Amandeep S. Madra and Parmjit Singh Hardback, 180 pages, 110 duo-tint images I.B. Tauris Publishers in association with the Sikh Foundation ISBN: 1-86064-490-2

A remarkable pictorial history documenting the Sikh prowess in war with early prints and paintings dating back to the 1700s, and photographs from the 1850s to the present day.

The book traces the spiritual and ethical origins of the Sikh call-to-arms, the martyrdoms and conflict of the Mughal period, the founding of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh, the Afghan and Persian invasions, the rise of the Sikh kingdoms, the Anglo-Sikh wars and the contribution of Sikhs in both World Wars and more recent international conflicts. The commentary is accompanied by quotes from allies and foes of Sikhs soldiers through the ages and from the Sikh Gurus. Detailed picture captions add military substance and tell human stories.

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In the faces of these warriors you will see the face of Sikhism.

Reader Reviews Excellent historical documentation. I loved this book. It brought tears to my eyes. I loved how it showed the essence of a true warrior saint. The pictures are so beautiful and each one tells a story. My favorite one was the soldiers marching behind the Guru. Sat Pavan Khalsa, Oregon, USA, February 7, 2000

Interesting and inspiring Highly recommended for anyone interested in military science or martial ethics and anthropology. Very inspirational. Gurdarshan S Khalsa, USA, December 2, 1999

Stunning images, beautifully designed, wonderfully written. This book is a beautiful photographic art book. The 150 or so photographs and paintings are generously reproduced with lots of space and, unlike many photographic books, with very descriptive captions. The story of the Sikh marital traditions is well written but rather brief although the authors have clearly tried very hard to introduce lots of new material. The most striking part of the written text are the quotes taken from various non-Sikhs over the last 500 years or so commenting on the Sikh military traits. This book is the product of a new generation of Sikh scholar and a welcome addition. It should however not be targeted solely to the Asian community which seems the case with many other South Asian books. I would also like to have seen something about the famous Sikh flyers of the RAF and IAF and also more about the role of the Sikh soldier in India’s modern Army. The authors seem to brush by the important contribution of Sikhs in India’s army too brusquely. On the whole though, a wonderful piece of work. Roger Elliot from Cork, Ireland, November 30, 1999

Very high quality and well structured with stunning pictures After attending the exhibition at the Victoria and Albert, I ordered this book. The design and content is extremely high in quality and well structured. It presents an outstanding chronology of significant events in the history of Sikhs to the reader and to the casual person just browsing the book. Not only does the book document warfare and defense of the times, but it gives insight into the deep commitment and beliefs of Sikh people. This book is a must for anyone interested in the culture of the Sikhs. Given the great price, the book also makes a thoughtful gift. Also recommended, Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms.

Elizabeth Garrison, Rhode Island, USA, December 2, 1999

A real treasure for Sikhs and non Sikhs I picked up this book in London during the summer. I knew nothing about the book which has been very badly promoted by the authors. It is however, the most wonderful treasure of quotes and images. It is essentially a very short, but well written account of Sikh martial history augmented with 150 or so wonderful black and white pictures -- the vast majroity of which I had never seen before. From the earliest photographs of Sikhs dating back to 1849 to wonderful images of Sikhs in the two world wars. A notable but forgivable omission is the photographs of the Sikh flyers. For non-Sikhs, do not be worried that this is a dry military history, far from it. In fact it is the very essence of Sikhism --its philosophy and practices and in fact is not a military history -- it is a book for young Sikhs, parents and educators. Let’s hope we see more from this stable. Also recommended Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms

J. S. Puri, IT director San Jose, November 15, 1999

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