The Patient Assassin

A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge and the Raj

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The Patient Assassin

By: Anita Anand

Narrated by: Anita Anand

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About this listen

WINNER OF THE PEN HESSELL-TILTMAN PRIZE

'Reads like something from a thriller…colourful, detailed and meticulously researched' Sunday Times
‘Gripping from start to finish' Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads
Hundreds of peaceful civilians were slaughtered in the Amritsar Massacre of 13 April 1919, after British troops opened fire without warning. According to legend, Udham Singh was among the injured that day, and he vowed to take revenge. More than twenty years later, in a Westminster hall, he fulfilled that promise when he gunned down in cold blood the man ultimately responsible, Sir Michael O'Dwyer.

But what happened in the intervening years? In this sweeping narrative that takes the reader across four continents, Anita Anand separates reality from myth to reveal Singh's astonishing story. She brilliantly pieces together his movements, discovering surprising new links that take us from Jazz Age New York to the shady world of international spy rings. The Patient Assassin shines a devastating light on one of the Raj's most horrific events, but reads like a taut thriller.

Anita AnandAnita AnandSimon & Schuster Audio UK

20th Century

Asia

Colonialism & Post-Colonialism

Modern

Politics & Government

South Asian Creators

World

Colonial Period

Heartfelt

Thought-Provoking

Africa

Imperialism

Solider

Assassin

20th Century Asia Colonialism & Post-Colonialism Modern Politics & Government South Asian Creators World Colonial Period Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Africa Imperialism Solider Assassin

Critic reviews

'Reads like something from a thriller…colourful, detailed and meticulously researched account...the book really shines in evoking the fevered atmosphere of India in the late 1910s and early 1920s.' (Dominic Sandbrook)

'Anita Anand’s remarkable and brilliantly researched non-fiction thriller, The Patient Assassin: A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge and the Raj, [is] well-written, contains new research and breaks much fresh ground... Anita Anand focuses on one extraordinary story that had never been properly told before. Through some remarkable research in archives around the world, Anand has reconstructed much of [Udham Singh's] life.' (William Dalrymple)

‘Gripping from start to finish. Anita Anand is brilliant guide who brings a series of extraordinary – and important – stories to life in this remarkable history.’ (Peter Frankopan)

'An excellent and important book' (Mishal Husain)

'Briskly plotted, scrupulously even-handed and altogether riveting' (John Preston)

'A jaw-dropping true story...Udham Singh [survived] the massacre [at Amritsar] and swore vengeance. Like a real-life Tom Ripley, he assumed multiple identities and bided his time...and shot the former governor of the Punjab through the heart at point-blank range. Rough justice; brutally poetic.' (Richard Madeley)

‘An astonishing story, brilliantly told.’ (Dan Snow)

'Fabulous book' (Jeremy Vine)

'Anand has turned her meticulous investigative journalism to tracking the life of the formerly shadowy Singh... [she] lures us into an irresistible narrative. It is an engaging story that reads satisfyingly more like a shadow world conspiracy thriller than the exhaustively researched piece of reconstruction that it is.' (Rachel Holmes)

'A dramatic, fast-paced narrative ... Anand does a meticulous and determined job in tracing [Udham Singh's] steps and debunking more than one theory about him. Anand produces an engaging account of the times and of this unlikely hero. And though gripped by her subject, she does not shirk away from his human failings.' (Manu Pillai)

'Combines interesting details with forensic research and an eye for colour making this little told story into a page turner' (Mihir Bose)

'A great and riveting story…full of remarkable twists and mysteries.'

'A revealing look at the brutality and oppression of British rule, and how it seeded the desire for retribution in the hearts of so many Indians….Anand does a stellar job of sketching Singh’s trajectory from orphanage to hangman’s noose, and from obscurity into the pantheon of Indian heroes…Compelling, vivid prose.' (Yudhijit Bhattacharjee)

'Deeply researched ... What makes this book so intense is that it is almost as if the author knows the way...by heart and takes the reader along.' (Nirupama Dutt)

Most relevant

This is a compelling and sympathetic account of a shameful act of Empire. Superbly read by the author.