The Gurkhas

This is an excellent study of group of soldiers known throughout the world as Gurkhas. Farwell details their history from the earliest encounter with them by British forces in Europe up through the 1980s. It is both a military and social history of these soldiers who have served King and Queen with unquestioning loyalty since their inception. Farwell describes their service in war and in those rare moment so peace in great detail His story of the rifleman with a map making his way to British lines in Burma after he was separated from his command is both amusing and tells of the tremendous fortitude of these soldiers. It is especially interesting to read what became of the Gurkha regiments when Indian was granted independence.I first had an opportunity to view the Gurkhas in the fall of 1983 when the were performing ceremonial duties at Buckingham Palace. They relievedthe Irish Guards whose mascot was seemingly bigger than the Gurkha officer commanding the troops. Later I saw Gurkhas when I watched the ceremony of the keys at The Tower of London. They may not have understood the reason they were performing this duty but they performed their duties in an outstanding manner and added to my very favorable impression of the Gurkhas.I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Briitsh Army and this exceptional body of Soldiers.

I was somewhat disappointed with this volume, although I’ve enjoyed other books by this author. Although this purports to be about the Gurkhas, it’s really more about their British officers. Therefore, the title is, in my mind, misleading.

There are two kinds of books on history - one which relies on the author's own understanding of the subject and another that is acquired from another person's. This book unfortunately is of the latter.While a young schoolkid growing up near the major Indian military base at Siliguri in Bengal, I had watched these slant eyed men with awe. They were indeed the best turned out soldiers with their slant hats, cross belts and the deadly "khukri"(hand knife)hanging by their side. I have ever since tried to read every book on this subject that I could get my hands on.Mr Farwell looks at the Gurkha from a purely British perspective. At the end he is still a glorified mercernary to the British. It is as if the Gurkha's soldierly qualities started and ended with British rule in India. He is no doubt led to that opinion by former British Indian officers he interviewed for this book(who share a dim opinion along with the author of other Indian soldiers).What the author does not mention is that Gurkhas were first used as mercernaries not by the British but Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Punjab. Even their uniforms coopted by the British was designed by a member of his court. Gurkhas had the opportunity to eschew their mercernary ways when India evicted the British in 1947 and invited them to join the Indian army.Large numbers today serve that army with distinction and pride. Unlike the British, the Indians have treated them on par with other citizens. The British ostensibly claim that they pay Gurkhas less(a fifth or less of other British troops)so as not to disrupt Nepali social life. Also, they are free to settle in India and indeed large numbers of them have.As for his claim of Indian troops not being impartial during the independence riots, it is a clear case of poor leadership. British officers left in great haste and as they trained very few Indians to replace them, men often found themselves confused as their country was breaking up around them. The British were so jealous of their Gurkhas that they even invented a reason to keep Indian officers out - some so called treaty with the king of Nepal. There are some juicy snippets of the British officers sleeping with their men( good reason for keeping the Indians out!!)For those of you wanting to learn about the Gurkhas , John Masters' Bugles and a Tiger would be a wonderful source. Mr. Byron Farwell quotes him extensively in his book but misses his message.

Ok story.

Book was received as advertised however it was left on my doorstep in a Kroger bag in a rain storm and got wet. I was able to dry it out but feel that this was very unprofessional. Need a better way to protect a package especially a book in bad weather.