The siege the attack on the taj free ebook

Well written, well researched. Brings home the horror and cold blooded evil of the attack very well. A bit thin in the "afterword" section.

In fact, surprisingly so. Considering how much research the two authors seem to have managed, a little more information about what happened or did not happen in the aftermath would have been nice. PS: the authors show the full horror of the attack as well as all the ineptitude and bungling in the Indian respons Pop history in the vein of "Black Hawk Down".

PS: the authors show the full horror of the attack as well as all the ineptitude and bungling in the Indian response and a lot of heroism as well , but say very little about the unusual nature of the terrorist network that produced this horror. That their aims and abilities are "above average" is one thing, but that the state support they receive also goes beyond the norm is never explicitly stated.

This is a mistake. If you have gone to the trouble of writing this book and feel so strongly about it, its good to put in perspective as well How the authors weave the true events of the tragedy into a book, deserves the praising. A big salute to all the people who help to save many lives without caring for their own. A must read!!! Review to come soon! Mar 31, Brian rated it really liked it. It's hard to say one enjoys a book such as this, but I do think it's an important event worthy of wider familiarity, especially in the West.

Based on this book, along with the recently released The Wrong Enemy, it's pretty clear now that Pakistan should have been included in the so-called "axis of evil. One of the frustrating lessons to be drawn from the attacks in Mumbai relates to how unprepared the Indian government It's hard to say one enjoys a book such as this, but I do think it's an important event worthy of wider familiarity, especially in the West.

One of the frustrating lessons to be drawn from the attacks in Mumbai relates to how unprepared the Indian government was, and apparently remains. Whether it be the lack of appropriate equipment, training, or a clear-cut chain of command, it's still shocking to learn that just ten well-trained and highly motivated terrorists were able to attack a heavily trafficked train station, a Jewish center, a restaurant, and two luxury hotels, killing more than people and wounding hundreds of others, all over a period lasting days.

This also speaks to a weakness of the book, at least for me: Very little is mentioned about the attacks elsewhere from the Taj hotel. Certainly, that was the most lengthy and dramatic, but the other locations are barely mentioned and aren't discussed in any detail whatsoever.

That said, the almost hour-by-hour coverage of the events within the Taj is compelling reading, to say the least. Incredibly well researched, particularly with respect to the Lakshi training centers within Pakistan and how terrorists are "formed,' but also with the amount of detail the authors uncovered in their investigation of this horrific attack.

Finally, it's hard to consider terrorism anything other than an unrestrained psychopathology, since its implementation rarely achieves much more than a shot-lived effect, shocking though it may be.

And often, it's impossible to understand how any rational person could believe their long-term strategic goals would ever manifest from such tactics. View all 10 comments. Dec 07, Ben Estes rated it liked it. This book in one word: harrowing. Before reading this, I'm embarrassed to admit that I knew essentially nothing about the terrorist attacks on Mumbai in that were centered on the Taj Hotel.

To that end, the book usefully served as a densely-packed primer about the incident. The authors' legwork is impressive—the level of detail is striking enough that at times I felt like I was right there on the ground along with everyone else at the Taj.

But often that same meticulousness was too distract This book in one word: harrowing. But often that same meticulousness was too distracting to be effective, as it felt like the authors were haphazardly throwing in anecdotes from victims' lives just to "show their work," so to speak.

Despite their best efforts, too, I never got a good sense of the geography of the Taj, and the constant cacophony of hotel lingo and South Asia points of interest was confusing and sometimes overwhelming though perhaps this is my fault for not knowing enough about the region.

And most importantly, confronting line after line of vividly-described horror and bloodshed simply made for a less-than-enjoyable reading experience.

If the authors' goal was to portray the Mumbai attacks with unflinching brutality, they certainly succeeded, but I can't help but feel like this book would have been better with a slightly softer edge and more of a narrative hilt.

If any book should come with a trigger warning, this one should. Especially for Mumbaikars. I could never read more than a few pages at a time. It's as spine-chilling as any thriller I have read, and much more terrifying.

It's really well-researched and the events unfold in elaborate detail. Right from the political incompetencies to the silent heroism of the Taj staff, this book brings the horror of 'the seige' alive. It's terrifying but a story worth reading. I salute every staff member of the If any book should come with a trigger warning, this one should.

I salute every staff member of the hotel who risked their lives to save their guests. Right from the hotel's manager Karambir Kang who lost his entire family in the attack but still led the evacuation and rescue mission from the front lines to the 'Kitchen Brigade' who risked their lives to enter the hotel, after escaping the horror once, to save more guests, and laid down their lives as human shields for the guests.

