Why I Need Alexander Burnes, and You Do Too 362


‘Murray’s book is a terrific read. He has done full justice to the life of a remarkable British hero, without ignoring his faults’ — Peter Oborne, Daily Mail

‘An important re-evaluation of this most intriguing figure’ — William Dalrymple

‘This is a fascinating book … his research has been prodigious, both in libraries and on foot. He knows a huge amount about Burnes’s life and work’ —Allan Massie, The Scotsman

‘If you are a fan of the Flashman series of books, you will be gripped by the story of this British spy’ —Hannah Ferret, The Sun

This blog has been going for over ten years now and has never asked for money or taken advertising. In that time I have continually campaigned on a whole variety of issues, though chiefly human rights, Scottish independence, against war, and on the need for a profoundly more equal society. I have travelled the length and breadth of the UK and around the world to speak at literally hundreds of public meetings, and have appeared in numerous videos and documentaries. My primary purpose has always been as much to promote debate and the ability to think well outside the increasingly narrow box which society prescribes, as to convert to my own precise views.

And I have been paid for almost none of it. I do it entirely because I believe in it. I have never asked readers for cash to keep this blog going. I have never asked for a fee to speak in a good cause.

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But I do ask you, now, to buy my book. I ask you to do this to get the book itself (and buy more for Christmas presents!) but also as a recompense to pay for any of my work you have enjoyed on this blog, or elsewhere, over the past decade. Sikunder Burnes is the result of eight years of unfunded hard work, and manuscript research in England, Scotland and India. It is, I believe, worth every penny it costs. I appreciate it is expensive, and I have no difficulty whatsoever if you prefer to buy the electronic version which is a great deal cheaper.

It is the story of the fascinating life of a man both caught up in, and attempting to shape, an astonishing period of Scottish, British, Indian, Pakistani, Kalati, Afghan, Uzbek, Iranian and Russian history. As I hope you would expect from me, it even bursts out from such a broad canvass into all kinds of unexpected intellectual directions, many of which surprised me too!

My preference would be for you to buy it from a bookshop if you can, because bookshops need support. Otherwise you can order it from thehive.co.uk (where it is currently cheaper) or from Amazon. Doubtless other online options are available. Unfortunately we live in a country where some people cannot afford a book, and in that case you would much oblige me by asking for it from your local library.

To tax your patience further, I should be most grateful if you could do a couple of other things. Firstly, once read leave a review of the book, on Amazon, Goodreads, or any other available forum. Please note that I am not asking you to puff the book – I should be very grateful if you could leave completely honest reviews.

Secondly, it would be very helpful if you could leave comments below on your experience of buying the book. If online, was it in stock, how quickly did it come and what did you pay? If in a bookshop, did they have it on a shelf, did they appear to have heard of it, did it have to be ordered in and how long did that take etc.? Library feedback is also most welcome. We will keep this page permanently available for comment on the blog, renamed The Sikunder Burnes Page. Your views on the book are also very welcome here.

Frankly, I do need the revenue from the book to keep going because at the moment finances are very tight. But it means more to me than that, in that it represents a step towards a new career direction where a shunned whistleblower might be permitted to work.

Please do buy, and enjoy, Sikunder Burnes.

Read Sikunder Burnes – the first 9 chapters for FREE!



Buy Amazon Hardback
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UPDATE We are no longer selling signed editions from this blog, as we have run out. I have also finally given in and started accepting subscriptions to keep the blog going; its very success keeps making it more expensive to run.


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362 thoughts on “Why I Need Alexander Burnes, and You Do Too

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  • Anon1

    I won’t be buying a copy for myself because it is entirely predictable from some of the extracts you have given here that the British will be blamed for every ill befalling the region up to the modern day, whilst Scotland and the Scottish will be depicted as a distinct entity from the craven British empire builders they were – as intelligent, compassionate, humane and altogether morally superior to their English counterparts.

  • geomannie

    Hi Craig

    Regarding a buying experience, your book is already out of stock at thehive.co.uk. I ordered direct from Birlinn at £25.

    I look forward to reading it.

    • michael boyd

      Just preordered on Amazon its out tomorrow and retails for £25.00.

      Can you not do annual funding campaigns like Wings, Wikipedia etc? Everybody appreciates your hard work and insightful articles apart from Anon1, is he an agent provocateur?

