Claim Now Band Of Soldiers: A Year On The Road With Shivaji Originated By Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay Readily Available As PDF

আমল, যখন দকষণতযর আদল শহ, দললশবর আওরঙগজব আর মরঠ শবজ রও এর তনমখ খনসট চলছ, ওইসমযটতই 'সদশব' নমর এক চরতরক পড বসছন শরদনদবব তও ক ন রজশখর বস তক শবজক নয গলপ লখত বলছলন বল ত সদশব এক খস চরতর যর বযস কম কনত সহসর কমত নই, করযপট কনত মখযচরতরসলভ বডবড র চডন নই পচ গলপর কহনত বশ একট চরতরননযন ব কযরকটর ডভলপমনটও দখ যযন, পযল গলপ তক গরমর গবচর কশর থক শবজর সপহ কর দবর পর আর তমন পরবরতনও নই, গলপর পথচল ছড

ত গলপগল বশ উপভগয শবজ রওযর এক এক পরখর কশল বজয, আর সসব সদশবর মখয ভমক রখ চল মঘলদর সথ বজপরর সলতন বহনর যদধ চলছ আর তর মঝ দশক 'বদশ'মকত করত শবজ এক এক দরগ দখল কর শসনর পরধ বডচছন শরদনদর মনশযনয পঠক একবর ওই সময ফরত বধয

গভর যব ন হলক পঠনর বই, পড আননদ পবন, শরদনদর গটকয ঐতহসকর মত হযত দগ কটব ন কনত সকষৎ ইতহসর সথ করচপ দখল বরকতর উদরক হয শরদনদবব শবজর বহনত যত ধনতনক চতর চতরত করছন, বলছন "শবজ গরম লঠ করন ন, সধরণ কষকর কষত করন ন, তর কষভ রজদর ওপর", তহস ত বল ন খদ বলয পরচলত "খক ঘমল পড জডল" গনর 'বরগ' এই মরঠরই, পলশর যদধর কছকল আগও যর গড অবদ এগয এস লঠপট আর হতযকনড কর গছন

আমদপরদনর বচর পচ চর 'I liked it' তর পব 'সদশবর অভযন' শষ পযরটক ববচনয ন এনই The first

of my theme reads this month my reading theme is here: sitelink wordpress. com/ , and this King in question in this one is the Maratha warriorking Shivaji, who ruled in the latter part of the seventeenth century, More about him here: sitelink wikipedia. org/wiki/Shivaji. This book, originally Bengali was written by Sardindu Bandhyopadhyay, a screenwriter for both Bollywood and Bengali cinema as well as writer whose best known creation is perhaps his detective Byomkesh Bakshi, who with his Watson, Ajit Bandhyopadhyay solves some very interesting puzzles.
Bandhyopadhyay Sardindu, not Ajit also wrote historical fiction, ghost stories, and childrens fiction, I read the translation in English Penguin,of Band of Soldiers by Sreejata Guha, whose translation of one collection Bandhyopadhyays Byomkesh Bakshi mysteries, Picture Imperfect Ive read earlier.


Shivaji took on, among others, both the Mughals and the Bijapur sultanate, and established his own kingdom at Raigarh, This story is set in the time when Shivaji and his band occupy the fort at Torne, and are fighting essentially the armies of the Bijapur Sultan, whose vassals include at that point, Shivajis father Shahji.
The story is told from the perspective of sixteenyearold Sadashiv, who is thrown out from his village of Dongarhpur where he has been living with his uncle, to go and fend for himself.
He decides partly at the suggestion of his friend Kunku to go and join the band of the brave Shivaji, He not only does that, but once trained as a soldier, he proves himself a brave and clever aide undertaking several dangerous missions like infiltrating the enemy camp, delivering messages in enemy territory and to people not so easy to reach, even outwitting dacoits, besides playing an important role in helping Shivaji fulfil his plans.
There is also a little touch of romance for Sadashiv but saying any more would just be a spoiler but it does bring him some further adventure, The book is in the form of five connected, yet separate parts, each a complete adventure in itself,

Band of Soldiers made for a fairly fast paced and exciting read, which I enjoyed very much, Sadashiv is a likeable hero, courageous as well as resourceful, with presence of mind to do what the situation calls for and accomplish the task which he is assigned to do.
I also felt that as the stories go on, we see Sadashiv grow as wellin the sense that while even initially he does prove his intelligence carrying out his missions, in the latter stories, he also comes up with the broader plans himself, when Shivajis own dont work out as expected.
He reminded me very much of G, A. Henty's 'heroes', also in the same age bracket, showing similar bravado, and having similar adventures, and of the other book I'm currently reading Letter for the King, which also falls into the same category.
I liked how the adventures of Sadhashiv have been woven into the stories of the historical characters, Shivaji, Tanaji, Jijabai and Shahji, among them, Unlike some not all, of course other historical fiction where historical characters merely make an appearance, or play a smaller part, in what is essentially the fictional characters story, in this one, they are very much a part of the fictional characters story as he is of theirs, and in a very believable way.
The book also gives one a feel of the period it is set in, from the uncertainty, danger, and want that was the daily life of people caught amidst warring armies, to things like what journeys for someone in Sadhashivs position would have been like, or even the kind of food I always go there that would have been eaten.
We also see Shivajis progress through the stories as he captures through war and strategy fort after fort and more territory, on the way to establishing his kingdom.
In fact, I read somewhere that Bandhyopadhyay was planning to write more these stories tracing the whole of Shivajis reign, but unfortunately didnt end up finishing this, More about this here: sitelink wikidot. com/en:sa .

The translator I thought has done a very good job overall and except at one or two points, one hardly feels one is reading a translation.
I also loved the cover illustrations both front and back by Dipankar Bhattacharya, and wish that the publishers had thought to include some inside as well, As I mentioned, Id only read one collection of Bandhyopadhyas detective stories featuring Byomkesh Bakshi earlier, and this book, in a totally different genre, and indeed a completely different setting both place and time proved a very pleasant experience.
I really enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to reading his other book By the Tungabhadra also historical fiction, and available in translated form, Great read!

This review also appears on my blog:sitelinkpotpourri, wordpress. com/ .