Babur Nama

Interesting as a glimpse into the mind of a warrior king, it doesn't quite read like a novel, but it is very readable anyway. I would recommend it if you have even a mild interest. There are moments of humor that would probably come across better in the original language but are still quite funny,

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and Babur's description of the lands he travels through are very thorough and engaging. Bouts of hard drinking, battles, towers of skulls, intrigue, this book has it all, written in a matter-of-fact, modest fashion that really illuminates Babur's (to a modern person) ambivlant character (after all, *he* was erecting the towers of skulls!). I especially liked the letter that he writes to his son about the duties of kingship. It's fascinating to think a pre-modern ruler just sat down and decided to write his memoirs. I don't know more of the background, maybe this wasn't so unusual, still it seems so.

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