowned them, partly as a strategy for keeping the myth of their superiority alive, and partly to avoid the eventual handing over the administration to the native whites or the mixed race, as it would have happened, had the Europeans continued to marry Indians and Anglo-Indians as they did in the early period of the British Settlement in India, it was ironical that the Anglo-Indian tended to identify himself with the British, and referred to England as “Home”.
This was the cause of his rootlessness, his lack of identity, his alienation.
Because, while Anglo-Indian always tried to woo the white races, he concealed an aversion for them which arose from the way he was treated.
This Eddies tendency either to “cheek” or to “Knowhow”, and Ruby even while aspiring to become a memsahib, despised the white man as “so conspicuously plain” and “bloodless”.
Unable to resolve the love-hate relationship they destroy one another. This is the theme of Combat of Shadows: Desire and aversion are opposite shadows. Those who allow themselves to be overcome by their struggle cannot rise to Knowledge of reality.
Racial attitudes are very deep rooted and are the spring of much of social and political behaviour. Ironically, the ruling whites could not even mix with the Anglo-Indians; they were invariably reminded of Kipling’s warning against Eurasian women.
Ruby, torn between racial conflicts of Brown and White and having refused to fall ball into her own community, turns hysterical and is contriving to erupt her anger and envy.’
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 7, Verse 27 –
इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत |
सर्वभूतानि सम्मोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप ||
O successor of Bharat, the dichotomies of yearning and repugnance ascend from delusion.
O vanquisher of enemies, all living beings in the material dominion is conned by these.
Weirdly though, the ethical or philosophical issues indicated in the plot are nowhere in indication in the action and the characters in the novel...
The story centres round Henry Winton, the young British Manager of an Assam Tea Garden, a feeble and self-centred man persuaded early in life of the advantages that accrue ‘if you eased upon your sense of values.’
He is justly responsible for the death of an Indian Shikari and also engineers the death of a Eurasian who is having an illicit affair with his wife. To confound matters further, Winton himself has had an affair with the girl the Eurasian loves and eventually pays for both these deaths with his own life.
The narrative makes it profusely clear that the moral questions involved are far less important to the novelist than the necessities of a fast-moving fiction with a chocolate-box finale.
Malgonkar’s picture of the British officials, the Eurasians and the labourers on the Tea estate shows him adopting a totally ‘pucka sahib’ insolence evocative of Kipling and John Masters.
Let us complete the discussion with Dr. A. Venkateswarlu Naidu’s observations, stated in his article, ‘Racial Discrimination in Manohar Malgonkar’s Combat Of Shadows’. The professor says:
‘The roots of racial and colonial discrimination lay in a social caste. While the ruling race completely disowned them, partly as a strategy for keeping the myth of their superiority alive, and partly to avoid the eventual handing over the administration to the native whites or the mixed race, as it would have happened, had the Europeans continued to marry Indians and Anglo-Indians as they did in the early period of the British Settlement in India, it was ironical that the Anglo-Indian tended to identify himself with the British, and referred to England as “Home”.
This was the cause of his rootlessness, his lack of identity, his alienation.
Because, while Anglo-Indian always tried to woo the white races, he concealed an aversion for them which arose from the way he was treated.
This Eddies tendency either to “cheek” or to “Knowhow”, and Ruby even while aspiring to become a memsahib, despised the white man as “so conspicuously plain” and “bloodless”.
Unable to resolve the love-hate relationship they destroy one another. This is the theme of Combat of Shadows: Desire and aversion are opposite shadows. Those who allow themselves to be overcome by their struggle cannot rise to Knowledge of reality.
Racial attitudes are very deep rooted and are the spring of much of social and political behaviour. Ironically, the ruling whites could not even mix with the Anglo-Indians; they were invariably reminded of Kipling’s warning against Eurasian women.
Ruby, torn between racial conflicts of Brown and White and having refused to fall ball into her own community, turns hysterical and is contriving to erupt her anger and envy.’
September 13, 2025
While I generally do not read Indian Novels in English, Manohar Malgonkar has become an exception. Looking at how I've enjoyed everything I've read so far, he'll continue to be one.
Combat of Shadows is an interesting story focusing on Henry an Englishman and his life in India and his interactions with both the locals as well as his own peers and bosses. This is an interesting setting as the book explores the world of the Britishers as well as that of Anglo Indians (To some extent) The blub is a bit misleading as there is more to the novel than the love affair as suggested in it.
