I thought this book was fascinating. It's somewhat biased, the writing is a bit melodramatic, and it does hold the British in perhaps undue esteem. At the same time, it also manages to present an extraordinarily complex and relevant set of events in a totally engaging way. For me, it gave necessary context to a time in history that I only knew about anecdotally. It covers Indian independence from a great number of angles, only some of which I may have otherwise encountered: British, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, prince, Untouchable, refugee, pro-Gandhi, anti-Gandhi, etc.

All in all, while you have to live with a few flaws, it was an illuminating read that I would recommend without reservation. (And, the biggest bonus: I can now list out all the forms of the word "viceroy", including vicereine, viceroyalty, and viceregal.)

I greatly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all those interested in knowing about this historic, popularly known in the western world as, 'Land of Snake Charmers and performers of the Rope-Trick'.
The introductory chapter gives insight to the cultural diversity and Hindu-Muslim ideologies in the pre-independent India. The book, I feel, does not favour any religion or person and leaves the reader make his own judgement of the actions of all those involved in the partition of India and its repercussions by explaining in detail the motives and dilemmas of the political leaders. I believe the authors have put in lots of efforts in digging out various facts related to the lifestyles of the Indian princes and especially those linked to the assasination of Mahatma Gandhi.

I found this book captivating. Since I work with more than 20 Indians and one Pakistani, I was able to discuss the events in the book at length with them. One of my friends' father barely escaped death on one of the trains fleeing Pakistan. He and his brother have bullet wounds to show. The Pakistani's father also narrowly escaped death while leaving India for Pakistan. Two of the Indians decided to read the book with me. All agree that the book is accurate. It was very emotional for me to read of the atrocities and understand the personalities involved. My Indian friends experienced even more intense emotion as the read of the experiences of their parents.
One of the other customer reviews stated that the book made Montbatten look too good. My Indian friends disagree. Montbatten was a great man. The book might have underrated him, if anything.
The book also shows several sides of Gandi that most Westerners are not exposed to. He is still a great soul, though.
This book will change you. At least read the first 100 pages before you make a decision -- it'll draw you in.

This book is a classic. It can change the way you look at life, it will bring out the altruistic being in some. It moved me to tears. City of joy is about how an induvidual hailing from the luxuries of a developed nation undergoes a metamorphoses into a saint after coming in contact with people who are cursed with poverty and squalor. It brings out tthe beauty within you. It tells us how the poorest of the poor come to together when a calamity strikes and put on a brave face even when their destiny offers no respite from the misery.

This book can change you. I being from India can relate to this book as i see glimpses of this pain everyday. Its ubiquitous here. It has made me want to make a difference .This book touches your soul .

This book is a treasure.

In Dominique LaPierre's book, "The City of Joy" we learn of the struggles of every day families trying to survive in the abject poverty of Calcutta, India.

The streets of Calcutta come alive in "The City of Joy" as we read about the struggles of a rickshaw driver and his family and an American priest trying to become accepted into the culture of Calcutta. We learn of the efforts of people like Mother Teresa to help the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, the lepers.

I have not seen the movie based on this book, but if it is half as good as the book , I am sure it is great. "The City of Joy" is a book the explores the depths of the human spirit, the strength of human emotion and the desire of a few good people to help. In all of the glory of his other books, LaPierre scores another hit with "The City of Joy." I recommend this book, you will be a better person for having read it. Plus, a percentage of the profits from the book are donated to the ongoing effort to help the lepers in Calcutta.

City of Joy is a true account of the inhabitants of Calcutta's worst slums. The author weaves together the stories of a family who moved from the drought-starved countryside in search of a better life, a young doctor from the United States, and numereous others to paint a rich, textured picture of unbelievable suffering and yet, incredible humanity.

This book made me stop over and over to contemplate how lucky I was to have been born where and when I was - in relative wealth, comfort, and freedom beyond the wildest dreams of the majority of the world's population.

Go ahead and see the movie if you want too, but not until well after you've read and absorbed the book.

