Julia Keay (1946–2011)

I've read about Begum Sumru and her relationship with Walter Reinhardt. I also read about how she propped up the Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam.
However, my information about this incredible lady was always sketchy. Julia Keay, bless her soul, did us a favor by writing this incredible book. It was her last book before her death.

Julia starts with a brief introduction to the nautch girl culture and how the British later denigrated them (as they denigrated tawaifs). We lost much of our cultural heritage because of this.
Farzana's beginnings were inauspicious, as was the life of the renegade mercenary Walter Reinhardt. Their meeting changed their lives.
They set up a small private army, later supporting the Mughal Empire.
Julia Keay's account is exemplary, depicting her rise, loyalty to the king, humane treatment of Walter's wife, and ability to reinvent herself. Farzana's steely resolve and excellent administrative skills shine through in the tale, as does her military prowess.
In the end, everything collapsed after her death, with no viable successor. Her buildings survive, as does Bhagirath Palace - her old home.

An excellent tale of a remarkable woman.… (más)

https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2928445.html

Cruden's Concordance is an amazing work. For those who are not familiar with it, it's a listing of every word (apart from the most common) used in the Bible, in the context where it is used, working from the Authorised Version. It has never been out of print since it was first published in 1737. Alexander Cruden, who compiled it, wrote a great deal else, about the need to improve the nation's morals through correct spelling and grammar, and about several of his spells of incarceration for mental illness. Julia Keay argues that he was perfectly sane, and was a victim of local politics in Aberdeen and of his romantic rivals in London. I have to say that her case is not made out thoroughly convincingly. What is missing is a wider consideration of insanity in 18th century Britain (Cruden grew up in Aberdeen but spent most of his working life in London), and indeed a contextualisation of Cruden's work with his peers more generally would have been helpful - was he unusual in his obsession with the line-by-line approach to Scripture, or in the mainstream? did others agree with his notion of correcting the nation's morals by correcting its grammar? Overall the book leans too heavily on Cruden's own writing, though there is some interesting detective work about his youth in Aberdeen.… (más)

This might have been an outgrowth of her dissertation in history and from the viewpoint of history, she did an excellent job of researching her topic. The writing is uninspired and frequently poor even for academic writing. If you have an interest in the author or the massive book he created, by all means read this book. Or, if you have an interest in the historical period, 1700s in England or the treatment of those with mental illneses, it will be enlightening. It is not a book I would recommend for light reading or taking to the beach. PKG… (más)