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The Patient Assassin
- A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge and the Raj
- Narrated by: Anita Anand
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
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The Patient Assassin
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Summary
Winner of the Pen Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2020
Anita Anand tells the remarkable story of one Indian's twenty-year quest for revenge, taking him around the world in search of those he held responsible for the Amritsar massacre of 1919, which cost the lives of hundreds.
When Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, ordered Brigadier General Reginald Dyer to Amritsar, he wanted him to bring the troublesome city to heel. Sir Michael had become increasingly alarmed at the effect Gandhi was having on his province, as well as recent demonstrations, strikes and shows of Hindu-Muslim unity. All these things, in Sir Michael's mind at least, were a precursor to a second Indian Mutiny. What happened next shocked the world. An unauthorised political gathering in the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in April 1919 became the focal point for Sir Michael's law enforcers. Dyer marched his soldiers into the walled garden, filled with thousands of unarmed men, women and children, blocking the only exit. Then, without issuing any order to disperse, he instructed his men to open fire, turning their guns on the thickest parts of the crowd. For ten minutes, they continued firing, stopping only when 1650 bullets had been fired. Not a single shot was fired in retaliation.
According to legend, a young, low-caste orphan, Udham Singh, was injured in the attack, and remained in the Bagh, surrounded by the dead and dying until he was able to move the next morning. Then, he supposedly picked up a handful of blood-soaked earth, smeared it across his forehead and vowed to kill the men responsible, no matter how long it took.
The truth, as the author has discovered, is more complex but no less dramatic. She traced Singh's journey through Africa, the United States and across Europe before, in March 1940, he finally arrived in front of O'Dwyer in a London hall ready to shoot him down. The Patient Assassin shines a devastating light on one of the Raj's most horrific events, but reads like a taut thriller, and reveals some astonishing new insights into what really happened.
Critic reviews
"Reads like a thriller…colourful, detailed and meticulously researched." (Sunday Times)
"Gripping from start to finish." (Peter Frankopan, bestselling author of The Silk Roads)
!Remarkable and brilliantly researched non-fiction thriller...focusing on one extraordinary story that had never been properly told before." (William Dalrymple, Spectator)
What listeners say about The Patient Assassin
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eugene
- 03-06-19
Absorbing
True life is fascinating, the horrors of colonial rule exposed once more but does an eye for an eye however just change anything ?
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Steve Haines
- 18-01-23
Brilliant
Anita Anand's masterful telling of this remarkable story gripped me from the start. Meticulously researched and utterly fascinating. Spanning three continents and more than twenty years, it tells the story of one man's pursuit of revenge for the appalling massacre in Amritsar. Perfectly narrated by the author.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- m
- 15-06-20
The Legend of Mohammed Singh Azaad
Freedom fighter assassin: depends on your point ov view. The story of Udham Singh who swore revenge on The British Empire after witnessing the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar. His life's mission: to eradicate the then Governor of Punjab, Sir Michael O'Dwyer. fascinating expose of the man and the mystery. 21 years later in 1940 at The Caxton Hall in London, he would open fire strike a blow for Indian Independence. 80 years later thd Indian Government have still not built his memorial.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Neil Green
- 08-04-21
Excellent story from the Raj.
The most memorable moments are the massacre at Amritsar and the assassination in London. If you are interested in the story of the Raj this is a good listen. Very well narrated by Anita Anand.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- a p davison
- 12-11-21
Really interesting story
this is an interesting story, well told and worth a listen about a subject that isn't often covered in the uk
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Chrissy
- 06-07-22
Oh my word!
A powerful book. I cried in parts and feel sad that I’m only now learning the details behind the events covered here. However, it has encouraged me to find out even more about this period in India. I’m so pleased the author read the book herself and gave her words the depth they deserved.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 08-05-19
Good biography and history
A good biography well read by the author. Includes plenty of relevant background .. but when author lacks information about her character she resorts to such phrases as "must have felt/ must have been" - which is irritating
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Tommy
- 29-04-19
Never a dull moment
Never a dull moment in this engaging and original history. The author's own narration perfectly enhances an excellently-written book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Wexxy
- 17-12-22
Almost too sad to bear.
A wonderfully written and read novel. I had never heard of Singh or his promise to avenge the British massacre of innocents at Amritsar. This is an essential read for all students of history that they might understand the cruelty and tyranny of colonisation regardless of its perpetrators.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Roman fiction fan
- 26-04-23
A very detailed, well told story
A tragic, yet somehow inspiring tale of one man's quest against the odds to exact revenge
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