A literary masterpiece . . . at once erudite and intimate; reflective and funny . . . it has the grit and pace of a thriller Daily Telegraph A novel of high adventure; great storytelling and moral purpose; based on an extraordinary true story of eight years in the Bombay underworld. In the early 80s; Gregory David Roberts; an armed robber and heroin addict; escaped from an Australian prison to India; where he lived in a Bombay slum. there; he established a free health clinic and also joined the mafia; working as a money launderer; forger and street soldier. He found time to learn Hindi and Marathi; fall in love; and spend time being worked over in an Indian jail. then; in case anyone thought he was slacking; he acted in Bollywood and fought with the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan . . . Amazingly; Roberts wrote Shantaram three times after prison guards trashed the first two versions. Its a profound tribute to his willpower . . . At once a high-kicking; eye-gouging adventure; a love saga and a savage yet tenderly lyrical fugitive vision. Time Out