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jamieblaikie's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
emmajdavies's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Well written, well evidenced account that tells a personal story, pulling out the truth of the person but without creating a false heroic narrative.
vaishsviews's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.0
It’s been a while since I last read a non-fiction book and I can tell because all I want to read at the moment is fiction.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre that happened on 13 April 1919 is imprinted in most Indian’s minds for the atrocities committed on the order of Brigadier General Reginald Dyer. Sir Michael O’Dwyer, the then lieutenant governor of Punjab, not only approved this decision but then spent the rest of his life justifying why it was necessary despite the numbers of innocent people killed that day. Also present that day was Udham Singh who swore that he’d take revenge on those responsible and which finally happened more than twenty years later, in 1940. Udham Singh shot Sir Michael O’Dwyer in cold blood in a Westminster hall, cementing his reputation as a hero in India and the most hated man in Britain.
The Patient Assassin tells the story of Udham Singh and what he did in those intervening years before he took his revenge. The book follows him across the world as he becomes embroiled in nationalist politics and assumes a number of identities.
This started really strong and I enjoyed watching two conflicting narratives unfold at the same time, walking through key points in history. It read like historical thriller and I was reading it fairly quickly but then I put it down for a couple of weeks and it became harder to pick it up. I think something that threw me off was the number of characters introduced. I lost track of them within the overarching story. This happened a few times where individuals would be introduced and cross paths with Udham Singh once to then disappear for the rest of the narrative.
I admired the personal experience of the author’s grandfather, especially considering what he must have gone through in his formative years. I also admire the author’s courage to uncover what must’ve been such a controversial topic when it first occurred in 1940 and stay true to the facts to provide a nuanced examination of both Udham Singh and Sir Michael O’Dwyer. There’s a lot of myth and legend surrounding Udham Singh and Anand does a terrific job at meticulously exploring every avenue to truly understand the forces that shaped Singh’s life.