CONDITION USED GOOD , THE LAST MAHARAJA , A BIOGRAPHY OF SAWAI MAN SINGH II, MAHARAJA OF JAIPUR, 1985

Born in a modest village, and elevated by adoption at the age of eleven to the position of a medieval monarch, the young Maharaja of Jaipur enjoyed a life of absolute privilege in a near-feudal state. Yet, his rule also coincided with the years that transformed India into a modern democracy. The same man who enjoyed the extraordinary powers of an autocrat also presided—long before Independence required it—over the dismantling of his own position as Maharaja and the passage of power from his hands to those of his people.

This evocative biography describes the Maharaja’s British education, his introduction to London society in the 1930s, his world-beating exploits as a polo player, his passion for all things military, and his astute handling of a barons’ revolt in Jaipur. It recounts how, despite navigating the difficult and treacherous ground of political change, he became a ruler of vision, humanity, and considerable resource—still revered by his people—and whose state of Jaipur remains one of the most peaceful in modern India.

The biography also follows his three marriages, the last of them made in the teeth of opposition from both the British and the nobles of Jaipur, and his close friendship with the British Royal Family.

Quentin Crewe’s exceptional narrative skill and insight into character enable him to capture both the splendour of princely India and the harsh political atmosphere of Independence, while bringing the Maharaja himself vividly to life. The text is accompanied by a remarkable set of photographs from the Maharaja’s own collection, perfectly illustrating the exalted nature of his life and the gentle yet effective personality for which he was renowned.

Quentin Crewe has been a journalist, farmer, and restaurateur, despite spending much of his life in a wheelchair. His last book, In Search of the Sahara, which recounts his journey around the Sahara Desert, won critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic.

“I am delighted that Quentin Crewe has written this biography. Jai’s life spanned the most turbulent and radical changes that the subcontinent has experienced in many centuries, and this book vividly describes their impact on the life of one of the last of India’s ruling princes.”

— From the Foreword by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

Quentin Crewe has been a journalist, farmer, and restaurateur, despite spending much of his life in a wheelchair. His last book, In Search of the Sahara, which recounts his journey around the Sahara Desert, won critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic.