From Sepoy to Subedar, Being the Life and Adventures of Subedar Sita Ram, A Native Officer of the Bengal Army, written and related by Himself

Delhi: Vikas Publishing, 1970. First Thus. Octavo. 23.5cm. Publisher's orange cloth boards, titled in black to spine. Dustjacket. 187pp. Strong and tight, but visibly sunned to spine and edges of binding, and a little bumped to the head of the spine. The priceclipped dustjacket is similarly sunned to the spine, and has some light marginal wear, but shows very well. A very good, presentable copy. Internally clean, with some annotation and emphasis to the text from an informed reader, presumably Angus Thurmer. There is a 2 page letter from Major General Lunt, dated January 1971 on Ministry of Defense notepaper, to Angus Thurmer at the US Embassy in New Delhi, discussing the book and the editing work and apprising Mr. Thurmer of his current status. Major General Lunt CBE had a prominent and successful career in the British Military, spending a significant part of his career in India, including a stint as Military Adviser to the High Commission, there is a note on the title page to the effect that the book's attentive reader played Polo with Lunt whilst he was stationed in Delhi. The first edition of "From Sepoy to Subedar" was published in 1873, then languished forgotten for almost a century until Major General Lunt, in his role as accomplished "Old India Hand" decided a new edition was called for. Primary source material for the period from native Indians, is relatively thin on the ground, spanning as it does Subedar Ram's memories of the Afghan Wars (the first two), the retreat from Khabul, the subsequent trials and tribulations of a soldier's life, and the post-"mutiny" changes to the leadership and administration of India and how badly that went. A fascinating account, which should be ranked alongside "Confessions of a Thug", and Lady Florentia Sale's Journal as insights (with all faults) into the nature of life in and under the British Raj. (Inventory #: 80685)