"An exceptional undertaking. Nightmarch provides one of the most nuanced, informed accounts yet of this strange and awful conflict. . . . A considered, sympathetic, and balanced analysis—[it] is one of the few accounts we possess that gives [the tribal communities and the Naxalites] a voice."
 

Guardian

"The book is engrossing and the characters will haunt you. . . . A very nuanced study that seeks to understand—and point towards solutions to one of India’s most intractable conflicts."

The Hindu

"Nightmarch is a work of literary non-fiction, vividly evocative, weaving descriptions of the journey with five character-portraits that help to illuminate Shah’s thoughtful and nuanced discussion of the uprising’s social and cultural background. . . . In these dark times, as Modi’s government ratchets up talk of the ‘Maoist terrorist threat’, Nightmarch provides an important reminder of what is at stake."

New Left Review

"‘I’ve enormously enjoyed and admired Shah’s careful, rich, sympathetic account of the Maoist insurgency in India. . . . A brave and necessary work."

Best Books of 2018, New Statesman

"A deftly detailed history and contemporary context arranged according to [Shah's] week-long, nighttime trek across the country with a band of these revolutionaries. As readers accompany the author, they are introduced to some of the participants in the struggle and listen to the stories of why they fight perceived injustice. . . . [A] fascinating, readable text. Recommended."

Choice

"Nightmarch is insightful and interesting journalism about a place and people few in the West know much about."

CounterPunch

"Nightmarch offers a compelling narrative, [and] the political economy of these dramas is also subtly but clearly explained throughout, helping us understand the struggle for dignity that the Naxalite are pursuing against the avarice of Indian business."

PoLAR

"[Nightmarch] has many layers. It covers the history of the Naxalite movement in India, the motivations of its leaders, the incentives that drive adivasis to become their foot soldiers, the contradictions within the movement, the social churn among the adivasis themselves, and the many ways in which academics like Shah regard these groups."

Bloomberg Quint

“One of the most gripping, engaging, and accessible books I’ve encountered on the Naxalites. Shah fearlessly bears witness to the upheavals caused by India’s rising inequalities, while also asking many urgent, difficult questions.”

Meena Kandasamy, author of When I Hit You

“Riveting, finely textured, and acutely perceptive, Nightmarch is a model of what ethnography can offer. Shah captures both the Naxalite insurgency’s contradictions and its human promise against the background of the crippling indignities and exclusions of Indian society.”

James C. Scott, author of Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States

“Nightmarch is an outstanding work, combining ethnographic depth with almost cinematic vividness.”

Sherry B. Ortner, author of Anthropology and Social Theory

“Brave, brilliant, and beautifully written. . . . an anthropological tour de force.”

Philippe Bourgois, author of In Search of Respect

"An 'everyone must read' book. In this vibrant piece of anthropological work, Shah takes us into one of the most unreported rebellions in contemporary India with wisdom and courage. Her analysis of the motivations, modalities of implementation and failures of Naxalites’ struggle shapes a new history of both the exploitation they suffered and their fight for liberation. Written in a way that provides food for thought and, at the same time, moves hearts, this book is an example of the unique contribution anthropologists can bring to understanding the world we live in, and improving it."

Public Anthropologist

"Over years of fieldwork, the anthropologist Shah gained unusual access to the leftist Naxalite insurgency that has persisted in the hills and forests of central and eastern India for over 50 years. She builds her analysis around a dramatic narrative of a seven-night, 155-mile march she took with a platoon of guerillas. The Maoist movement is rooted in disadvantaged Adivasi, or tribal, communities and led by educated, middle-class cadres from elsewhere in the country....Her recurring theme is the unending cycle of violence among exploitative landlords, the oppressed tribal people, and the military, whose frontline soldiers are also young Adivasis."
 

Andrew J. Nathan | Foreign Affairs

"Shah’s descriptions make the jungle of India come alive as we walk with the insurgents, taste their food, smell the air, and meet those living in the affected areas. Her painstaking work opens up a window into the psyche of the individual Maoist guerrillas, their hopes, dreams, and aspirations...This is a remarkable account by an academic researcher."

Dipak K. Gupta | Terrorism and Political Violence