John Zubrzycki in conversation with Satyajit Das

Balmain's friendly, independent, community-minded bookshop, providing a range of titles for readers of all kinds. We host regular author events for the book-loving community.

Roaring Stories Bookshop Balmain

An evening illuminating 5000 years of turbulent history that led India from the ruins of civilisations to an emerging global superpower.

The Royal Oak

From Alexander the Great crossing the Indus, to plotting Mughal emperors; from English colonisation and the East India Company, to the legacy of Gandhi; from ancient Buddhist practice to modern day Bollywood – John Zubrzycki, former foreign news editor with The Australian, tackles them all in a sweeping, entertaining and concise history of the rising global superpower of India.Join him on Tuesday 14 June in conversation with Satyajit Das, a globally respected former banker, nominated by Bloomberg as one of the fifty most influential financial thinkers in the world.Attendees are asked to arrive at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Seating is unallocated – another reason to arrive early to secure an optimal spot. Why not make a full evening of it, too, by booking a meal at the Royal Oak before or after the event? One of Balmain's oldest and best-known pubs, it serves a delicious range of food and beverages.The Shortest History of India will be available for purchase at the venue through Roaring Stories, with book signings from Zubrzycki following the discussion. If you miss out on a ticket, you can still watch the event as it is livestreamed from the Roaring Stories Facebook page (accessible on the Home page and from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RoaringStories268/live_videos/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">the Live tab</a>). A recording will also be available to view later as an upload on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1kpI6m98uJhICioqqV_ykQ" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Roaring Stories YouTube channel</a>.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ABOUT THE SHORTEST HISTORY OF INDIAOne of the oldest civilisations and the largest democracy in the world, India is an amalgam of customs, races, castes, languages and spiritual beliefs, woven together over 5000 years of wonderfully colossal and chaotic history.From the earliest humans and the Harappān civilisation to Muslim invaders, the Great Mughals, British rule, the country’s struggle for autonomy and present-day hopes and challenges, John Zubrzycki masterfully condenses five millennia of deities, mutinies, wars, great empires, decadent dynasties, invasions, colonisation and independence into a fascinating, lively telling. He brings the complex and contrasting layers of Indian history to life through a well-known cast of characters – Buddha, Alexander the Great, Akbar, Clive, Tipu Sultan, Lakshmi Bai, Curzon, Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi – against a backdrop of the mystical Ganges, the desert forts of Rajasthan, the snow-covered Himalayas and the ruins of India’s fabled civilisations.From Buddhism to Bollywood, India has made its mark on Asia and the world. Its progress in tackling poverty and illiteracy have been impressive, but extraordinary challenges remain – not least the threat to its secular fabric. Only time will tell if India can overcome its political, social and religious tensions to rise again and become the next global superpower.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ABOUT JOHN ZUBRZYCKIJohn Zubrzycki is an Australian author with a PhD in Indian history from the University of New South Wales. A former foreign news editor with The Australian, he has worked as a correspondent in India and as a diplomat in New Delhi and Jakarta. He is the author of four books on India, the latest being House of Jaipur: The Inside Story of India’s Most Glamorous Royal Family.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ABOUT SATYAJIT DASSatyajit Das is a globally respected former banker and consultant with over forty years’ experience in financial markets. In 2014, Bloomberg nominated him as one of the fifty most influential financial thinkers in the world. Das is the author of two international bestsellers, Traders, Guns &amp; Money: Knowns and Unknowns in the Dazzling World of Derivatives (2006) and Extreme Money: The Masters of the Universe and the Cult of Risk (2011). He was featured in Charles Ferguson’s 2010 Oscar-winning documentary Inside Job, the 2012 PBS Frontline series Money, Power &amp; Wall Street, the 2009 BBC TV documentary Tricks with Risk, and the 2015 German film Who’s Saving Whom? Das is also a regular guest on Phillip Adams' Late Night Live on ABC RN.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~TERMS &amp; CONDITIONSa) COVID SafetyThis is a COVID Safe event. Attendance is conditional on compliance with current and relevant NSW Heath COVID Safe guidelines.b) RefundsPlease note that tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled or postponed due to extenuating circumstances. Refunds cannot be issued 48 hours before the event. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~This event is presented by Roaring Stories Bookshop Balmain and Allen &amp; UnwinWith thanks to our venue partner The Royal Oak Balmain~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~Follow Roaring Stories and join the conversation<a href="https://facebook.com/roaringstories268" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/roaring_stories/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/RoaringStories" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a>

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