{"product_id":"hickys-bengal-gazette-andrew-otis-9781804441657","title":"Hicky's Bengal Gazette","description":"\u0026lt;p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;b\u0026gt;'An enthralling tale that ties together themes that are urgently relevant today: freedom of the press, the role of journalism, and the price of speaking truth to power' Sunny Singh\u0026lt;\/b\u0026gt;\u0026lt;br\u0026gt;\u0026lt;i\u0026gt;\u0026lt;br\u0026gt;Hicky's Bengal Gazette\u0026lt;\/i\u0026gt; is the story of India's first newspaper and its pivotal role in exposing the corruption of the British imperialist project.\u0026lt;br\u0026gt;\u0026lt;br\u0026gt;The story opens in late-eighteenth century Calcutta. The British are well-ensconced in Bengal but the Raj has yet to emerge. Irishman, James August Hicky, arrives in Calcutta as a surgeon's mate, seeking his fame and fortune. He soon finds himself in debtors' prison, however, and it's while in jail that he first acquires the printing press that sets him on a collision course with the British East India Company.\u0026lt;br\u0026gt;\u0026lt;br\u0026gt;Sensing a business opportunity, Hicky established the first newspaper in South Asia but quickly became committed to the freedom of the press at great personal cost.  His \u0026lt;i\u0026gt;Gazette \u0026lt;\/i\u0026gt;exposed corruption in the East India Company and embezzlement in the Christian Church, making himself two powerful enemies in the process: Johann Zacharias Kiernander, an influential missionary and Warren Hastings, the Governor General. Staunchly anti-war and anti-colonialist, \u0026lt;i\u0026gt;Hicky's Bengal Gazette\u0026lt;\/i\u0026gt; was known for its provocative content that included accusing aristocrats and politicians not only of tyranny but also erectile dysfunction.\u0026lt;br\u0026gt;\u0026lt;br\u0026gt;Trials, prison time and assassination attempts follow before Hicky dies mysteriously on a boat to China. His legacy in India endures to this day through the vibrant, modern media landscape.\u0026lt;\/p\u0026gt;","brand":"Bonnier Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50078572839200,"sku":"9781804441657","price":14.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/2812\/7264\/files\/9781804441657.jpg?v=1780687197","url":"https:\/\/bookcorner.com\/products\/hickys-bengal-gazette-andrew-otis-9781804441657","provider":"The Book Corner","version":"1.0","type":"link"}