Dalrymple chronicles ten years of living
and travelling in Sri Lanka, Pakistan,
and India. Here he discovers a region
falling into a time of darkness, discord
and disintegration which according to
ancient Hindu cosmology is known as the
Age of Kali. Despite the area's strife
and discontent, Dalrymple's attitude
does not fall to pessimism, rather every
page reveals his passion for the people
and culture of the Indian subcontinent.
He encounters such figures as Benazir
Bhutto and Imran Khan and meets with
ostracized inmates of a widows' home.
His report is critical yet sympathetic.
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