'Spellbinding . . . a remarkable book'JOSEPHINE QUINN, author of How the World Made the West'A compelling, highly readable account'NANDINI DAS, author of Courting IndiaBefore the East India Company and the British Empire, England was a pariah state. Seeking better fortunes, 16th and 17th century merchants, pilgrims and outcasts ventured to th...

Shortlisted for The British in India Book Prize 2025'A spellbinding account of the first forgotten half of the English encounter with India with a fascinating history of the Mughal Empire' JOSEPHINE QUINN, author of How the World Made the West'Compelling, highly readable' NANDINI DAS, author of Courting India'Remarkable' THE TIMES