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beclaired's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
rishitamall's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
Non-fiction with a hint of fiction... The tone and tenor throughout is undoubtedly biased.. The attempt to hide anything that would make Mountbatten/ the British look bad, is very clear, but at places that attempt has failed... The words "divide and rule" occur just a couple of times and for most part, British have been portrayed as the strongest supporters of communal harmony... Minus 1.25 for that !
Having said that, a lot is true and cannot be denied, whether we like it or we don't....
The book is a compilation of everything that happened in the last few months before Independence; whether relevant or irrelevant.. even the act of attending nature's call at the dawn of independence has been described in great detail... Ridiculous ! Moreover, some very irrelevant conversations have been "revealed" but some important ones have been avoided/missed... For instance, in reference to "Operation Seduction", while Jinnah's discussion with Mountbatten has been discussed atleast to the extent necessary, the ones with Gandhi, Nehru and Patel have been almost missed... The most irrelevant details have been given from their meetings...
All in all however, a good book !
Having said that, a lot is true and cannot be denied, whether we like it or we don't....
The book is a compilation of everything that happened in the last few months before Independence; whether relevant or irrelevant.. even the act of attending nature's call at the dawn of independence has been described in great detail... Ridiculous ! Moreover, some very irrelevant conversations have been "revealed" but some important ones have been avoided/missed... For instance, in reference to "Operation Seduction", while Jinnah's discussion with Mountbatten has been discussed atleast to the extent necessary, the ones with Gandhi, Nehru and Patel have been almost missed... The most irrelevant details have been given from their meetings...
All in all however, a good book !
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence
If anyone has a tendency to pause and visualise what they read, empathise and feel all the emotions, some parts of this book describing the riots are deeply disturbing...yossarian221's review against another edition
5.0
THIS ONE IS A MUST READ IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN INDIA FROM THE TIME " lord Mountbatten " came to India as the last viceroy till he departs after completing his tenure as first and last governor general of India! most of it is from the perspective of Mountbatten but each and every chapter of this book are well researched and threaded so wonderfully that when it ends, you are left with wanting for more. As for the historic views of the authors are concerned there is no dought that they love India!
And let me make myself clear that this is not a book to know the history if India thought it has some glimpses of it. everything that happened from the day the last viceroy came to India to the birth of Pakistan and then the great migration followed by Kashmir conflict really opened my eyes to real history which is completely twisted and modified to suit the propagandas of our political system.
This is not the last book that you will read if start it. believe you me. I am hooked on Indian history from top to bottom! thank you guys for a great work.
And let me make myself clear that this is not a book to know the history if India thought it has some glimpses of it. everything that happened from the day the last viceroy came to India to the birth of Pakistan and then the great migration followed by Kashmir conflict really opened my eyes to real history which is completely twisted and modified to suit the propagandas of our political system.
This is not the last book that you will read if start it. believe you me. I am hooked on Indian history from top to bottom! thank you guys for a great work.
theheidimce's review
4.0
The prose was easy to read even when the subject matter was tough. The book was an interesting intro to Indian history and I read it on recommendation from a friend, but I'd also be more interested in a book on the same topics by an Indian author.
yossarian221's review against another edition
5.0
THIS ONE IS A MUST READ IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN INDIA FROM THE TIME " lord Mountbatten " came to India as the last viceroy till he departs after completing his tenure as first and last governor general of India! most of it is from the perspective of Mountbatten but each and every chapter of this book are well researched and threaded so wonderfully that when it ends, you are left with wanting for more. As for the historic views of the authors are concerned there is no dought that they love India!
And let me make myself clear that this is not a book to know the history if India thought it has some glimpses of it. everything that happened from the day the last viceroy came to India to the birth of Pakistan and then the great migration followed by Kashmir conflict really opened my eyes to real history which is completely twisted and modified to suit the propagandas of our political system.
This is not the last book that you will read if start it. believe you me. I am hooked on Indian history from top to bottom! thank you guys for a great work.
And let me make myself clear that this is not a book to know the history if India thought it has some glimpses of it. everything that happened from the day the last viceroy came to India to the birth of Pakistan and then the great migration followed by Kashmir conflict really opened my eyes to real history which is completely twisted and modified to suit the propagandas of our political system.
This is not the last book that you will read if start it. believe you me. I am hooked on Indian history from top to bottom! thank you guys for a great work.
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