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On the Face of the Waters by Flora Annie Steele The great novel of the Indian Mutiny, based on accounts of those who lived through it In 1857 Indian troops mutinied against their British officers and streamed into Delhi, clamouring for Bahadur Shah, the effete Moghul Emperor and last of his line, to lead them into battle to expel the infidel invaders. Months later Delhi – and other centres of the Mutiny such as Cawnpore (Kanpur) and Lucknow – were again under British control, but only after a struggle costing many lives on both sides. The story of that disaster is the theme of this novel. Published in 1896, it is based on the experiences of those who lived through the Mutiny, gathered in personal interviews and from government archives. The
wife of a British colonial official, Flora Annie Steel first came to India
as a young bride in 1867. She was fascinated by the country and its
people, and had no false illusions about British administration. Her novel
blends a clear-sighted account of historical events and figures with
fictional characters: the untrustworthy Major Erlton, his wife Kate who is
trapped in Delhi during the siege, and the intelligence expert Jim
Douglas.
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