      Thanks Craig.

  • Republicofscotland

    Re your 20.08pm comment.

    Oh I’m sure you’ll get your wish sooner than later, when Theresa May repeals, the ECHR, along with article 10, and the British Bill of Rights takes its place.

    Re your 19.54pm comment.

    As for Methuselah, I mean HRH Lizzie, if we all had such a cosseted and pampered, life, living off the state, I’m sure most of us wouldn’t look our age.

  • Tony_0pmoc

    Congratulations Craig on completing your book and getting it published. Alexander Burnes sounds a bit like you. I do appreciate the detailed work you went to unearthing the original manuscripts from deep in the archives. I thought Murder in Samarkand one of the most exciting books I have read.

    Any plans for a Film?

    I know the World has changed, but when I was a kid, I used to go to the biggest cinemas in Manchester with my Mum to see Classics like

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_of_Arabia_(film)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Zhivago_(film)

    Good luck with it.

    Tony

  • Marco

    Dear Craig,

    I just bought Sikunder Burnes on the iBook store. Can’t wait to start reading it; I thoroughly enjoyed your previous books!

    Cheers,

    Marco

  • Babushka

    Craig I will ask my local library to buy a copy, plus, when you figure out how, I will buy a signed copy which any assistant you might have, could send to my daughter in London. You have my email address, so I look forward to making that transaction as soon as possible?
    Thank you for all you do.

  • Alcyone

    Congratulations Craig and good luck with this launch!

    It’s interesting that where your readers need to wish you luck, it doesn’t occur to them. Otherwise you are appearing at the Parliamentary Committee and if they are not busy, being deeply cynical as they are, advising you from the corners of their little minds,’don’t go’, they were busy wishing you good luck. As if you were about to be carried out in handcuffs.

    There definitely is some luck involved in getting a book flying off the shelves. For example, are your publisher’s promoting the book in India? It’s a big market today. I strongly recommend you or your publisher speaks with William Dalrymple and/or his publisher to get their tips. You should probably make a trip out there. It won’t surprise me in the least that if you should mention your interest to Dalrymple that he will have some leads on people/organisations who may even be interested to invite you over to speak, expenses paid. I doubt very much though that it would be the British Council. Now that’s a thought: maybe Nicola should appoint you as Chief Agent to architect, launch and head a Scottish Council? I should have thought, if nothing else you could help increase the sales of Scotch Whiskey–well even a mere 5% increase would more than make it pay for itself and have you gainfully employed and in your element.

    My broader point is don’t rely solely on your publisher to promote. Understand their marketing plans and give them a few strategic tactics. It’s your book and eight years of your life!

  • Laura Doty

    I’ve ordered an e-version through US Amazon, and look forward to reading/reviewing it. I’ve enjoyed your periodic posts about this book, and am delighted finally to read the whole thing.

  • Alcyone

    I shan’t be reading the book myself as my brain mapping doesn’t lend itself to reading either fiction or history.

    I once bought 200 copies of John Murray’s ‘A Gentleman Publisher’s Commonplace Book’ and sent it out to a number of friends and clients. It was greatly appreciated.

    I do not have reason, as I did then, to maintain a network of contacts so don’t promise to achieve anywhere near that number, but as a token of thanks, shall look out for any opportunity to present your book as best as one can. And soonest too, as I don’t believe in Christmas.

    • kief

      What does belief have to do with Xmas? It’s a celebration and probably the one time family see themselves each year. Loosen the sphincter a little.

        • Alcyone

          Yes, actually, daily. Not once a year for archetype Type Zero Global Civilisation medieval loosened-sphincter man. LOL

          Thanks greatly for your concern!

      • Alcyone

        Will you write a book and title it: ‘Why I Need a Loose Sphincter and You Do Too’ (?)
        _____________________

        ” Kief (pronounced [keːf, ki(ː)f]; from Arabic كيف (kayf), meaning ” pleasure, intoxication”), sometimes transliterated as keef or kif, refers to the resinous trichomes of cannabis that may accumulate in containers or be sifted from loose, dry cannabis flower with a mesh screen or sieve. “

  • Alcyone

    “It is the story of the fascinating life of a man both caught up in, and attempting to shape, an astonishing period of Scottish, British, Indian, Pakistani, Kalati, Afghan, Uzbek, Iranian and Russian history.”

