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The Patient Assassin

A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge and the Raj

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The Patient Assassin

By: Anita Anand
Narrated by: Anita Anand
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About this listen

 WINNER OF THE PEN HESSELL-TILTMAN PRIZE

'Reads like something from a thriller…colourful, detailed and meticulously researched' Sunday Times
‘Gripping from start to finish' Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads
Hundreds of peaceful civilians were slaughtered in the Amritsar Massacre of 13 April 1919, after British troops opened fire without warning. According to legend, Udham Singh was among the injured that day, and he vowed to take revenge. More than twenty years later, in a Westminster hall, he fulfilled that promise when he gunned down in cold blood the man ultimately responsible, Sir Michael O'Dwyer.

But what happened in the intervening years? In this sweeping narrative that takes the reader across four continents, Anita Anand separates reality from myth to reveal Singh's astonishing story. She brilliantly pieces together his movements, discovering surprising new links that take us from Jazz Age New York to the shady world of international spy rings. The Patient Assassin shines a devastating light on one of the Raj's most horrific events, but reads like a taut thriller.©2019 Anita Anand (P)2019 Simon & Schuster UK Colonialism & Post-Colonialism Politics & Government World Colonial Period Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Africa Imperialism Solider Assassin

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Critic reviews

'Reads like something from a thriller…colourful, detailed and meticulously researched account...the book really shines in evoking the fevered atmosphere of India in the late 1910s and early 1920s.' (Dominic Sandbrook)
'Anita Anand’s remarkable and brilliantly researched non-fiction thriller, The Patient Assassin: A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge and the Raj, [is] well-written, contains new research and breaks much fresh ground... Anita Anand focuses on one extraordinary story that had never been properly told before. Through some remarkable research in archives around the world, Anand has reconstructed much of [Udham Singh's] life.' (William Dalrymple)
'An excellent and important book' (Mishal Husain)
'Briskly plotted, scrupulously even-handed and altogether riveting' (John Preston)
'A jaw-dropping true story...Udham Singh [survived] the massacre [at Amritsar] and swore vengeance. Like a real-life Tom Ripley, he assumed multiple identities and bided his time...and shot the former governor of the Punjab through the heart at point-blank range. Rough justice; brutally poetic.' (Richard Madeley)
‘An astonishing story, brilliantly told.’ (Dan Snow)
'Fabulous book' (Jeremy Vine)
All stars
Most relevant  
True life is fascinating, the horrors of colonial rule exposed once more but does an eye for an eye however just change anything ?

Absorbing

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Anita Anand's masterful telling of this remarkable story gripped me from the start. Meticulously researched and utterly fascinating. Spanning three continents and more than twenty years, it tells the story of one man's pursuit of revenge for the appalling massacre in Amritsar. Perfectly narrated by the author.

Brilliant

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A good biography well read by the author. Includes plenty of relevant background .. but when author lacks information about her character she resorts to such phrases as "must have felt/ must have been" - which is irritating

Good biography and history

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Never a dull moment in this engaging and original history. The author's own narration perfectly enhances an excellently-written book.

Never a dull moment

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A wonderfully written and read novel. I had never heard of Singh or his promise to avenge the British massacre of innocents at Amritsar. This is an essential read for all students of history that they might understand the cruelty and tyranny of colonisation regardless of its perpetrators.

Almost too sad to bear.

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A tragic, yet somehow inspiring tale of one man's quest against the odds to exact revenge

A very detailed, well told story

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Anita Anand tells the story of Udham Singh who assassinated Ex governor of the Punjab, Michael O'Dwyer in revenge for the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh, of hundreds of innocent Indian men, women and children in 1919. My knowledge of the Raj until now has been very limited, and I am shocked at how much cruelty and disregard for human life the British displayed. The Institutional racism was on the part of the perpetrators was shameless. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Raj.

Well written and engaging

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Freedom fighter assassin: depends on your point ov view. The story of Udham Singh who swore revenge on The British Empire after witnessing the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar. His life's mission: to eradicate the then Governor of Punjab, Sir Michael O'Dwyer. fascinating expose of the man and the mystery. 21 years later in 1940 at The Caxton Hall in London, he would open fire strike a blow for Indian Independence. 80 years later thd Indian Government have still not built his memorial.

The Legend of Mohammed Singh Azaad

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The most memorable moments are the massacre at Amritsar and the assassination in London. If you are interested in the story of the Raj this is a good listen. Very well narrated by Anita Anand.

Excellent story from the Raj.

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this is an interesting story, well told and worth a listen about a subject that isn't often covered in the uk

Really interesting story

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