Author:Roberto Calasso
'To read Ka is to experience a giddy invasion of stories - brilliant, enigmatic, troubling, outrageous, erotic, beautiful' The New York Times
'Who?' - or 'ka' - is the question that runs through Roberto Calasso's retelling of the stories of the minds and gods of India; the primordial question that continues to haunt human existence. From the Rigveda to the Upanishads, the Mahabharata to the life of Buddha, this book delves into the corpus of classical Sanskrit literature to re-imagine the ancient Indian myths and how they resonate through space and time.
'The very best book about Hindu mythology that anyone has ever written' Wendy Doniger
'Dazzling, complex, utterly original ... Ka is his masterpiece' Sunday Times
If you want a dazzling, complex, erotic and utterly original European novel of ideas, Calasso is your man, and Ka his masterpiece
—— Sunday TimesTo read Ka is to experience a giddy invasion of stories - brilliant, enigmatic, troubling, outrageous, erotic, beautiful ... these stories are superbly narrated
—— Sunil Khilnani , New York Times Book ReviewPassage[s] of such ecstatic insight and cross-cultural synthesis-simply, of such beauty
—— The New York Review of BooksThe very best book about Hindu mythology that anyone has ever written ... A magnificent reading of Hindu texts. Its power arises in part through strong, vivid writing and in part through stunning, unexpected metaphors
—— Wendy Doniger , The New RepublicMagnificent ... A moving, exhilarating, extraordinary book ... An astonishing synthesis of myths and legends, philosophical inquiry, and speculative narrative
—— Shashi Tharoor , Washington Post Book WorldA scintillatingly challenging book ... Its opening sentences are as startling as any in all of literature
—— Thomas McGonigle , Los Angeles TimesAll is spectacle and delight, and tiny mirrors reflecting human foibles are set into the weave, turning this retelling into the stuff of literature ... Calasso's erudition and his capacity for invention appear to be limitless
—— The New YorkerHattersley… excels in describing political machinations… One must admire his courage, not to say his chutzpah, in undertaking a book of such enormous scope.
—— Michael Walsh , TabletThoughtful and thought provoking, minutely researched and well-written
—— ChoiceThe author writes with authority... He engages with his material and shares his enthusiasm with the reader. But equally he is detached: he has no interest in covering up scandals or selling a party line. The engaged outsider becomes a compelling biographer, at once intrigued and underwhelmed by his subject-matter
—— Lavinia Byrne , Church TimesSympathetic and lucid.
—— Daily TelegraphEmily has a style that would make you enjoy her report on the end of the world. Absolutely irresistible
—— Jeremy VineThe irony of this riveting, enlightening and sometimes painfully honest book is that you couldn't meet less of an airhead than Emily Maitlis - a bold, fearless journalist, a splendidly probing and well-prepared interlocutor, and a warm, sharp and witty woman at the top of her game on and off camera. I'm just very disappointed there's only one chapter about me
—— Piers MorganA light and easy read but a thought-provoking one
—— The TimesAn irreverent and amusing account of her media career
—— The Times, 100 Best Books for SummerSmart and Broadcast News-funny, Airhead is peppered with insider anecdotes you could only pick up working on the kind of big news stories that the journalist has covered for decades
—— Daily TelegraphNot an autobiography but a serious book about journalism, disguised in anecdotal chapters about her encounters with the great and the good and the rather awful . . . leads the reader towards a deeper understanding of an essential part of our culture: current affairs . . . this is a book that engages at every level
—— Daily MailVividly demonstrates her drive to report
—— Tatler MagazineMaitlis writes brilliantly
—— TatlerA deliciously funny behind-the-scenes take on broadcasting and her encounters with politicians and celebrities
—— iFascinating . . . [an] excellent book
—— Mail on SundayA behind-the-scenes look at how news gets made
—— ObserverA fascinating and brilliantly evocative ringside seat at some of the most notable interviews she's done
—— Radio TimesBehind-the-scenes accounts of her famous encounters, including those with Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and the Dalai Lama, among many others
—— Daily Mail Books of the YearShe lifts the veil on the inner workings of the BBC, as she reflects on her long career as a journalist
—— Radio TimesShe offers insights into everyone from Donald Trump to Simon Cowell, showing them not just as what they represent, but as individuals with flaws and charm
—— The Press and JournalOne of the best we've read this year . . . This insightful, hilarious and engrossing memoir from one of our most well-liked TV broadcasters takes you behind the scenes of the biggest news stories in recent years
—— SheerLuxe, 15 Best Beach Reads of 2019Recounts, one guest per chapter, a number of her interviews with the boldest of boldface figures . . . Entertaining
—— Strong WordsA quick, absorbing read . . . my overriding impression is of rather breathless thoughtfulness . . . her formidable intelligence and self-deprecating awareness shine brightly
—— Times Higher EducationWe love the Maitlis
—— StylistWe're obsessed with Emily Maitlis in this house
—— Nick GrimshawEmily Maitlis is a particular hero of mine . . . I know I'm in for a treat with Airhead
—— Gaby Huddart, Editor-in-chief, Good HousekeepingEmily Maitlis is one of my favourite interviewers and I want to read her tales of interviewing people such as Donald Trump, Theresa May and Simon Cowell
—— Catriona Shearer, Sunday MailA fascinating behind-the-scenes insight into modern television news
—— Time & Leisure MagazineIt's a brilliant, often funny, behind-the-scenes account of her working life, written by one of Britain's best television broadcasters. It proves she's far from an airhead!
—— John CravenShe gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most engaging interviews she's conducted in recent years - with all the wrangling, arguing, pleading and last-minute script writing they involved. Insightful, funny and engrossing, we love it.
—— SheerLuxe