Indian Voices of the Great War Soldiers Letters, 191418 [Hardcover]

Indian soldiers served in France from 1914 to 1918. This book is a selection of their letters. By turns poignant, funny, and almost unbearably moving, these documents vividly evoke the world of the Western Front - as seen through 'subaltern' Indian eyes. The letters also bear eloquent witness to the sepoys' often unsettling encounter with Europe, and with European culture. This book helps to map the imaginative landscape of South Asia's warrior-peasant communities.List of Maps and Plates Glossary Chronological Table Acknowledgements Abbreviations Indian Army Ranks and Organization Editorial Note Introduction The Letters: 1914-15 1916 1917 1918 Appendix 1: Order of Battle of the Indian Corps in France, 1914-15 Appendix 2: Composition of Indian Regiments in France Appendix 3: Report on Twelve Months' Working of the Indian Mail Censorship Further Reading Index

'...provides an altogether rich and resonant testimony to the courage and stoicism of Indian soldiers and makes a valuable contribution to both Indian military history and to wider studies on the mind-set of soldiers at war.' - Apurba Kundu, Contemporary South Asia

'There's no shortage of first world war material around, but for me the most surprising and affecting remains Indian Voices of the Great War Soldiers' Letters 1914-18' - Kamila Shamsie, The Guardian's 'Best Holiday Reads' 2014

David Omissi is with the Department of History and Center for Indian Studies at the University of Hull.