Ladies of Lucknow

Two enthralling Lucknow diaries in one special edition

The siege and relief of the Residency at Lucknow is one of the principal conflicts of the Great Mutiny and became an abiding symbol of the spirit, resolution and fortitude of the men and women-military and civilian-that made the British Empire the globally dominating power it was in the Victorian age. It held a well deserved reputation for it was a scene of fierce fighting as the besieged sought to keep out attacking rebellious sepoy forces and their allies and the relieving force had to battle its way into the garrison on two occasions. These views of Lucknow are somewhat different. Leonaur has joined together two diaries, each by a female member of the besieged garrison, which chronicle-on a day by day basis-the experiences of those within the Residency's battered walls. This great value book enables the reader to compare two different perspectives on the same events. This is especially interesting because the two women came from different backgrounds and occupied different social spheres and so inevitably saw different aspects of the activities of the garrison, brought their focus onto different elements of it and evaluated their experiences in different ways. The first diary came from the pen of a civilian lady, the wife of a Churchman, and provides much valuable insight into the suffering of the families in Lucknow. The second diary is by a soldier's wife. Colonel Case of the 32nd was killed early in the siege, but military matters remained very much his widows concern among her other more domestic responsibilities. An excellent two-for-the-price-of-one view of a momentous event.