What really pulls the reader into the world the author creates is the prose. Unlike today's Modern Indian Authors, there is a certain charm to his writing which is hard to explain. No doubt a product of his era. The book is far from perfect however as some plot twists are easily spotted and others do not always make sense.
Despite some short comings, I still quite enjoyed the experience of reading this. Looking forward to read more from the Author.
Combat of Shadows is an interesting story focusing on Henry an Englishman and his life in India and his interactions with both the locals as well as his own peers and bosses. This is an interesting setting as the book explores the world of the Britishers as well as that of Anglo Indians (To some extent) The blub is a bit misleading as there is more to the novel than the love affair as suggested in it.
What really pulls the reader into the world the author creates is the prose. Unlike today's Modern Indian Authors, there is a certain charm to his writing which is hard to explain. No doubt a product of his era. The book is far from perfect however as some plot twists are easily spotted and others do not always make sense.
Despite some short comings, I still quite enjoyed the experience of reading this. Looking forward to read more from the Author.
October 26, 2023
A compelling look at Colonial India. More here: https://ahotcupofpleasureagain.wordpr...
May 21, 2025
A gripping story of love, lust and revenge in the backdrop of colonial tea gardens in Assam during the second World War. Brilliantly written in the 60s by one of my favorite Indian authors.
November 2, 2013
The best part of reading a book which narrates a tale of pre-independence era is the whole experiencing of witnessing the part of India we have never imagined.
The best part of "Combat of Shadows" written by Manohar Malgonkar is that it narrates the story of an Englishman who lived in India and the entire book is structured around the beautiful Assam mountains before the Independence. "Combat of Shadows" is one of the fine novels i have read recently. This novel talks about the whole influence of the western culture into our indian society.
Henry Winton is an English Manager stationed in the Silent hill and is slowly making a positive influence on the people as well as the company. He meets Ruby Miranda, a beautiful Anglo-Indian girl in a gala night and its an instant attraction. He appoints Ruby as a teacher in the plantation school and then he uses her as a mistress more to edge out his loneliness. Ruby on the other hand dreams of becoming his wife and break the shackles of her life and escape into the world where Henry belonged. When Eddie Trevor, lover of Ruby Miranda applies for a job on Silent Hill henry becomes suspicious that Ruby has a hand in giving out information of a vacant post. Furious of knowing that Ruby might still be in love with him he abandons Ruby and goes for a vacation in England and marries Jean. Ruby seeks revenge for his infidelity. Meanwhile the war has enveloped the british empire and Henry seeks desperation to join the war so as to serve his country. And one final task lay before him before he could join forces which is killing an elephant. Eddie trevor and Jane falls in love with each other while Henry could still not tae Ruby out of his mind who is still devastated.
The novel seems to be going in one smooth flow. The command of English portrayed in the book is just a stroke of brilliance. What sets off the most of the book is the unnecessary storyline that is sketched parallel to the tale. The relationship between Jane and Eddie is not explored much and the books seems to be hurried through the last 40 pages. But the stage was set to deliver one of the most clever ending a book can have.
This is book of multi layered romance and lust happening simultaneously. Emotions are strongly depicted and the characters are well sketched. There is an incomplete story of Jugal Kishore which does not adds much worth to the book. The book also points to the many aspects of how the western culture has altered the views of Indian Society. Ruby Miranda does not openly expresses her desires to mend into the english ways and become his wife and uses lust and sex to influence harry into marrying her. Edie trevor seems to be romancing the english man's wife. Many such aspects seems to be so modern now and yet it has been depicted in a tale stretched out in the colonial India period.
At the end of the book i was pretty much impressed with the story and the way it was written. At no point of time it was dragging and many times it was just too flawless to be reading continuously. In a genre of Interracial romance and intercultural relations this book sits on the top like a cherry on a cake.
The best part of "Combat of Shadows" written by Manohar Malgonkar is that it narrates the story of an Englishman who lived in India and the entire book is structured around the beautiful Assam mountains before the Independence. "Combat of Shadows" is one of the fine novels i have read recently. This novel talks about the whole influence of the western culture into our indian society.
Henry Winton is an English Manager stationed in the Silent hill and is slowly making a positive influence on the people as well as the company. He meets Ruby Miranda, a beautiful Anglo-Indian girl in a gala night and its an instant attraction. He appoints Ruby as a teacher in the plantation school and then he uses her as a mistress more to edge out his loneliness. Ruby on the other hand dreams of becoming his wife and break the shackles of her life and escape into the world where Henry belonged. When Eddie Trevor, lover of Ruby Miranda applies for a job on Silent Hill henry becomes suspicious that Ruby has a hand in giving out information of a vacant post. Furious of knowing that Ruby might still be in love with him he abandons Ruby and goes for a vacation in England and marries Jean. Ruby seeks revenge for his infidelity. Meanwhile the war has enveloped the british empire and Henry seeks desperation to join the war so as to serve his country. And one final task lay before him before he could join forces which is killing an elephant. Eddie trevor and Jane falls in love with each other while Henry could still not tae Ruby out of his mind who is still devastated.
