My Diary in India, in the Year 1858-9 [2 Volumes]

William Howard Russell, My Diary in India, in the Year 1858-9, London: Routledge and Warne, 1860

In 2 Volumes
Volume I: xiii; 408 pages including 1 black and white map and 5 tinted lithographs by Swedish artist Egron Lundgren and a folding ‘Plan of the Operations Against Lucknow 1858’
Volume II: xi; 420 pages including 6 tinted lithographs
Original stamped publisher's cloth with gilt text at the spine (each)
8 x 5.2 in (20 x 13 cm) (each)

An excellent eyewitness account empathetic to Indians.

William Howard Russell (1820–1907) was renowned for his pioneering coverage of the Crimean War, which resulted in substantial military and medical reforms. His dispatches also facilitated the deployment of Florence Nightingale and her nurses. He established war correspondence as a critical domain of journalism through his courageous journalism. Russell was dispatched to India by The Times in 1858 to document the ongoing conflict and its aftermath.

In a period of profound upheaval, Russell meticulously documents his voyage across India in his diary. He offers readers a visceral and authentic perspective on the complexities of war by providing firsthand observations of key events, such as the sieges of Lucknow and Cawnpore. Russell explores the socio-political environment beyond battlefield accounts, criticizing British policies and advocating for revisions in colonial governance.

This seminal work continues to be an invaluable resource for historians, scholars, and enthusiasts of Indian history, providing a personal and comprehensive account of a defining moment in the subcontinent's history.

Journalist William Howard Russell (1820-1907) was the first celebrity war correspondent, who spent two years covering the Crimean War for the London Times, beginning in 1854. In December 1857, Russell was sent to India to cover the rebellion, and "though much of the mutiny had passed, this highly experienced journalist participated in the final retaking of Lucknow with Commander-in-Chief Sir Colin Campbell and the follow-up campaign in Oudh. Russell's entries reflect a sharply critical evaluation of the depth of British violence in suppressing the mutiny and the subsequently elevated levels of racial feelings. Russell's view ranges over not only the obvious campaigning but also touches on the agricultural richness of Oudh, the torturous extremes of Indian weather, and his personal observations of native life. Russell's views of British involvement are slightly cynical for the times in his belief that the Indian was better off under native rule and that the future of British involvement in India was bleak at best." (Riddick, Glimpses of India, p. 77)

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