Although the story that Dalrymple tells has long been the stuff of college classrooms, his great achievement is in assembling the disparate fragments of early India’s engagements across the continent into a delightfully readable whole ... He is at his best when he takes us along in person ... Like any unofficial guide, Dalrymple prefers to tell the most colorful and charming version of the story, generally sweeping away the reservations and ambiguities of modern scholarship to his endnotes.
Dalrymple has made a heroic effort to traverse this difficult terrain, presenting a beautifully written book, replete with colourful individuals, fascinating anecdotes, little-known facts and dramatic events, all the while telling a story hitherto apparently untold ... The chapters instead have distinct focuses ... Compelling ... The research is wide-ranging and impressive. Though the focus on people, stories and events makes The Golden Road enjoyable to read.
