The book is an exhaustive account of the end of brightest Raj in India. The sheer content and bibliography reflect the amount of research that went in before writing the book. The book is a series of vignettes wonderfully woven around the independence movement. The most remarkable aspect is that the real life incidents chosen are crafted carefully to present a chronological description. The authors being French and not English or Indian, provide an unbiased opinion about the incidents that took place.
The book is written with Lord Mountbatten as the pivotal figure. All the events unwind in relation to him. The book begins with the appointment of a reluctant Lord Mountbatten as the Viceroy of India. The authors go on to describe how he take stock of the situation on hand and how he starts the movement of troops and the English out of India.
Some of the prime events in the history are given in pain staking detail. One such example is the partition .The incidents relating to the distribution of wealth and property between the two nations is quiet funny and anecdotal which cannot be found in any other book. The division of India and the movement of the masses across the 'border' and the violence that ensued were all given in gory detail. One is forced to stop reading and wonder if all that was required. The integration of princely states in India and the unique and long recurring problem of Kashmir and the events that led to such animosity between the nations is dealt quiet cautiously, ensuring overall appreciation. The Raja Harivinder Singh's anecdote and the subsequent annexation of Kashmir into India are humorous.
Lives of famous personalities like Gandhiji, Jinnah , Nehru and Vallabhai Patel were vividly described. The secret of Mohammed Ali Jinnah and the repercussions that the nation would have undergone had Jinnah made public these facts is quiet unnerving. The fact that India would not have stood divided, but for the evil designs of Jinnah stirs up emotions unknown.
Gandhiji was as expected given prime importance. Details of his ideals, the moments started by him and the following he had were all presented in detail authors devoted a separate section for assassination of Gandhiji. Right from the beginning of how the idea took shape, the historic back ground ,the social set up and extremist mindset are all beautifully presented. One cant stop wondering if the scene being described is straight out of some Hollywood movie. The account of the event of murder, the psychological state of the killer Nahtu Ram Godse and his troop succeed in delivering a chilling experience about the cold blooded murder of the great man.
All in all the book serves as a appetizer in raising interest and curiosity in the reader to know more about the Indian struggle for independence. The book may not proved to be any help academically, but reading the book is an enjoyable experience. Dominique Lappaire and Harry Lorraine live up to their expectation of being superb narrators of history.
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