The conclusion is just as chilling as the rest of the book. Chef Oberoi, after watching his colleagues die, volunteers after the battle to clean up the kitchen. Amit Peshave who continues to help survivors even after being injured and traumatised. I am awed by all these characters. This was a very good read. The Terrorist attack on the Taj Hotel in Mumbai was scary enough just watching the news on TV but this book really gets inside the plot from the beginning stages when the boys were recruited, how it was planned, executed, what went wrong for the Terrorists, The Police, the guests.

It gives the accounts from staff perspective, the guest perspective, and the terrorist and police perspective and shows the bravery of both the staff, the guests, and the security forces ins This was a very good read. It gives the accounts from staff perspective, the guest perspective, and the terrorist and police perspective and shows the bravery of both the staff, the guests, and the security forces inside. The courage of all of those people who were doing the best they could to try to protect themselves and to get the guests to safety.

They were under the impression from news reports that there were attacks all over the city so they thought they were being attacked by a much larger force, but in reality it was about 10 teams of two.

It's an amazing story. It was a fascinating read and I highly recommend it! How can I even rate something like this! What do I review about?! The chaos. The loss. The endurance. The courage. The sacrifices. The competency and efficiency of a private terror network aided by government agencies. The incompetency and the inefficiency of most of the Indian govt. The humanity shown by the Taj employees.

The How can I even rate something like this! The humaneness and the empathy and the compassion displayed by strangers towards people who are strangers to them.

It was a difficult book. It was unputdownable. But for what reasons. Oct 07, Kara rated it liked it Shelves: arc-copies , first-reads , The Siege: 68 Hours Inside the Taj Hotel is an unusually compelling non-fictional account of the notorious attacks in Mumbai, which captured the world's attention. I can corroborate the word of other commentators who praise the depth of research by authors Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrien Levy; the level of detail they have compiled is incredible.

Moreover, you can count me as one of crowd who found this book to be an absolutely absorbing pageturner; it was more compelling than many well-writte The Siege: 68 Hours Inside the Taj Hotel is an unusually compelling non-fictional account of the notorious attacks in Mumbai, which captured the world's attention.

Moreover, you can count me as one of crowd who found this book to be an absolutely absorbing pageturner; it was more compelling than many well-written thrillers for which I have a voracious literary appetite. This is a reading experience that will definitely entertain as it informs -- and excites, frightens, and above all, engrosses you.

The rich detail The Siege conveys while maintaining a seamlessly fast paced narrative of the events in question distinguish it as a unique achievement of its authors as much as a find for its readers.

However, the genre here is of course not thriller fiction; this is non-fiction, investigative journalism about real happenings that impacted real people. Certainly, the measure of the quality of such a work must be greater than its ability to absorb and entertain its readers; it must be a fitting representation of some important truth. I find that the authors take too many literary liberties in presenting the facts to be true to the heart of the factual material. Principally, details are fictionalized or at least stylized for the explicit purpose of imitating novelistic techniques used to hook readers' interest in the given author's designed plot.

The opening lines of The Siege 's "Prologue" provide a strong example of this phenomenon: "A sliver of moon hung over the Arabian sea as the dinghy powered towards 'The Queen's Necklace' The ten-man crew of Pakistani fighters rode the black waves in silence, listening to the thrum of the outboard motor Make of it what you will; it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I conclude that these techniques fall flat at best, and at worst, they strike this reader as downright unseemly when used to frame life-and-death deciding moments in the lives of real human beings such as form the basis of the nonfictional story at hand.

Despite the fine journalistic detail and exceptionally compelling presentation, I must give this account of the terrorism in Mumbai a deeply ambivalent review. Please be advised I received my copy of this book through a Goodreads book giveaway.

Sep 03, Neeti rated it it was amazing. In this meticulously researched book, filled with first-hand accounts of heroism and heart break, you experience dread, triumph, relief and at times utter frustration at the inadequacy and the pace of response from the city, state and national authorities. It's evident that the research that went into writing this book was staggering and yet the reportage reads like a thriller.

This one's an unstoppable, heart-pounding read. The terrible attack on the evergreen Mumbai, an economic hub of the country. The ghastly flame from the iconic Taj Hotel, CST railway station filled with the blood of passenger, family crying for their loved ones. I think all these images are still fresh in the mind of Indians. It not only shook the entire world but it also shows how much terrorism has spread its roots.

