Product Description

Simon Winchester has joined forces with his son, Rupert, to reflect on that crazy, captivating and elusive Indian city, Calcutta. They have chosen their selection of favourite writings on Calcutta, resulting in a uniquely personal view of one of the world's most resonant destinations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #276219 in Books
• Published on: 2004-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

About the Author
Simon Winchester's Calcutta is the launch title of Lonely Planet's new "Writer and Place" travel literature series

Customer Reviews

Excellent Introduction to the Much-Maligned Calcutta
Somebody should write a book on how the city of Calcutta became a by-word for inhumanity in the West. This perfectly normal Third World city (with a perfectly abnormal record of talent and creativity) has been viciously, consistently and relentlessly misrepresented in the West as the ultimate hell-hole. How surprising, then, to find that the Winchesters actually took the trouble to discover the truth about Calcutta, instead of simply recycling the old myths and lies. They are fully aware of the poverty of Calcutta and of many of its other deficiencies. But they put everything in perspective and recognize the role of so-called charity workers in propagating the most outlandish untruths about the lives of the poor in Calcutta. Most gratifyingly, the Winchesters also recognize the city's strengths, and salute the achievements of its greatest denizens. As somebody born and educated in Calcutta, I can recommend this book unreservedly to anybody who wants to know what Calcutta is really like.

Excellent Source of Information
My wife and myself just came back from a month long holiday in India including two weeks in Calcutta(now known as KOLKATA). We had ordered the book before we left but only recieved it the day after we arrived back. Instantly from the first paragraph we both could relate to it as in through our experiences in Calcutta. We feel attached to the city and cannot pinpoint that feeling to any particular moment but just the awe of it all. This particular book is a very good staring point for anybody as it has extracts from a host of reknowened authors from differnt generations. The city is carming and will cast a spell on anybody visiting it. Do read the book before you go.

Interesting
The book contains selections that give a picture of Kolkata at various stages in its development. It does not give a coherent picture of the city but has the benefit of variety. I'm still looking for a book which reviews the history and discusses the city now.