n 1857 the native troops of the Bengal Army rose against their colonial masters. They were quickly joined by thousands of discontented civilians in what was to become the bloodiest insurrection in the history of the British Empire. No one was spared, as innocents on both sides became embroiled in a maelstrom of brutal murder and heroic resistance.

Combining formidable storytelling powers with ground-breaking research, Saul David has written the definitive modern account of the Indian Mutiny. He brings to life an extraordinary cast of characters â€" from stalwart Lord Canning, the heroic Lawrence brothers and troubled William Hodson, to the legendary Nana Sahib, the staggeringly brave Rani of Jhansi and the fair-weather King of Delhi â€" to narrate a tale at once heartrendingly tragic and extraordinarily compelling.

And what of its causes? Did the mutiny really stem from a dispute over rifle cartridges? To what extent was it pre-planned? What, for instance, was the significance of the chapatis that mysteriously began to appear across the subcontinent shortly before the outbreak? David provides new and convincing evidence that the true causes of the mutiny were much more complex and disturbing than previously assumed.

The Indian Mutiny is a masterful work of narrative history. With energy, insight and authority, it casts fresh light on this extraordinary episode and challenges longstanding assumptions. Not least, it upturns the accepted wisdom that a British victory was inevitable by showing just how close the rebels came to depriving Victoria and her subjects of the jewel in the imperial crown.