Books with title A Division of Spoils

After exploiting India's divisions for years, the British depart in such haste that no one is prepared for the Hindu-Muslim riots of 1947. The twilight of the raj turns bloody. Against the backdrop of the violent partition of India and Pakistan, A Division of the Spoils illuminates one last bittersweet romance, revealing the divided loyalties of the British as they flee, retreat from, or cling to India.

The fourth and final title is a moving conclusion to The Raj Quartet. As the British presence moves inexorably into its last days, the fall of the Empire signals the end of an era, and a new beginning. For the Hindus and Muslims, the political reality signals inevitable post-war recrimination and future territorial wrangles. And for the British — for the Laytons, Merrick and Guy Perron — the final partings are swallowed into the great upheaval.