
India's War
The Making of Modern South Asia, 1939-1945
Srinath Raghavan(Author)
Penguin Books Ltd (Publisher)
Published on 23. February 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
576 pages
978-0-241-95759-2 (ISBN)
Description
SPECTATOR BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2016, GUARDIAN BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2016
'Authoritative, expansive and incisive...helps restore India to the global twentieth century' Sunil Khilnani
Between 1939 and 1945 India changed to an extraordinary extent. Millions of Indians suddenly found themselves as soldiers, fighting in Europe and North Africa but also - something simply never imagined - against a Japanese army threatening to invade eastern India. Many more were pulled into the vortex of wartime mobilization.
Srinath Raghavan's compelling and original book gives both a surprising new account of the fighting and of life on the home front. For Indian nationalists the war has tended to be seen as a distraction from the quest for national independence - but Raghavan shows that in fact the war lay at the very heart of how and why colonial rule ended in South Asia.
By seeing the Second World War through Indian eyes, Raghavan transforms our understanding of the conflict - with famous battles such as those in North Africa and Iraq reinterpreted, as well as fascinating and little known campaigns such as the destruction of Italian northeast Africa. Time and again, it was Indian troops that made Britain into a global power and, as the war came to an end, it was the Indian army that fought the final battles which marked the end both of the Japanese empire, and of the British.
'Authoritative, expansive and incisive...helps restore India to the global twentieth century' Sunil Khilnani
Between 1939 and 1945 India changed to an extraordinary extent. Millions of Indians suddenly found themselves as soldiers, fighting in Europe and North Africa but also - something simply never imagined - against a Japanese army threatening to invade eastern India. Many more were pulled into the vortex of wartime mobilization.
Srinath Raghavan's compelling and original book gives both a surprising new account of the fighting and of life on the home front. For Indian nationalists the war has tended to be seen as a distraction from the quest for national independence - but Raghavan shows that in fact the war lay at the very heart of how and why colonial rule ended in South Asia.
By seeing the Second World War through Indian eyes, Raghavan transforms our understanding of the conflict - with famous battles such as those in North Africa and Iraq reinterpreted, as well as fascinating and little known campaigns such as the destruction of Italian northeast Africa. Time and again, it was Indian troops that made Britain into a global power and, as the war came to an end, it was the Indian army that fought the final battles which marked the end both of the Japanese empire, and of the British.
Reviews / Votes
Authoritative, expansive and incisive...helps restore India to the global 20th century -- Sunil Khilnani Absorbing and important...rational and detailed -- Philip Hensher * Spectator * An important story...Raghavan's splendid history is a reminder not just of India's historic contribution to the defeat of fascism, but also its geopolitical potential throughout the Indo-Pacific. -- Shashank Joshi * Financial Times * Raghavan's study fulfils his mission in presenting readers with intertwined narratives of military campaigns, international strategies, and the rise of the freedom struggle that was to determine the future of the subcontinent. -- Aamer Hussein * The Independent * Contains...enormous scope and a great depth of detail. -- Nigel Collett * The Diplomat * A highly readable account of one of the more complex - and ignored - phase of World War II, one that even briefly threatened the U.S.-British alliance. -- Joseph C. Goulden * The Washington Times * Raghavan excels in explaining exactly what went on behind the lines...his narrative of the military campaigns is ample reward. Exemplary and enthralling. -- John Keay * Literary Review *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
696 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-95759-2 (9780241957592)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
03/2016
1st Edition
Penguin Books Ltd
€10.99
Available for download
Person
Srinath Raghavan is professor of history and international relations at Ashoka University, New Delhi. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including India's War: The Making of Modern South Asia and Fierce Enigmas: A History of the United States in South Asia.