Books about Maharajas from Amazon.com

The Indian princes of the British Raj lived lives of unparalleled opulence and luxury. Made for Maharajas returns readers to that resplendent era, presenting a selection of one-of-a-kind objects crafted to order by the outstanding European luxury goods manufacturers, fashion houses, and decorators of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Here are the custom-designed cars, jewelry, and extraordinary objéts d’art commissioned by maharajas, nawabs, nizams, and sultans from Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Harry Winston, and others, accompanied by anecdotes that illuminate this sumptuous way of life. Many of the illustrations in this book have never been previously reproduced outside of India, making this not only the first volume of its kind, but a remarkable keepsake that may never be duplicated in our lifetime..
Price: $40.94 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The maharajas were connoisseurs of good food. Fine kitchens and the best cooks were sought. It was a symbol as to whose table provided the most unusual and luxurious fare. The recipes given in this book should delight the palates of the severest critics and gourmets..
Price: $14.20 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The Unforgettable Maharajas transports the reader back in time through 150 years of Indian royalty Fairytale childhoods, magnificent palaces and forts, luxurious lifestyles, princely pastimes "et al unfold in all their splendour through this extensively researched and lavishly produced book..
Price: $74.20 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This wonderful book shows the hidden world of princely India in all its glory, both past and present, through period as well as contemporary photographs of former rulers and their living descendants, many of whom are as revered today as their forebears were in the past, despite the more modest lifestyle they have been obliged to adopt. Modern tourists can become princes for a night or two by paying for a room in one of several expensive hotels that have been made out of former palaces. But only the maharaja's guests, including the author and photographer of this fascinating book, will be invited to the ancient ceremonies taking place nearby or to their private quarters where they and their families extend legendary Indian hospitality. This hidden world of the past and present is presented in full glory in this all-color book that will delight anyone who has visited India, or anybody interested in the history of the subcontinent, its pageantry, jewelry, and traditions. .
Price: $27.51 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In the age of mechanical reproduction, many fail to appreciate intricate drawings made by hand, hands having become mere obsolete instruments these days, compared to the fast precision of the digital camera. Christian Peltenburg-Brechneff's drawings capture what the camera can never capture: the spirit of the places he has rendered.

Brechneff takes on the challenge of exploring and translating the architectural and spiritual wonders of the "lost" kingdoms of the Himalayans with brush and ink and color washes: Laddakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, India, Burma, Cambodia and Laos. Brought to life through imaginative investment, Brechneff's subjects become more mysterious, and preciously exciting than ever. They sparkle with subjective life and become rapturously alive in a way that a photograph could never be.

The ancient architecture of India--many old palaces and temples-- and ageless mountains are already inspired creations, with archetypal import, emphasizing that Brechneffs's journey to them is a spiritual journey. The intricate drawings form a visual diary of his travels. Each drawing is dated, and the place depicted named, indicating that the drawing is a documentary as well as personal journal. Peltenburg-Brechneff decodes and maps India's architecture and mountains with the hope of grasping the secret of their creative dynamic, rather than only preserving their dramatic appearance for posterity. Homage is a breathtakingly beautiful spiritual quest..
Price: $45.11 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Maharajas: Resonance from the Past is the story of the Maharajas, Nizams, Nawabs, Maharawals, Jams, Rajas and Raos - rulers of the 565 Princely States of India. It tells of their origins from Vedic times, their rise to power, the proud defense of their clans, royal tastes which found expression in the magnificent architecture of their palaces and forts, mind-boggling collections of jewelry and arms and armor, lavish performance of rites and ceremonies. It tells of the romance of desert kingdoms, the crushing blow of the Mughals and the British Raj; the phoenix-like rise of new States and their eventual decline. Illustrated with almost 200 photographs from museums and previously unseen images from the personal collections of Royal descendants, this is a fascinating celebration of the splendour of Princely India..
Price: $40.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]