Description
'Brisk and judicious, "Hooghly" sets out to make the case for regarding a short river in Bengal as a crucible of global exchange. Based on original sources throughout, it succeeds quite brilliantly.'
'Brisk and judicious, "Hooghly" sets out to make the case for regarding a short river in Bengal as a crucible of global exchange. Based on original sources throughout, it succeeds quite brilliantly.'
'A rare and fascinating narrative of the Bengal delta, tracing the dynamic confluence of imperialist politics, mercantile ambition and economic progress that flowed through these waters. A history buff's delight and a stimulating narrative of a global melting-point, bubbling into life through Ivermee's detailed yet fluid rendition. Vivid, colourful and compelling.'
‘[A] compelling, scholarly and engagingly written account of the Hooghly [that] more than makes up for our lack of familiarity with Indian rivers other than the Ganges… Ivermee combines historical knowledge and erudition with a sense that history is not made simply by great men and impressive events, but by hordes of lesser human beings and smaller events which, taken together, change the way history progresses.’
'A compelling book, which uses the history of a river to tell a story about the connection and conflict of people from different worlds. "Hooghly" is both an excellent introduction to the history of Bengal, and a comment on the limited nature of all claims to power, in the face of human diversity and the force of nature. Essential reading.'
'Not a history of the river but how the Hooghly made history, attracting Portuguese, Muslim, English, French, and Danish settlements, all drawing in global networks of trade, radical ideas, literature, and technology. An unusual and fascinating approach.'
Robert Ivermee is a global and imperial historian focused on colonialism in South Asia. He works in higher education management at SOAS University of London and teaches at the Catholic University of Paris.