FOR Mughal emperor Humayun, the news of the birth of Akbar allowed him a moment of quiet joy in the wilderness of a camp he was confined to. He broke a musk pod and the fragrance wafted across the camp. The father hoped his son's fame would spread through like the scent of musk. Kavitha Mandana's book profiles the most charismatic of Mughal emperors, Akbar, in the context of the times he lived in and the life he led in the Mughal court through short and offbeat anecdotes, character sketches of his relatives, aides and sons - who narrate the persona of the man as they saw him in lucid, prose rich in visual imagery. An exciting book for both the children and adults.
