The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty: Delhi, 1857

The Indian Rebellion of 1857, in which an uprising of the British Empire's Hindu and Muslim soldiers swept across much of central India, was one of the central moments of the 19th century, changing everything it touched. It's been retold and reinterpreted ever since, but with his unprecedented use of Indian archives, Dalrymple makes one of its major episodes, the four-month seige of Delhi, into a thrilling, multi-dimensional story, full of historical insight and incredible, fully drawn characters. It's a window on an entire era, and a cracking good read.