| JAMES CAMEROON An Indian Summer Author is British journalist James Cameron (the man who heard the famous words of a Gandhi staffer, to the effect that it costs a fortune to keep Gandhiji in his simple lifestyle). This short but meaty book is a loving portrait of a marvelous country. Cameron uses the incident of a horrific car accident he suffered in Bangladesh to tie together his own sense of mortality and India's great endurance. Pace can be a little rough at times, but that is the only detraction from this beautiful, appreciative look at India and its foibles, humanity, grace, sufferings. His treatment of conversations (with little hints of well-observed Indglish) are a joy to read. Many tender and thoughtful passages about mankind, but it's really a very personal memoir of Cameron's ongoing yet troubled love affair with a nation. Indispensible part of any India-phile's library, great pre-departure (or take-along) reading for anyone going there. MARK TULLY No Full Stops in India This book gives a far more in depth picture of India than one is able to get by traveling around the country as a Westerner not familiar with the many languages of India. Tully has a great love for the country, but bares the many contradictions and conflicts that exist in the vast Indian society beyond the small English speaking elite. Mark Tully describes some of his experiences in India. He is critical of the educated Indian who forsakes his own culture for the sake of being a WOG - Western Oriented Gentleman. This is disasterous for India and Indianness. As an Indian I agree with his views. He urges the Indian middle class and the ruling class to realize that they are fulfilling the agenda of the erstwhile British rulers. He urges them to realize that this agenda will lead to India's ruin. At the same time he is passionate about his adopted country to say that there are many voices that are clamouring for the Indianness of India. Truly a remarkable insight for an Englishman and very accurate. Strongly recommended for reading to everyone. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140104801/qid=1013737436/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-8636610-3947956 The Heart of India Mark Tully, the former BBC bureau chief in Delhi, creates a colorful portrait of life in the state of Uttar Predesh, the "heart of India." Listeners hear stories about the problems of village life, such as having a reputation for being a barren wife, arranging a revenge killing, coping with a lazy husband, new attitudes about marriage, and religious festivals. These stories describe in personal terms a people being pushed headlong into the modern world. These are Mark Tully's own stories, and he reads them with authority and compassion. These stories help a Westerner better understand the unique atmosphere and vibrant culture of village India. Imbued with his love for India and informed by his vast experience, Mark Tully has woven together a series of extraordinary stories. All the stories are set in Uttar Pradesh and tell of very different lives. Of a barren wife who visits a holy man and subsequently conceives-but is it a miracle or something more worldly? Of a son's carefully laid plot to take revenge against his father's murderer, with a surprising twist when his case comes to court. Of a daughter, persuaded by her friends to spurn an arranged marriage, whose romance ends in blackmail. Of a man's inability to overcome the conventions of caste and go into business, which leads to his wife breaking purdah and taking control of the family. In these and in other stories, Mark TuIly delicately probes the nuances of life in India. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140179658/qid=1013737781/sr=1-7/ref=sr_1_7/104-8636610-3947956 LARRY COLLINS AND DOMINIQUE LAPIERRE Freedom at Midnight I can only say that this book is really splendid. It is like all history books should be: it describes historical events and portrays the personality of the persons that played a role in it, but it also concentrates on the common people that lived in that time, on their dreams, on their beliefs...And this last part is surely what makes of this book a great book: the fascinating diversity of the Indian religions, the manifold of colours and scents of India are depicted vividly. History has never been so intriguing. Being an Indian I read the book from an Indian standpoint and for me it was an incredible experience. Having grown up in India I have been exposed to a lot of material about Independence but none have aroused such thought as "Freedom at Midnight". A masterfully written, superbly researched and above all a very human account of what happenned in that period of Indian History. Mountbatten comes across as the hero of India and though Gandhi is shown to be more human than saint his actions were definitely that of a Mahatma. This book gave me a better understanding of my own country. A must read for every Indian or anyone who is interested in India http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/8125904808/qid=1013738337/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-8636610-3947956 HOME PREV NEXT saslekh@yahoo.com |
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