London: Best-selling author and the Director of the Nehru Centre in London, Amish Tripathi, has released his new book of fiction titled 'Legend of Suheldev: The King Who Saved India'.
Publishers Westland Publications Pvt Ltd said the book will be available across physical and online bookstores from this weekend.
Set in 11th century India, 'Legend of Suheldev' begins with the shattering invasion of Mahmud of Ghazni and his Turkic hordes, as they destroy the holy Somnath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The book then traces the epic adventure and inspiring legend of the warrior-hero King Suheldev, as he unites Indians across religions, castes, and regions, under his leadership, and mounts a fierce resistance against the foreign invaders.
"The idea behind writing the 'Legend of Suheldev: The King Who Saved India', was to bring to national consciousness an inspiring story that has been ignored in the pages of Indian history," said Tripathi.
"A story that has particular relevance today, 'Legend of Suheldev' is the story of a king who united men and women of the nation, irrespective of their religion, caste, region, or status in society. An epic adventure, and an inspiring tale of unity, the message of King Suheldev echoes across the chasm of time: when we Indians are united, we are unbeatable," said Tripathi, who is also Minister (Culture) at the Indian High Commission in the UK.
The fictionalised tale culminates in the "magnificent" Battle of Bahraich, where King Suheldev destroys the Turkic army down to the last man.
It is pegged as a story of a hero who fights to defend the motherland, making huge personal sacrifices, displaying glorious leadership, and courage beyond compare.
This is also Tripathi's first book under the Immortal Writers' Centre, a team of accomplished writers assisting him in conducting research and preparing first drafts.
The story idea comes from Tripathi and he prepares a detailed summary for the Writers' Centre to create the first draft before the author finalises the manuscript.
"Amish's books are loved by both the masses and the critics, and have more than 5.5 million copies in print while also winning many awards. We are excited to work with the Immortal Writers' Centre initiative, that allows us to convert many more story ideas from Amish's mind into books that the world can read," said Gautam Padmanabhan, CEO of Westland Publications Pvt Ltd.
"We are very excited about the prospects of this new initiative, and I'm sure that his readers will be equally excited," he said.
Tripathi, known for his books like the 'Shiva Trilogy', has said he is working on the fourth book in his Ram Chandra series, the sequel to 'Raavan Enemy of Aryavarta'.
