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EAN: 9780002160551 ISBN: 0002160552 Label: Collins Manufacturer: Collins Number Of Pages: 500 Publication Date: 1975 Publisher: Collins Studio: Collins Editorial Review: Product Description: Fifty years ago, seconds after midnight on 14-15 August 1947, the Union Jack, emblazoned with the Star of India, began its final journey down the flagstaff of Viceroy's House, New Delhi. One fifth of humanity claimed their independence from the greatest empire history has ever seen. But 400 million people were to find that the price of freedom was partition and war, riot and murder. In this new edition of their superb reconstruction of events at the time, Collins and Lapierre recount the eclipse of the fabled British Raj and examine the roles enacted by, among others, Mahatma Gandhi, Lord Mountbatten, Nehru and Jinnah in its violent transformation into the new India and Pakistan. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - This book should be required reading in all courses covering the twentieth centuryThe crown of the British Empire was always India, yet ruling it was a very complex task due to the enormous number of different religious and ethnic groups. When it became clear after the end of the Second World War that Britain would be forced to grant independence to her Indian colony, Lord Mountbatten was appointed to the post of the final British Viceroy to the colony. Once the British flag was lowered for the last time at midnight, hence the title, it was up to the people of India to govern ... Read More Rating: - Great Book Poor BindingThere are two ways to review a book. One is by content another by the quality of the book itself. The content of "Freedom " is great. The best single read to understand the tensions between the modern states of India and Pakistan. Laprie and Collins are at their best here. However I was disapointed to find the quality of the book itself was poor. The paper was substandard ( close to newspaper quality). The Picture on the hard back was seeminly glued and ofset. The plates ( pictures) ... Read More Rating: - One great account of the Indian partition Reads like a novel, with the detail required to feel the action, but with the sweep of history to put it in perspective for readers. Collins and Lapierre are a great writing team and this is one of their best works. Invaluable for those beginning to read about the subcontinent as well as long-time students. I give it my highest recommendation. Rating: - One of the most comprehensive and intimate looks at the forming of modern India.I read this while living in India and found it to be the truest expression and understanding of India's complexities, intricate culture, and history. The book covers India's liberation from British rule from the appointment of Lord Mountbatten as viceroy through to the assassination of Mohandas Gandhi. With India itself as the protagonist, you sympathize with the great mother's birthing pains and cry with her as she loses thousands of her children during the massacres of the partitioning of Pakistan. ... Read More Rating: - Skillfully written, absorbing storyThis book inspired Miguel Sousa Tavares own book, Equador, apparently, but only conceptually (I didn't read the latter.) There's a new edition, from India VIKAS PUBLISHING HOUSE, based in Jangpura, New Delhi, 1997. Found mine in used book store, in mint condition. |
