Key words: Thorough, precise

Narration: 6/10 – I found the British accented narrator a bit monotone but he spoke at a suitable speed for my ear. Once or twice while listening during brisk walking I sped him up one notch.

Writing: 4 /10 – The weakest aspect. Charles Allen is more of a scholar than a writer. While the content off and on held my interest the choice of words presentation did less so. Intellectually it is very good, emotionally it left me, except in parts, cool if not cold. Jitterbug Perfume this is not.

Content: 8.5/10 – VERY detailed. Buddha & the Sahibs leans towards being an academic book. There is so much information in it that an audio-book is perhaps not its best format. I would like to buy, re-read, highlight and keep a text version of the book for reference. A summary book ('Coles Notes') version could be useful too. Sometimes entire sections of archaeological details could better be replaced with drawings and photos.

TOTAL: 18.5/30 – Frequently I lost track of what was being said and had to replay entire sections. I suspect this is because the narrator is less than engaging, despite the book's alternating fascinating and boring content, at least to myself (I am interested in the history of Indian religion and art). It reminded me of Kushwant Singh's 2-volume History of the Sikhs which I stopped reading because the author began with a geological history of Punjab (and ended with an apology for the inciter of the reaction of Operation Bluestar).

This book lacked any particular political perspective, for which I commend the author. I do not know if its minutiae (example: dimensions of a found box of relics) is a pro or a con. Frequently I found myself thinking, 'does this detail add or detract from the book?' and 'could the same point be made in not so much fewer words, but entirely eliminated thereby making listening to the book less of a chore?' I admit that I am lazy. This book requires attention. I could not do any other simultaneous tasks while listening to it, at least any that require thought processes more advanced than walking. Even gardening became a distraction. Otherwise I immediately lost both interest and ability to follow it. It lacks the action of say an action-adventure novel such as 'Seige of Mecca', which had me on the edge of my seat despite it being full of religious and military details.

Comments: My major take-away was that I learned much about 19th century Anglo orientalists and how if not for them, Buddhism would probably be extinct in India. Only half an hour or so is given to the 20th century however – ten minutes to anything post-WWI! But a related subject book, How the Swans Came to the Lake, on Buddhism's more modern arrival in USA, I enjoyed much more, despite it being less critical. Some details in B & TS were truncated and merit a book of their own, such as the role of Theosophical Society. Others, such as which Mauryan site had how many bricks I grew weary hearing. Relevant events such as the Sikh wars and Sepoy rebellion are mentioned and useful to know. The personal lives of key figures are understated, for example Leadbetter's sexual proclivities (I had to look elsewhere to find out precisely what that this meant). Biographies of many of the people mentioned could be entire books.

Reviewer context: ex quasi-Hindu, visited India at least ten times over 35 years, studied Sanskrit for one semester, now secular with sympathies for Buddhism.

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