Adrienne Loftus Parkins, former head of Asia House’s Literary Festival, organiser of the National Portrait Gallery’s Contemporary Literary Festival and head of Asia Word gives her best books on Asia from the last decade, including my first book, Holy Warriors. Some of my favourites on the list include Silk Road by Colin Thubron, Descent into Chaos by Ahmed Rashid, Maximum City by Suketu Mehta and The Glass Palace by Amithav Ghosh. See link
Holy Warriors Reviews
Naseem Khan, Guardian
October 3, 2008 – 9:42 pm
‘What a cast of characters make their way through this sharp-witted and straight-talking book: the fatuous and the venal, the self-important and the deluded, the exploitative and the corrupt. Edna Fernandes has undertaken to track down figures who epitomise the most depressing facet of Indian life – its holy warriors – as well as some of their victims. Her odyssey takes her far and wide – from Nagaland and Kashmir in the north down via Punjab and on to Goa… The reportage is even-handed and responsible and even delightfully witty. Fernandes’ asides are precise and wicked. Above all, she offers a valuable reminder of the dark side of the economic miracle that is modern India.’ Read the review at the Guardian
The Independent
October 3, 2008 – 9:41 pm
‘Fernandes reports on India’s differences with compelling insight. Holy Warriors makes for vital reading, showing India’s urgent need to rearticulate an inclusive identity, to master change and exceed past glories,’ Read the review at The Independent.
Pick of the Paperbacks, Daily Telegraph
October 3, 2008 – 8:36 pm
‘Witty and incisive, Holy Warriors offers a compelling insight into the imperiled state of India’s secular ideal,’ (Read review at the Telegraph)
Jean Hannah Edelstein, Observer
October 3, 2008 – 8:28 pm
‘An insightful analysis of religious fundamentalism, combining solid research with bold investigative reporting. Fernandes’ survey is brave, enlightening and sobering, a must-read for anyone interested in modern India,”
Simon Long, Asia Editor, Economist
October 3, 2008 – 8:28 pm
This is a remarkable, brave, moving, disturbing, funny and at times beautiful book. It tackles head-on the great Indian paradox, which most observers tend to ignore or obfuscate: that India is a centre of religion and spirituality, and hence of tolerance, celebrating the many paths available to those seeking the Godhead; yet it has also been home to some of the most terrible atrocities committed anywhere in the name of religion,’See Simon’s Review on Amazon.
Khushwant Singh, Hindustan Times
October 3, 2008 – 8:24 pm
“The cancer of religious bigotry and intolerance has afflicted all communities — Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. This is vividly brought out in Edna Fernandes’ powerful book. Holy Warriors is as fair and objective an assessment of the perils that lie ahead for India as any that I have ever read. It is a must read,”
Pankaj Mishra
October 3, 2008 – 8:23 pm
‘This impressively researched and lucidly written book travels quickly beyond many banalities about India today. Anyone interested in exploring the complex appeal of religious extremism in half-modern societies should read it.’
Literary Review
October 3, 2008 – 8:22 pm
‘A journey of discovery into some of the tensions that regularly stretch India,’
Nihal Arthanayake, BBC Radio One DJ
October 3, 2008 – 8:11 pm
‘This is an amazing book. Anyone interested in religions and how they get on – or don’t – should get hold of it.’
