A Buddhist monk takes up arms to resist the Chinese invasion of Tibet - then spends the rest of his life trying to atone for the violence by hand printing the best prayer flags in India. A Jain nun tests her powers of detachment as she watches her best friend ritually starve herself to death. Nine people, nine lives; each one taking a different religious path, each one an unforgettable story. William Dalrymple delves deep into the heart of a nation torn between the relentless onslaught of modernity and the ancient traditions that endure to this day.
Born on March 20th, 1965, William Dalrymple grew up on the shores of Firth of Forth. He made an early mark on the literary scene with his first book In Xanadu. which he wrote when he was all of twenty two. The book won him several awards.
Dalrymple moved to New Delhi to research his next book City of Djinns and there was no looking back. His books reflect a keen interest in India, Pakistan, the Middle East, Mughal rule, the Muslim world and early Eastern Christianity. He is known for both his travel and history writing and all his books have won him awards.
William Dalrymple is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and of the Royal Asiatic Society, and is the founder and co-director of the annual Jaipur Literature Festival. Apart from writing books, Dalrymple is also a broadcaster and a frequent contributor of articles to magazines.
Bibliography:In Xanadu
City of Djinns
From the Holy Mountain
The Age of Kali
Sufi Soul, The Mystic Music of Islam
Begums, Thugs & White Mughals
White Mughals
The Last Mughal
Nine Lives
http://www.williamdalrymple.uk.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Dalrymple_%28historian%29