This book is an honest retelling of the siege of Taj Hotel on 26 Novem The terrible attack on the evergreen Mumbai, an economic hub of the country. This book is an honest retelling of the siege of Taj Hotel on 26 November Nov 30, Kerry Reilly rated it it was amazing. I saw a man this morning bristling at the tight security- but halfway through the book I now understand why Indian five star hotels look under cars with mirrors, x-ray bags, and send people through metal detectors to get in the lobby.

Actually what is scary is how haphazard a lot of the security is, unarmed hotel guards waving people through as the metal detector beeps nonstop or people sidestepping it altogether. Nov 13, Julian Douglass rated it really liked it Shelves: history. I already saw Hotel Mumbai, which is basically the movie version of this book, so I do remember a lot of the scenes of the siege.

What really stood out to me in this book was the details of everything before the attack, which is new and a great depth into how Pakistan harbors these terror cells, then "doesn't see to know about them". Great reporting, great detail, and a truly horrific story that really rocked the world at the time. Thank you to Catherine at Penguin for tracking down a copy of this book for me.

So, recently I decided to expand my reading yet again by starting to read some more non-fiction - something I've only dipped a toe into every now and again, much preferring fiction and all the adventures you can find there I started with Jamie Baywoods often hilarious account of how she settled into a new home- Getting Rooted in New Zealand - and then moved onto a "self help" book for those suffering a loss "You can Thank you to Catherine at Penguin for tracking down a copy of this book for me.

I started with Jamie Baywoods often hilarious account of how she settled into a new home- Getting Rooted in New Zealand - and then moved onto a "self help" book for those suffering a loss "You can Heal Your Heart" both of which gave me very different but equally rewarding reading experiences.

I then put out a plea amongst friends as to what I should try next - The Siege, by Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott Clark, telling the story of the takeover of the Taj in Mumbai by Islamic terrorists seemed to be a popular choice - Read it they told me. Its fascinating, horrifying and compelling. So I did.. For three days, guests and staff of the hotel are trapped as the terrorists run amok. On 29th November commandos launch Operation Black Tornado. The world holds its breath. The first thing that struck me was how well researched this book was.

Starting with the "Dramatis personae" giving an overview of the people involved and a brief background, including guests, staff and the terrorists themselves, I was immediately right at the heart of the matter - I wanted to find out what happened to all of them. Leading on with a bit of background of the events leading up to the terror attacks, and some information on the hotel, you were left feeling slightly off kilter while you waited for what you knew was coming..

The second thing that struck me was how much this book read as if it was a Thriller - a fast paced one at that - I often had to stop for a moment and remind myself, especially in the more violent moments, that these people were REAL.

Everything I was reading actually happened - it was a sobering thought and one that compelled me to read ever onwards. I read this in two days, such was my inability to leave it before I knew the outcome.

I had zero knowledge of these events before opening this account - such is the beauty of the writing I now feel almost as if I were there - or at the very least had friends who were. This is a soundbite in a way - a little of my own research tells me that there was a lot more to the terror attacks on Mumbai in quite apart from the events at the Taj - I feel that I absolutely want to know more.

If anyone knows of any other books that tackle this subject well, I would be very interested to hear about them. I'm not sure what else I can say really - I can't speak to characterisation because these are not characters they are human beings who suffered at the hands of other human beings - that very fact makes this a must read. I would highly recommend that you give it a go. Highly Recommended. Jan 16, Ashok rated it it was amazing. Tears threatened to fill my eyes.

My throat constricted. More than once. I had just finished reading the book. Shangrila hotel in Pudong, China is where I had switched on the TV on the evening of November 26, and watched the attack on the Taj in horror. All other thoughts were replaced by sheer incredulity - how could this happen? Crime is not unknown in Mumbai and neither are bombings, but a group of men walking around with guns just shooting down people?

In South Bombay? I had spent Tears threatened to fill my eyes. I had spent the first three years of my life living in that area not that I remember much! The memories of living in Badhwar Park for four years are indelible as was my life in and around South Bombay.

So many memories. Movies at Regal. Shopping on Colaba Causeway. Beer at Gokul, even on dry days when it was served in steel tumblers. Singdana and masala papad. Bade Miyan's kababs. Chicken Malai Tikka at Santoor.

I could go on endlessly. Visiting the Sea Lounge was a special treat, as was dining at Golden Dragon. The Oberoi coffee shop was where we discussed Charu's wedding and were surprised to see our photo in the Times of India the next morning! Having moved away from India for close on 30 years now and not visiting South Bombay often enough had dulled some of my memories, but everything came back as I raced through this book. I could visualize the places described in the book with vivid emotion.

