"With clarity, wit and charm, Chatterji tells the story of the subcontinent's recent history in a fluent sweeping arc. . . . Wide-angled and hugely ambitious, but also highly personal and pleasingly discursive, . . . it is wonderfully enjoyable to read. . . . This original, genre-defying work is sure to become a classic."--William Dalrymple, The Guardian

"The story of South Asia told with such verve, wit, and brilliance it catches comatose facts by the throat and shakes them alive. This book invents a genre: navigating effortlessly between the archives, conversations, memoir, newspapers, swooping out to make magisterial observations, zooming in to unearth nuggets of gossip. It is like riding a rollercoaster with a mesmerizing guide who can touch down on any part of South Asia that she chooses, before taking off again."--Anuradha Roy, author of All The Lives We Never Lived

"This book is a symbol of the inexhaustible richness of the modern history of what are now India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, studied together by one of South Asia's very best historians. Chatterji weaves engaging vignettes of her own experiences into a masterful account anchored in a chronological narrative and illuminated by brilliantly chosen thematic focuses. A pleasure to read, this book will engage newcomers and old-timers alike."--Barbara D. Metcalf, coauthor of A Concise History of Modern India

"An incredible achievement by an historian writing at her best and displaying narrative sweep and analytical depth."--Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Ashoka University

"A truly magnificent book, and a must-read for anyone interested in the region."--Mihir Bose, author of The Nine Waves

"This is history at its best; an invitation to enter worlds within worlds in the company of a master storyteller."--Simon Longstaff

"A charismatic, dazzling piece of work that has the feel of a future classic."--Edward Anderson

"Magisterial, erudite, and intimate."--Durba Ghosh, Cornell University