“Her passion is infectious throughout…an inspiring book”
— Paddy Docherty, The Financial Times
“A superlative travel narrative”
— Kevin Rushby, Guardian
“Albinia brings scholarship and understanding to her trip”
— John Ure, Times Literary Supplement
“As history, it is spellbinding. As the first book of a young writer, it’s an impressive achievement.”
— Ziauddin Sardar, New Statesman
“Alice Albinia is well placed to unpick the country’s complex history in this impressive debut”
— Hugh Thomson, The Independent
“Travelogue and objective come together here… its originality, enthusiasm and understanding add up to a memorable, illuminating read.”
— The Scotsman
“It deserves to be a book of the year”
— Anthony Sattin, The Sunday Times
“A spellbinding blend of discovery, elation and frustration”
— Lee Langley, The Spectator
“An enthralling portrayal of a mosaic-like part of the world… a wonderful piece of writing”
— World Radio: discussion of the book with Jack Turner
“The tears Alice Albinia shed for Empires of the Indus were worth every drop”
— Charmaine Chan, South China Morning Post
“This book is a rare thing”
— Tishani Doshi, Indian Express
“What will entrance you is the way she weaves history, in all its varied shapes and forms”
— Avtar Singh, Time Out Delhi
“We’re drawn into the strange mix of cultures and histories that populate the Indus”
— Minir S. Sharma, Indian Express
“There is a lot to savour in this unusual travelogue”
— Barkha Dutt, Outlook
“What emerges from her amazing expedition is an absorbing account”
— Alpana Chowdhury, DNA
“A beautifully written and highly evocative travelogue”
— Sunanda K. Datta-Ray, The Telegraph
“A rich and sparkling gem”
— Rrishi Raote, Business Standard
“A profound and insightful picture of life on the Indus”
— Shelley Walia, The Hindu
“A startling and finally remarkable book”
— Chandrahas Choudhury, Mint
“A remarkable book”
— Suman Tarafdar, The Financial Express
“A rich and densely packed historical travelogue that recreates – wondrously – the people and places the river brings to life”
— Ritu Menon, Biblio: A Review of Books
“Her compelling eye-opener of a book”
— Jai Arjun Singh, Tehelka
“The journey is as racy as its narrative”
— Rekha Dixit, The Week
“An adventurous journey”
— Bageshree S., The Hindu
“A delightful and insightful travel-cum-historical narrative”
— Sumati Nagrath, Business World
“The narrative combines the author’s experiences of the… present with the past”
— Poulomi Banerjee, The Telegraph
“This journey up the river is beautifully told”
— Minu Ittyipe, Times of India
“Empires of the Indus is novel in style as well as structure”
— Rrishi Raote, Business Standard
“A varied history spanning 5,000 years”
— Alokita Datta, Businessworld Online
“Alice Albinia pulls off a difficult feat”
— Tehmina Ahmed, Newsline
“A powerful writer”
— Asif Farrukhi, Dawn
“An epic journey… a beautiful book”
— Robert Messenger, Barnes & Noble Review: Best Books of 2010
“Thanks to her adventurous pen, we are less ignorant”
— Jean-Pierre Perrin, Libération
“A fabulously thoughtful, learned, perceptive and stereotype-breaking book… I was blown away. Empires of the Indus is a breathtaking debut by an author who writes enviably cadent and beautiful prose.”
— William Dalrymple, author of Nine Lives
“Alice Albinia’s adventure through the Indus river valley is meticulously researched, beautifully written, and reads like a thriller. Empires of the Indus is an homage to the diversity of the region, providing a crucial counter-narrative to the media stereotypes about contemporary Pakistan. Albinia writes with humility, candor, and humor about her experiences, making this book not just a history lesson and travelogue, but an unputdownable page-turner.”
— Tahmima Anam, author of A Golden Age
“I have travelled much of the territory described here but I cannot say that I remotely knew it until I read this wonderful book. With her debut work Alice Albinia is set to take her place alongside the greats like Eric Newby and Colin Thubron. Her prose is lucid and entertaining and her insights invariably penetrating.”
— Fergal Keane, writer and broadcaster
“A vivid, thoughtful, idiosyncratic mix of travel, adventure and history – absorbing and delightful.”
— Professor Peter Robb, SOAS
“Compellingly told this is a fascinating story of not just a river but the civilizations it spawned and the empires it supported.”
— Moni Mohsin, author of The End of Innocence