"Five Past Midnight in Bhopal" documents the story of the famous disaster at the Union Carbide plant in India that killed between 16,000 and 30,000 people. The reason the death toll is so variable is because most of the victims were among the very poorest in a country that has a staggering numbers of such people. Whole familes were killed, leaving nobody behind to report their deaths. Authors Dominic Lapierre and Javier Moro recount the disaster by using the technique of the non-fiction novel rather than reporting the events in a straight narrative. There are no notes and no bibliography, just a 400 page narrative of the story from the inception of the plans to build the Union Carbide plant to the aftermath of the tragedy.

The authors build the story through interviews with the workers at the plant, survivors from the city and several Union Carbide employees. The tale that emerges is one of an unfortunately preventable disaster that occurred because of misguided corporate decisions, the faultiest of which was probably the decision to build and run such a technologically complex and potentially dangerous facility in a third world country in the first place. Union Carbide also suffered from a misreading of the Indian marketplace and ultimately from a horribly misguided cost cutting plan that decimated safety proceedures at the plant and directly led to the disaster.

Lapierre and Moro are excellent writers whose prose is compellingly readable, though a bit overly dramatic at times. The style of the book is likely to put off some readers, who may be expecting more straightforward reporting. I should also note that the book concludes with an appeal for donations to help the poverty stricken in India, further illustrating that it is not a work of journalism. Nevertheless, this is an important story that deserves to retold as a cautionary note to both big business and to governments.

Overall, a gruesome story of man made disaster that most readers will likely find both moving and enraging.

This book expertly tells the story of the disaster that occurred in Bhopal, India in December 1984. This disaster, which occurred following a gas leak from a Union Carbide plant, claimed the lives of 16000 to 30000 people. In this book, the author gives the story of the tragedy beginning with the planning of the factory to the present day and includes details on the present whereabouts and situations of the main characters. While the book details a profoundly tragic situation, I came to a different conclusion than the author. It is the author's conclusion that the tragedy was avoidable and an act of criminality on the part of Union Carbide. However, after reading the words of the author, I came to the conclusion that the gas leak was an accident of terrible, epic proportion. Perhaps in the end this does not matter anyway. Regardless, the book does tell the tragic story of the senseless loss of life that occurred in Bhopal.

Rarely I start a book and can not put it down until the very last page. Being a avid reader of various topics for many years, Five Past Midnight at Bhopal was one such book, that made me stay till two in the morning, unable to put it down.
I faintly remember the incident at Bhopal, having been fairly young at the time to take in all the details, or appreciate the human tragedy that has occured, so I did not hesitate to buy this book as soon as it was published, being previously unfamilair with the works of Lapierre and Moro.
What makes this book so powerful is its unflinching humanity. Some of the thousands of victims that died that night, suddenly were alive with a history, and the authors with obvious sympathy, transform wretched, destitute, outcast people into heroes..their lives, joys, aspirations, optimism in the face of impossible odds is a wonderful triumph of the human spirit, regardless of how many gods it worships.
The moment when one of these people gets the first TV set, to the amazement of all the slum dwellers, is very touching and powerful..When the wedding preparations are made, and the joy of the parents borrowing money from a usurer to make it the most beautiful day of their daughter's life, is full of dignity..In short, the authors succeed on one level, to pay hommage to people that are forgotten in their own country and certainly in the world.
Yet the whole book is about the tragedy of the factory, and although I believe that the incident was partly caused by the cost cutting of Union Carbide,partly because of the inefficiency, and lack of training of the employees..(I did not join the authors in their apparent anti globalization undertones), the effect and devastation was mind boggling.
Yet why this book works beautifully, is simply because the authors have presented us with the lives of many characters, and when the tragedy strikes, we care enough about these people to turn every page in anticipation to know their fate.
It also reads like a thriller, escalating tension up until the fateful moment..
I did not finish the book accusing anyone, it is a tragic accident, rather I had a great feeling about how great the human spirit can be, the notion of selfless sacrifice coming alive.
If anything, I think the proceeds of this book will help some of the victims, which will make it an essential buy.