Massacre at the Palace - Hardcover

On June 1, 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra of Nepal shot and killed his father, mother, brother, sister and five other members of the royal family, including himself. For most observers, the massacre was an unfathomable atrocity. But as Gregson shows in this labyrinthine analysis of Nepal's monarchy, the catastrophe was wholly in keeping with the family's bloody history. The Shah dynasty first consolidated power over Nepal in the late 1700s, and the succeeding generations saw courtly intrigues, exiles, executions and palace bloodbaths (including the 1846 Kot Massacre, in which over 30 aristocrats and extended royalty perished). More than one junior queen was forced to perform sati (ritual immolation) so that she could not provide an alternate line of heirs to the throne. The weight of this tortured ancestry, Gregson maintains, came fully to bear on Prince Dipendra. Prohibited from marrying the woman he loved, he became increasingly frustrated and infatuated with alcohol, hashish and guns; eventually he decided to destroy his "dysfunctional family" with a shotgun and an M-16. Gregson, a British journalist born and raised in Calcutta, knows his subject well. Unfortunately, many readers will find themselves lost in the first half of the book, which meticulously tracks 200 years of obscure dynastic politics. The concluding sections are more intelligible and dramatic, however, especially the massacre scene itself. Overall, this is a fine resource for anyone with a serious interest in a terrible royal tragedy. 8 pages of b&w photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

In the early days of the Shah dynasty in Nepal, it was prophesied that the Shahs would rule for only ten generations. On June 1, 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra shot his father (Nepal's 11th king), mother, siblings, and five other relatives before killing himself. Gregson (Kingdom Beyond the Clouds: Journeys in Search of the Himalayan Kings), an authority on Nepal, brings his insider knowledge and expertise to the question of how the family came to such a violent end. He traces the history of the Shah dynasty, from its first warlord king to its current uncertain future, and details the politics of a constitutional monarchy whose kings were revered as gods but effectively prohibited from ruling and the strange inheritance structure that led family members to murder each other regularly throughout history. The author also explores the political machinations that cost many royal family members their lives through the ages. This is an intriguing story, but, unfortunately, the text is dry and academic, even when covering such sensational ground. Best suited to academic collections on Nepalese history. Deirdre Bray Root, Middletown P.L., OH
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.