    I have it reliably that Sikander Burnes knew nothing about Pakistan. I wonder if St Peter knew that he was also Mr Pope? If I may add to my ignorance of history, my ignorance of organised religions.

    Craig why is it Sikunder and not Sikander (also google’s preference. I have a hunch, but I would like to hear from you.

      • Alcyone

        I suspected that was one reason, or rather to begin with, perhaps that is how he was addressed. It does though rather have a more Raj-haughty undertone to it than the more contemporary Sikander. But then, you are recording/probing history so that’s fine. All the best with the new baby, Craig!

        • Salford Lad

          Sikunder appears to be a corruption of Alexander, who of course battled his way around the Indian sub-continent and made a big impression on the locals.
          It is of course a term of status and respect.

      • Alcyone

        Btw, in a small preparation as more people search for him in wiki, you may want to get Clark to round off/re-write the wikipedia entry. It doesn’t even reflect his, this adopted/given name.

  • Alcyone

    Craig I strongly recommend, while you are still a part of the ‘British Brexit economy’ to get your book manufactured in China and get it on the shelves double-quick by 1st November.

  • Ian

    Just bought an ebook version from Kobo for $14.69 CDN. However, submitted a price match request to them because it is only $10.30 CDN on Amazon. Because of Kobo’s price match guarantee, they will match Amazon’s price PLUS an extra 10% off.

    Will drop by an actual bookstore for which I have a gift certificate to place an order for the physical edition which I will give away as a gift.

    However, I likely won’t have time to start reading the book until over the winter holidays. Something to look forward to.

    • glenn_uk

      Have you watched “Zeitgeist”? It explains pretty well why Xmas is on 25/12, also usefully taking in a good number of other religions’ Holy Days (or “holidays”) while they’re at it (as they did with Easter, for instance).

      They wanted to slide right in there, boot the originators of the observance out, and then pretend _they_ were the heretics for having their observances on these dates which were always supposed to be for observance of the new religion.

      —-

      “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society”

      ~ J. Krishnamurti

      • kief

        No.

        Actually christmas as 12/25 was chosen by Constantine, the convert. He sought to meld the ancient religions with Christianity to appease his non-christian base. Easter is another.

        • Alcyone

          Absolutely invaluable information; divine knowledge.

          So did Constantine have a loose-sphincter like yours? Maybe Freud would have an explanation. Was yours at birth or did you acquire it from too many family ‘get-togethers’?

        • kief

          You’ve seized on the sphincter metaphor, so It’s not necessary to say I told you so.

          But I do hope you have somewhere to go on the Holidays. You shouldn’t be alone.

        • Alcyone

          If that’s an invitation, you’ll have to get your loose sphincter filled elsewhere. Given that you do 12/25 while we do 25/12, you should have no number of varied aggrieved Iraqis, Libyans, Syrians and Baghdadis, backed by (pun-intended) Saudis and Qataris to oblige you. Enjoy!

          Now, don’t you think I’ve given your rather actually worthless, cliched and metaphored self enough attention for one evening? Now there’s a good chappie!

        • Alcyone

          Btw I enjoy being alone, it’s loneliness that I’m beyond and you fear. I genuinely hope you might learn something from this exchange. Grow an inch; no, I don’t mean your piles. LOL

      • Alcyone

        Evening Glenn, and a very auspicious time of your post! All the zeros.

        Thanks for that pointer, will definitely observe it, should I be saying at Christmas time. And, yes, I was aware of that extract of K’s that the directors incorporated and made famous. His other statements of ‘Truth is a Pathless Land’ and ‘Living with Choiceless Awareness’ are quite poetic too, laced with a ring of truth!

        Stay well and don’t work too hard tonight! Hope you have the US elections to entertain your night hours. I was thinking of you earlier today actually as this Clinton woman’s email ‘scandal’ seems to be snowballing aided by Assange. I recall quite a long while ago, IF i remember correctly, that you thought it was flogging a dead horse. But then that was pre-wikileaks. I may be wrong. But given the choice of The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea, I think I’d rather watch the fun of the waves rolling in!? 🙂

        • glenn_uk

          It did hit the zeros now you mention it! Shame this doesn’t also show seconds. Hope you are well, and still considering being a vegetarian. I’ve found it to be a better way of living for quite a while now, since about the age of 20.

