The Mulberry Empire - Hardcover

"A rich and rumbling . . . historical novel . . . moving deftly between Afghanistan, England and Russia. . . . Beautifully drawn." -The New York Times Book Review

"A book of epic ambition. . . . The Mulberry Empire contains, like one of those glinting gold leaf domes in Central Asia, clusters of jewels, elegantly calligraphed wisdom and pleasing lines." -The Washington Post Book World

"Brilliantly composed. . . . Splendid. . . . A wonderfully rendered historical novel." -San Francisco Chronicle

"Stunningly accurate. . . . Full of riches. . . . Inspires an endless procession of gasps." -The Christian Science Monitor

"[A] fine, fine work. . . . Masterfully drawn. . . . [Hensher] creates a distinct sense of a moment in history." -Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Prepare to be dazzled. . . . The Mulberry Empire is . . . executed with flair, confidence and great energy. . . . It's a really terrific read and one hell of an achievement." -Daily Telegraph

"Feverishly learned. . . . Riotously fertile. . . . [Hensher's] Afghanistan is often strikingly imagined, as are his characters. . . . A giant compendium of Victorian styles, an empire of allusions." -Chicago Tribune

"Brilliantly realised. . . . A delightful entertainment, a timely social and political commentary, and a highly literary and ambitious novel." -Ahdaf Soueif, The Guardian

"Hensher depicts with Tolstoyan brio the terrifying chaos and dizzy unpredictability of war [and] reaffirms our confidence in the novel to shock, to challenge and, most usefully, to stir political change." -St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"[A] wonderfully dramatic and idiosyncratic epic [with a] splendid cast of larger-than-life characters." -Alan Cheuse, All Things Considered (NPR)

"A remarkable achievement. . . . The rich imagery and the vivid characterization of a splendidly varied cast make The Mulberry Empire a truly tremendous read." -Mail on Sunday

"Ambitious. . . . His lush descriptions are a testament to his imagination's ability to grow a few seeds of historical truth into a verdant narrative." -The Seattle Times/Post-Intelligencer

"A joy to read for its structure, the scope of its conception and its imaginative use of historical detail. . . . You will be hooked." -The Plain Dealer

"Exuberant, overflowing with life, highly-coloured, entrancing: a novel to lose yourself in." -The Scotsman

"A grand tableaux. . . . Remarkably subtle. . . . Big, colorful and clearly timely. . . . [Hensher] is a splendid stylist." -The Sunday Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey)

"Irresistible. . . . Loaded with exotic local detail, from London to Calcutta, St. Petersburg to Kabul." -Daily Mail

"Deeply human, gorgeous, glittering. . . . A huge, perhaps unique achievement." -Independent on Sunday

"Lavish. . . . Engaging. . . . A panorama of the age of imperialism [with] a wealth of interesting cross-cultural insights." -The Baltimore Sun

"Everything is massive, sumptuously-made and finished, the characters rich, lively and unexpected, the decor Victorian in its precision, variety and profusion." -Evening Standard

"Wonderfully entertaining. . . . An expansive and ambitious novel, full of wit and intelligence, masterfully capturing a moment in history that reverberates to this day. . . . The Mulberry Empire is a joy." -Toronto Star

Philip Hensher is a critic and the author of four other works of fiction, including Kitchen Venom, winner of the Somerset Maugham Award. He is a columnist for The Independent and chief book reviewer for The Spectator. He lives in South London.