No mention of Indian history is complete without a reference to the Mutiny of 1857. Here was an event, which attempted to strike at the roots of the British Empire. Books on the subject abound, analysing the causes behind the military uprising as also the reasons for its failure. Written by a Britisher about three decades after the event, this book is singular in not pivoting on the story of the greased cartridges. The driving force of the Mutiny, the author states, is an emotion that is not 'personal' but 'national'. With its staggering array of facts and figures, the book picks up the trail of the rebellion, as it sweeps across different Indian states--interspersed with accounts of the heroism and military skills of the British officers and soldiers.