          The US elections are certainly entertaining. But on the subject of the Clinton emails – I still think that, rather than some massive scandal, they reveal only the inner workings of some high-level executive office working on various campaigns. Still no smoking gun.

          That quote by J. Krishnamurti is – curiously enough – very much along the lines of another visionary, whose writing I very much like, and also gave the following point which has given me pause for thought on many an occasion:

          “A normal person, functioning well on the upper levels of a prosperous, industrialized society, can hardly hear his conscience at all.” -Kurt Vonnegut

        • Alcyone

          Very true Glenn. I take it that he means that he has little self-knowledge and little sense of that ‘sick society’!

          The other person I have found some parallels of K with is Albert Einstein. The two never met afaik, even though David Bohm was a good friend of K’s.

          K spoke of Truth, Beauty and Love. E of Truth, Beauty, Goodness. I think the deeper one searches there, the deeper the resonance. I do recommend you watch the dialogues whith Bohm, particularly the one that Rupert Sheldrake also participated in: The Nature of the Mind

          On being vegetarian, I am getting there. Been there before an illness caused me to lose 20% of my body weight and as I gradually picked up over the next 6 months I felt v weak and started eating roast chicken. Now I hope to find an arrangement with an Indian cook who can keep me satisfied on dal-sabzi and home made rotis and chappatis. Very easy to be vegetarian on an Indian diet! With some Italian and Oriental thrown in. Thanks for the encouragement; count it as one of your good deeds!

  • Tony_0pmoc

    I did a google search on Sikander Burnes Craig Murray and got this…

    https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Sikander+Burnes+Craig+Murray&client=firefox-b&biw=1536&bih=708&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjpz_32v_nPAhUKKsAKHTwDDNQQ_AUICCgD

    I didn’t recognise anyone there. I certainly wasn’t there..

    and I know (well I think I know)

    Third Row down. a bit to the Right..She just looks rather like my wife…

    Apparently her name is Caroline Eden edentravels????

    “Writer focussing on Central Asia, Caucasus, South Asia. SOAS alumna. Book ‘Samarkand’ out now + contributing to Telegraph, Guardian, BBC ”

    Do I know you? Where do you live? I like girls like you.

    Do you know any of these people? I know one of them.

    Candidates for the programme were selected and trained by survival expert John “Lofty” Wiseman to represent a cross-section of British society.

    Ray Bowyer
    Gordon and the Carey family
    Liz Cathrine and Dez Monks
    Tanya Cheadle
    Sandy Colbeck
    Monica Cooney (with child)
    Ron Copsey
    Julia, Colin and Natasha Corrigan
    Hilary Freeman
    Ben Fogle
    Tammy Huff
    Peter and Sheila Jowers
    Trevor Kearon
    Mike Laird
    Warren Latore
    Julie Lowe
    Gwyneth and Patrick Murphy
    Padraig Nallen
    Philiy Page
    Trish Prater (with children)
    Roger and Rosemary Stephenson (with children)
    Toby Waterman
    James Roberts

    Tony

  • Sachin Patel

    I downloaded the sample for my kindle and the introduction was so gripping I’ve downloaded the whole thing!

    I look forward to reading it all.

  • Derek Cameron

    Bought a few months back via Amazon ( sorry ). Received an email recently re delivery delay – now anticipated in period 31 Oct- 17 Nov.

      • Alcyone

        Morning Craig! I wasn’t kidding you when I suggested you get your book printed double-quick in China! The World has changed since your last book. Although, perhaps nothing’s changed since The Great Game!?

        Enjoy your day!

        • craig Post author

          I am not the publisher, Alcyone! Peculiarly enough, it’s printed in Malta. I suspect the slide in sterling may make that look less sensible now.

          • Alcyone

            Absolutely!

            And, yes, I realise but I hope your publisher is open to some friendly and sensible advice! Who are they btw, if you have a minute.

            And given your wide readership, you should definitely begin direct sales on this website asap, signed or not, with hopefully greater margins, deservedly. My suggestion that you speak with Dalrymple and do a launch/promo trip to India are also serious ones. I’m sure you know how to work the system; please do it as this is the good time.

  • Sanjeev

    Hi Craig,

    I have bought the Kindle version and look forward to reading it when I find time. Well done and keep up your great work.

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