Book reviews (Indian History)

[Guest guest]

Two book reviews in 'The Hindu' which came in the last couple weeks,

made amusing reading:

 

COMBINED METHODS IN INDOLOGY AND OTHER WRITINGS: D. D. Kosambi,

compiled, edited and introduced by Brajadulal Chattopadhyaya; Oxford

University Press, 2/11, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, P. B. No. 7035, New

Delhi-110002. Rs. 995.

 

In what must be one of the most dismissive book reviews to appear

in "The Hindu", the reviewer, Sudhanshu Ranade, concludes that

 

QUOTE

Kosambi was incapable of making any contribution to the history of

ancient India; because of his belief that the Vedas, Puranas and

Epics had little historical value

 

END QUOTE

 

Here is the url:

 

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/br/stories/2003042200030300.htm

 

The other review is even more amusing:

 

EARLY INDIA: From the Origins to AD 1300, Romila Thapar, London,

Allen Lane, 2002, p. xxx + 556, £30, Indian Price £8.75.

 

The reviewer, a professional historian of considerable standing,

seems to question the seriousness of this work by his own seemingly

frivolous tone in the review. For one thing, he seems to liken the

author to 'Jantar Mantar'. Knowing the Jantar Mantar as I do, it

seems to be rather unfair :-). He goes on to say that,

 

QUOTE

 

And to push the metaphor to its conclusion, like that monument

located on Sansad Marg, she has managed to be both centrally located

and to maintain a distance from the Connaught Place hurly-burly of

the Indian history establishment.

 

END QUOTE

 

The url for the review is:

http://www.hinduonnet.com/lr/stories/2003040600110200.htm

 

The review, which is replete with left handed compliments of the sort

only senior professors are capable of, ends with a touch of mischief.

The reviewer complains that there are not enough fireworks in the

book and yearns wistfully for a Southern school of Indian history and

even gives it a name viz., the 'Sivakasi school of Indian history'.

 

(Note: Sivakasi is a small town in southern Tamilnadu which is a very

large center of fireworks manufacture).

 

Wonder what the readers think,

 

Lakshmi Srinivas