Foreign correspondent Noel Barber investigates one of history’s most infamous atrocities - the Black Hole of Calcutta - and sorts the reality from the legend about the incident that played a crucial part in moulding the Raj.

The Black Hole of Calcutta in 1756 is one of the most infamous atrocities of history - and the story played a major part in turning British interest in India from a purely commercial to an imperial endeavour. But controversy rages to this day about the causes and casualties of the event - and even whether it took place at all. Famous foreign correspondent Noel Barber here attempts to sort reality from legend. Re-examining the story, he asks - and answers - such questions as how many suffered in the suffocating heat as they were locked without water in a tiny room for an endless night in the fierce heat of an Indian summer? Were there really 123 deaths? How far was the anti-British Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daula, responsible for what took place? And was the ‘hole’ an accident or a deliberate act of cruelty? Essential reading for anyone interested in India, and the British Raj .

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Product Code:	10977
Author:	Noel Barber
Format:	254pp, sb. Published Price £8.99
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