In 1897, an Indian yogi named Bava Lachman Dass exhibited himself at the Westminster Aquarium in London, demonstrating forty-eight yoga positions to a bemused audience. Four years earlier, Hindu philosopher Swami Vivekananda had spoken at the first World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, where theosophist Annie Besant rhapsodised about 'his inborn sense of worth' and the 'exquisite beauty' of his spiritual message.
The Victorians had conflicted views on the religious beliefs and practices of the Indian sub-continent, blending fascination and suspicion. But within two generations, legions of young Westerners would be following the 'hippie trail' to India, and the Beatles would be meditating at the feet of the guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Journalist Mick Brown's vivid account charts the eccentric history of the West's evolving love affair with Indian religion through a curious cast of scholars, seekers, charlatans and saints.
From Edwin Arnold, whose epic poem about the life of the Buddha became a best-seller in Victorian Britain, to the occultist and magician Aleister Crowley; and from spiritual teachers Jiddu Krishnamurti, Meher Baba and Ramana Maharshi to the controversial guru Rajneesh, 'The Nirvana Express' is an exhilarating, sometimes troubling journey through the West's search for enlightenment.
Industry Reviews
'The Nirvana Express... is a work of compelling, stylish social anthropology. ...Brown has managed to compose a sober and wryly intelligent account of westerners in the east and easterners in the west.' -- The Times
'Brown has a light touch, like that of a beguiling baba himself ... effortlessly encompassing anecdotal and intellectual history. He is a wicked portraitist, which is to say he is playing to his strengths in this pornographic prosopography of snake-oil spiritualists.' -- TLS
'[An] entertaining history of the West's fascination with Indian spirituality.' -- The Telegraph
'Excellent ... The Nirvana Express is a drily amusing book on a subject that would make many writers nervous. It describes some startling stupidity as well as some very sharp behaviour without forcing the point, and includes fierce assertions by followers on both sides.' -- The Spectator
'In a lively narrative, delivered with wit and warmth, Brown shows how Eastern mysticism went from being suspect to venerable, and back again to a subject of scepticism. Along the way, he delivers an outrageous cast of characters - film stars, novelists, heiresses and heretics - and shows how soothing swamis and dodgy charlatans left their mark on Western ways.' -- The Daily Mail
'[A] fascinating tale of the West's love affair with spiritualism. Mick Brown [is one of] the very elite tier of modern journalists. He brings all his skills for research, judicious analysis and eloquent writing to a thoroughly engrossing subject. ... Brown balances reports of the prejudices and racism of the British view of the Indian holy man (gurus were described as "pantomime" figures) with an account that offers rich insights into the appeal of hunting "a spiritual Eldorado". ... The Nirvana Express [is] such a masterful, compelling piece of history.' -- The Independent, 'September Books of the Month'
'An enlightening new book ... Fantastic stories-packed with unlikely figures, strange twists of fate and even the occasional act of mind-reading-bring readers of 'The Nirvana Express' on an enjoyable journey.' -- The Economist
'Eminently readable.' -- The Federal News
'An engrossing account.' -- The Wire
'Brown... has synthesised a small Himalaya of material into a clear and well-told narrative. His subject is not so much India as the uses and abuses of subcontinental religions in the West in the 20th century.' -- Literary Review
'An absolutely fascinating and absorbing study of an under-explored subject. Written with great verve, insight and clear-eyed authority--a definitive and enduring book.' -- William Boyd
'What a wonderful cast of characters: dreamers, poets, charlatans and love-struck British ladies. Why has no one told this story before? Mick Brown does so with just the right mix of cool objectivity and forgiving warmth. An enthralling read.' -- Edward Stourton, BBC Radio 4
'Spectacular. Mick Brown's masterful storytelling brilliantly charts the West's encounter with Eastern spiritualism. Drawing on a rich seam of characters ranging from charlatans to spiritual masters and their disparate devotees, he never misses a beat in this globe-spanning magical mystery tour.' -- John Zubrzycki, author of 'Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic' and 'Dethroned: The Downfall of India's Princely States'
'A well-written, fascinating and entertaining romp through the gurus who brought Indian philosophy to the Western world.' -- Susan Shumsky, author of 'Maharishi & Me' and 'The Inner Light: How India Influenced the Beatles'
'Mick Brown has produced a deeply researched account of the encounters of Indian spiritualists with the West over the past century and a half. Wonderfully written and hugely informative.' -- Jairam Ramesh, author and Indian MP
'Brown takes us along a familiar path--the century-long story of the modern West's fascination with India's holy men, from Arnold's "The Light of Asia" to the sunset of Rajneesh--and renders its sights anew: colourful, compelling and a bit psychedelic.' -- Anya Foxen, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, California Polytechnic State University, and author of 'Inhaling Spirit: Harmonialism, Orientalism, and the Western Roots of Modern Yoga'
'With a keen and humorous eye for detail, Mick Brown traces the golden age of gurus through interconnected stories of the individuals whose followers changed the way we think about religion, faith and otherness in their quests to attain enlightenment.' -- Patricia Sauthoff, Assistant Professor in the Department of History, Hong Kong Baptist University, and author of 'Illness and Immortality: Mantra, Mandala, and Meditation in the Netra Tantra'
