Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire | 
 enlarge | Author: Alex Von Tunzelmann
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Category: Book
List Price: $30.00
Buy New: $19.40
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Rating:  25 reviews
Sales Rank: 647171
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.4
Dewey Decimal Number: 954.0359
ASIN: B001FB62H8
Publication Date: August 7, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
An extraordinary story of romance, history, and divided loyalties—set against the backdrop of one of the most dramatic events of the twentieth century The stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, liberated 400 million people from the British Empire. With the loss of India, its greatest colony, Britain ceased to be a superpower, and its king ceased to sign himself Rex Imperator.
This defining moment of world history had been brought about by a handful of people. Among them were Jawaharlal Nehru, the fiery Indian prime minister; Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the leader of the new Islamic Republic of Pakistan; Mohandas Gandhi, the mystical figure who enthralled a nation; and Louis and Edwina Mountbatten, the glamorous but unlikely couple who had been dispatched to get Britain out of India. Within hours of the midnight chimes, their dreams of freedom and democracy would turn to chaos, bloodshed, and war.
Behind the scenes, a secret personal drama was also unfolding, as Edwina Mountbatten and Jawaharlal Nehru began a passionate love affair. Their romance developed alongside Cold War conspiracies, the beginning of a terrible conflict in Kashmir, and an epic sweep of events that saw one million people killed and ten million dispossessed.
Steeped in the private papers and reflections of the participants, Indian Summer reveals, in vivid, exhilarating detail, how the actions of a few extraordinary people changed the lives of millions and determined the fate of nations.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 20 more reviews...
 Reads like a Page 3 report on personalities of indian partition October 17, 2008
Contrary to the name ...the book deals very little with history and even less with any secrets. having said that it is well written and flows easily. It does well not pass judgement or blame on the varied personalities, but focuses on the personality quirks of each individual. The book should not be treated as a peice of historical work but as historical fiction , much like Alexander Dumas's Three Musketeers". All in all its a fun and easy read on a lazy summer afternoon...with a cup of tea of course.
 A good read for anybody interested in indian history July 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Overall it is a pretty good book. It provides an insight into the decades leading upto the Indian and Pakistani Independence and into the personalities who were involved in the independence movement.
For an Indian it provides a different point of view than the ones provided by text books in schools.
Indian Summer July 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A fascinating tale of exactly what happened, politically, socially and economically, during the summer India gained her independence from Britain, focused on the lives (and loves) of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten, Nehru, Gandhi, and Jinnah. Readable, although detaile, the author could have delved more deeply into the complex personalities of the leading characters.
 Fun, and well-written June 21, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I enjoyed this book a lot. The writing style is excellent and the story is fascinating. I've read a few books about the amazing story of Indian independence. This one is focused on the personalities involved, particularly Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten and Nehru. As a book about people and personalities, it is more approachable than some of the history books; some of it is downright gossipy, although never in a lowbrow way. So it's very pleasurable and easy to read. Enjoy!
an eye opener into india's history March 2, 2008
i found this book very interesting in providing readers with the insights of the transfer of power from the british to the indian government and prior to the transfer of power, the author was able to bring us to the time of the maharajas before the europeans came. there's certainly no innocent party with what happened in india at that time and what resulted today.
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