Good Boatman: A Portrait Of Gandhi

by Rajmohan Gandhi

A new and illuminating portrait of one of the greatest figures of the twentieth century. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi has been the subject of over a dozen well-regarded biographies, yet key aspects of the man still prove elusive. In this book, Rajmohan Gandhi, a grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and an acclaimed biographer and scholar, attempts to understand the phenomenon that was Gandhi. This he does by examining in detail dominant and varied themes of Gandhi's life"his unsuccessful bid to keep India united, his attitude towards caste and untouchability; his relationship with those whose empire he challenged; his controversial experiments with chastity; his views on God, truth and non-violence; and his selection of heirs to lead a new-born nation. For a generation growing up on images of a simplified Father of the Nation and apostle of non-violence frozen in statues or reduced to a few predictable strokes of an artist's pen, this biography offers a rewarding insight into the man, his victories and his defeats.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History

516 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2000

About the author

Rajmohan Gandhi (born 1935)is a biographer and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and a research professor at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA.

Until end-December 2012 he taught political science and history at the University of Illinois and divided his time between India and the United States.

Reviews

[E.T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 6th book by the author and it is typical - Some parts (the first 2 chapters) are dry, some are sensible with valuable insights. This book is a good defense and analysis of Gandhi's words and actions ; at times a bit over-enthusiastic but is not one-sided. Gandhi's thoughts on "black kaffirs" and the chapter on Hind Swaraj surprised me. U learn something new from each book u read !
Do remember that this is not a biography, and I would recommend reading a biography of Gandhi before reading this one.

[Revanth Ukkalam · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is nothing extraordinarily novel about the ideas and the preoccupations in this book especially in the times of today. Neither is the book outdated. I think that is what makes it a perfect classic. There is - as far as I see - not a single theme or affair of Gandhi's philosophy and of action that this book does not take on its plate. It is a perfect guide to Gandhi so to speak. I had given this honour earlier to Rudrangshu Mukherjee-editorial, The Gandhi Reader. But this is the best. I need not go on again about Rajmohan's erudition.