Edge of Empire: Lives, Culture, and Conquest in the East, 1750-1850

In this imaginative book, Maya Jasanoff uncovers the extraordinary stories of collectors who lived on the frontiers of the British Empire in India and Egypt, tracing their exploits to tell an intimate history of imperialism. Jasanoff delves beneath the grand narratives of power, exploitation, and resistance to look at the British Empire through the eyes of the people caught up in it. Written and researched on four continents, "Edge of Empire" enters a world where people lived, loved, mingled, and identified with one another in ways richer and more complex than previous accounts have led us to believe were possible. And as this book demonstrates, traces of that world remain tangible--and topical--today. An innovative, persuasive, and provocative work of history. "From the Trade Paperback edition."

Review :
& quot; Spirited, teeming. . . . Jasanoff wants us to rethink the imperial experience.& quot; - The New York Times & quot; Astute and moving. . . . As original--and beautifully written -- as it is compelling to read. " - The New York Sun " A historical tour de force, with wonderfully original and unusual material moulded into a convincing new narrative. Britain ' s empire will never look the same again. " - The Guardian & quot; Instead of concentrating on the 18th-and 19th-century European empire builders. . . . Jasanoff focuses on several ambitious, energetic, and eccentric men who used the East as a way to reinvent themselves....a fascinating and untold story.& quot; - The Boston Globe "Spirited, teeming. . . . Jasanoff wants us to rethink the imperial experience." -"The New York Times" "Astute and moving. . . . As original--and beautifully written--as it is compelling to read." -"The New York Sun" "A historical tour de force, with wonderfully original and unusual material moulded into a convincing new narrative. Britain's empire will never look the same again."-"The Guardian" "Instead of concentrating on the 18th-and 19th-century European empire builders. . . . Jasanoff focuses on several ambitious, energetic, and eccentric men who used the East as a way to reinvent themselves....a fascinating and untold story." -"The Boston Globe" We are pleased to have the following advance praise for Maya Jasanoff's "Edge of Empire": "This is an extraordinary debut. Maya Jasanoff is one of the most exciting historians to emerge in years. Her crackling prose and outstanding research have resulted in a ground-breaking book. "Edge of Empire" is a must-read." -Amanda Foreman, author of "Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire " "This is a very clever and wonderfully researched and written book, which illumines French as well as British imperial experience, artifacts and culture, and which looks at all the actors involved in a vivid and nuanced fashion. An original new voice." --Linda Colley, Shelby M.C.Davis 1958 Professor of History, Princeton University "From the Hardcover edition."