Thank God they were stopped before they got to Malabar Hill. To be brief, Levy and Scott-Clerk have written a masterpiece. This is a racy action thriller which is non-fiction. It feels for the people who were involved in this tragedy and made me a part of their stories. It is based on deep research and conversations with many of the people who were affected. It is a story of heroism, tragedy, bravery, tears and stupidity.

It also exposes the incompetence of the authorities in dealing with the situation. I am glad I read this book. The Siege could easily have been a human interest story.

Except that it is not. The research has been extensive, to the extent that it talks about the emotions of the survivors and from their viewpoint, the psyche of the dead! Some extrapolations, a lot of 'versions' that have been accommodated and the details of the operation rebuilt from clues and accounts.

It must have been no easy task. It als The Siege could easily have been a human interest story. It also takes a critical view on the inaction of the Police and the lack of preparation of the Taj for an emergency.

Which is revealing, definitely, but also judgmental. And so you start accepting people's biases, 'expert' opinions and heroic narratives centered around every character. I'm not sure how they resolved conflict in narratives, but then that is beside the point. Heart goes out to the victims of this hate attack and you feel uplifted by the heroics of the Taj hotel employees. It is a story worth chronicling and if someone is going to make money from the tragedy by making it a fast paced thriller narrative, it is just a small price to pay.

Feb 22, Viji Suresh rated it it was amazing. The past week, I lived inside Taj. I could smell the fumes, gun powder and the singed skins and hair. The incompetence of the government in bringing in the commandos; the avoidable delays that robbed away the lives of hundreds. At the peril of death people unite and the act of survival tops their lists. When the ak47's loomed before them, their were two probabilities, to keep themselves a The past week, I lived inside Taj.

When the ak47's loomed before them, their were two probabilities, to keep themselves alive or to die and everyone of them fought a little to hold on to their lives before giving it away, except for those few who died during the first attack, that came as a surprise.

There were few who helped others to survive and most of the Taj staffs, the way they helped their guests till their last moment is incredible. If only the Taj hotel management agreed to the take the threats and strengthened the security measures, if only the Government sent the commandos on time. There were lots of if onlys. A complete book on the massacre. It is difficult to find an actual event being narrated in a manner it has been in "The Siege". The authors have researched various aspects and spoken to those that went through the traumatic experience to build a fast-paced and "un-put-downable" book.

The book is also a tribute to those that went well beyond the call of duty to assist those that were trapped. Trailer The Siege. Video Photos Top cast Edit. Mosleh Mohamed Muezzin as Muezzin. Ellen Bethea Anita as Anita. Edward Zwick. More like this. Watch options.

Storyline Edit. After the abduction by the US military of an Islamic religious leader, New York City becomes the target of escalating terrorist attacks. As the bombings continue, the US government responds by declaring martial law, sending US troops, led by Gen.

Devereaux, into the streets of New York City. On November 6th our freedom is history. Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity. Did you know Edit. They were furious at being stereotyped as terrorists. Lebanon is the only Arab country without a desert. User reviews Review. Top review. What if At first glance, The Siege looks to be a jingoistic, typically heroic American patriot film. But upon further review, and if you honestly give this movie a chance and listen to what it has to say, you'll see that it wants us to listen, it wants us to learn and it wants us to just look at the possibilities of " what if?

This is one of the best movies that I have seen in recent years and what kind of stumps me is the negative criticism surrounding the film, not just the complaint of racism I'll get into that later but about the film in general. And I have come to a conclusion that not everybody will agree with and certainly many will dislike.

The positive reviews that have been in the IMDb have been, at least a great many of them, from people that are nationalities other than American. And perhaps the reason for that is that we can sit back and look at the U.

And it may be easier for us whatever nationality we happen to be to understand what is wrong with America and why a film like this is just trying to give one possible reason for the decay of American society. That is not to say that our own countries don't have problems, because they do, but we can just see what is wrong with America a little easier, we are not blinded by our own patriotism.

It may be easier still for perhaps Europeans to appreciate the movie even more than others because maybe their own countries have been under siege at one point or another. And maybe the relevance is that much more prevalent when you have been that close to something.

The book was published in multiple languages including English, consists of and is available in ebook format. The main characters of this non fiction, history story are ,. The book has been awarded with , and many others. Please note that the tricks or techniques listed in this pdf are either fictional or claimed to work by its creator.

We do not guarantee that these techniques will work for you. Some of the techniques listed in The Siege: 68 Hours Inside The Taj Hotel may require a sound knowledge of Hypnosis, users are advised to either leave those sections or must have a basic understanding of the subject before practicing them.