I absolutely love this book. I picked it up from the library, and I may buy a Kindle edition, because I will keep referring back to it.

In this, Pavan Varma gives us a very clear picture of the times, the culture and the environment in which Ghalib lived. His growth as a poet, his trauma during the Mutiny, his struggles are explained so very clearly. The style is lucid, and the book is immensely readable.

This is a timely tribute to the man, his poetry and his legacy. It is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the Delhi of the times. ( )

Mirza Mohammad Asadullah Khan Ghalib popularly known as Mirza Ghalib or Ghalib, is a famous name in the world of Urdu and Persian poetry, and beyond. Ghalib was born at a time when power of one of the greatest imperial dynasties in human history, the Mughals, with an unbroken rule of centuries, was fading and the power of English imperialism in India was rising. He was born at a time when the de jure sovereignty still remained with the Hazrat Zill e Subhani Mughal Emperor who had turned into a British pensioner as the de facto power had gradually passed to the British.

Read the complete review on my blog
http://thebookoutline.blogspot.in/2012/06/ghalib-man-times.html ( )