The novel seems to be going in one smooth flow. The command of English portrayed in the book is just a stroke of brilliance. What sets off the most of the book is the unnecessary storyline that is sketched parallel to the tale. The relationship between Jane and Eddie is not explored much and the books seems to be hurried through the last 40 pages. But the stage was set to deliver one of the most clever ending a book can have.
This is book of multi layered romance and lust happening simultaneously. Emotions are strongly depicted and the characters are well sketched. There is an incomplete story of Jugal Kishore which does not adds much worth to the book. The book also points to the many aspects of how the western culture has altered the views of Indian Society. Ruby Miranda does not openly expresses her desires to mend into the english ways and become his wife and uses lust and sex to influence harry into marrying her. Edie trevor seems to be romancing the english man's wife. Many such aspects seems to be so modern now and yet it has been depicted in a tale stretched out in the colonial India period.
At the end of the book i was pretty much impressed with the story and the way it was written. At no point of time it was dragging and many times it was just too flawless to be reading continuously. In a genre of Interracial romance and intercultural relations this book sits on the top like a cherry on a cake.
August 19, 2022
I truly miss this style of writing. Manohar Malgonkar always draws you in and this time, I travelled to "Anglo-India" (British India) in the late 1930s.
A novel where you can actually picture yourself as a Tea Garden manager in India, ensuring your crops meet the standard and quantity quota, keeping your staff paid, fed and accomodated and enjoying the lush wildlife. Like a sort of demi-Lord of the manor.
Imperialists, company men, upper class matrons, English roses, conniving indigenes and exotic, earthy mistresses. The enemy was seemingly a roaming Indian elephant with one tusk (one tusker) reverred as a god but hated by scarecrows and farmers.
I spent the last few weeks dreaming of being a planter in pre-Independence India (without the colonization nonsense). I am human and do appreciate the beauty of women and if I were single like Henry, I would indulge. The difference is I would certainly not be snobbish, naive, racist and rigid. Colonized countries have similar settings - In mine, we have the international oil companies and their beautiful estates, huge salaries and excessive lifestyle still doing what the Brindian Tea Company (fictional) did in this novel. Ruling over the locals, bribing the police and politicians, internal politics and keeping local mistresses (or partners).
I was rooting for Henry and at many points wished he made different decisions. He started of well and if I were he, I would be nicer to Gauri, the tea leaf thief. If I read this book in high school (when I read A Bend in the Ganges) I would have hated Eddie Trevor. I did predict the triangles that occured among the main cast but the ending...a very tense and suspensive twist.
Manohar Malgonkar, sir...Tuale Baba! (I salute you).
A novel where you can actually picture yourself as a Tea Garden manager in India, ensuring your crops meet the standard and quantity quota, keeping your staff paid, fed and accomodated and enjoying the lush wildlife. Like a sort of demi-Lord of the manor.
Imperialists, company men, upper class matrons, English roses, conniving indigenes and exotic, earthy mistresses. The enemy was seemingly a roaming Indian elephant with one tusk (one tusker) reverred as a god but hated by scarecrows and farmers.
I spent the last few weeks dreaming of being a planter in pre-Independence India (without the colonization nonsense). I am human and do appreciate the beauty of women and if I were single like Henry, I would indulge. The difference is I would certainly not be snobbish, naive, racist and rigid. Colonized countries have similar settings - In mine, we have the international oil companies and their beautiful estates, huge salaries and excessive lifestyle still doing what the Brindian Tea Company (fictional) did in this novel. Ruling over the locals, bribing the police and politicians, internal politics and keeping local mistresses (or partners).
I was rooting for Henry and at many points wished he made different decisions. He started of well and if I were he, I would be nicer to Gauri, the tea leaf thief. If I read this book in high school (when I read A Bend in the Ganges) I would have hated Eddie Trevor. I did predict the triangles that occured among the main cast but the ending...a very tense and suspensive twist.
Manohar Malgonkar, sir...Tuale Baba! (I salute you).
December 25, 2025
Excellent stuff, grateful there are more Malgonkar books I still have to get to.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews