As other readers will surely note, this is an excellent and a fast moving take on the life of Shah Jahan- the fifth Mughal Emperor of the Indian subcontinent. We are given a brief but highly informative view inside his life and calculated ascent to power. What, however, we are not given is a much detailed and precise account of Jahan's daily life and military/political stratagems nor any tantalising glimpses inside his own mind. Despite its faults, still a good introduction to the hitherto elusive Emperor whose greatest memory is of betrayal by his own sons and the construction of the Taj Mahal as an edifice to his lost love. ( )

A good read, and a look into a corner of time and space with which I'm not very familiar, though not quite as captivating as the author's previous book The Sword of the Prophet (about the mahdi of Sudan), perhaps simply because Shah Jahan was a less interesting person than Muhammad Ahmad.

Should I offer a substantial criticism it's that the constant focus on Shah Jahan (or Khurram, to use his birthname - Shah Jahan is strictly a honorific title, meaning, modestly enough, "King of the World") himself makes for spotty coverage of various relevant topics (the wars in the Deccan, frex), making it harder to situate the ruler in his historical context. But this is a quibble; I'd be happy to recommend the book to anyone wanting an introduction to Mughal India. ( )

I like this book a lot. This is a bit racy in the manner in which it has been written, but that does not detract from the drama of the story of the Emperor. I disagree with his assessment of Shah Jahan at the end, wherein he seems to rate him lowly. He was a great Emperor, in my view. The manner of his death is sad, very sad and this has been written very well at the end.

The road to the throne was dramatic, and this too has been told extremely well. I wish he had spent some more detail on the administrative improvements made by Shah Jahan. However, there is much in this book that I like, in that he adds in quotes at good intervals, throws light on a lot detail that I did not know much about, and brings the road to the throne to life.

This is a well-written book, and one that I do recommend ( )