River of smoke, paperback/amitav ghosh

The sequel to the Man Booker shortlisted Sea Of Poppies, opening a fascinating historical window on the opium wars and the shocking colonial exploits in the East.

Any good historical novel should teach the reader some history as well as sweeping him or her along with the unfolding narrative.

Few do this as well as Amitav Ghosh.

A book whose conclusion again left me panting for the next volume in this trilogy Financial Times.