‘Hugely dramatic, thrilling indeed.’
—Financial Times
‘A first rate storyteller.’
—Daily Telegraph
‘Murari can set an exotic scene, enrich it with romantic intrigue, and power it with a dramatic climax. A good novel about man’s basic struggle against society, his fellow man and himself.’
—Library Journal
‘A backwater setting with fascinating characters is brought to life here by skilful, good oldfashioned
story telling.’
—Publishers Weekly
‘Murari’s use of language is accurate and skilled, and his story is satisfyingly well told.’
—Times Literary Supplement
‘There are insightful observations, like the author’s delicate delineation of the position of the English in the twilight zone of post-Partition India or the small details of life in the rajah’s household he provides.’
—Asian Wall Street Journal

Based on a real-life character, a legendary American boxer who lived in Bangalore in the
1960s and the 1970s, Timeri N. Murari’s novel tells us the thrilling story of a competition
between two opponents, one Indian, the other English. Set in the early years of the country’s Independence, the heightened tensions following the departure of the British give the outcome of the boxing match an added edge. Gunboat Jack agrees to coach the Indian boxer, but will that be enough to win against the stronger, more experienced Brit?