Mutiny

The voices of one terrible year of blood, horror, battle and revenge

It is now 150 years since the 'Indian Mutiny' burst like an engulfing flame on the British soldiers, their families and the civilians of the Empire in North East India. The Bengal Native army arose in violent rebellion, and the once peaceful countryside became a battleground as Native sepoys and elements of the Indian population, led by their traditional leaders, massacred their masters of the British Empire, besieged them in their cantonments and defeated them in open battle. As the tide turned, a vengeful army of British and loyal Indian troops repressed the insurgency with a savagery that knew no mercy. It was a time of fear and slaughter. James Humphries has drawn together the voices of those dreadful days for this commemorative book. Here is the young British officer whose lazy Sunday is shattered as his own men try to murder him. Here is the wife who witnesses the death of her husband and must run for her life. The loyal sepoy recounts how he is caught in a maelstrom where all suspect his loyalties. An ordinary British soldier describes his suffering as he endures a protracted siege and a young and able author takes us vividly to the battles of final retribution so that we can see the sweat run and the blood spilt. Mutiny: 1857 is the ideal companion for those interested in these terrible events-for the curious it will be a revelation and for the military historian it is a treasure trove of new material. James Humphries puts the events of the Mutiny in an historical context, taking into account all we now know about it and viewing it in the light of what has occurred since.