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Four Stars of Destiny: An Autobiography
In 2019, General Manoj Mukund Naravane became the twenty-eighth Chief of the Indian Army. His journey to the highest echelons of the Indian Armed Forces was not short of exciting and challenging events.
In his memoirs, General Naravane recounts the myriad experiences that shaped his character, from his childhood to his years in the Services and beyond. From his first encounter with the Chinese as a young officer in Sikkim to dealing with them in Galwan when he was Chief, from daily incidents of ring across the LC to implementing a ceasefire with Pakistan, General Naravane takes us through his distinguished career spanning over four decades that saw him serve in all corners of the country. This is a specialist’s take on what makes our forces unique, particularly those that deal with the planning and conduct of operations―the raison d’être of the Army.
In Four Stars of Destiny, General Naravane shares lessons on leadership and management with universal applicability and gives us an insider’s perspective on what else needs to be done to make the Armed Forces a more potent instrument of national power, ready to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. General Naravane’s life and career illustrate the strength and resilience required to overcome adversity, and the importance of family and maintaining a work-life balance―something that has been lost in today’s 24x7 work culture.
In his memoirs, General Naravane recounts the myriad experiences that shaped his character, from his childhood to his years in the Services and beyond. From his first encounter with the Chinese as a young officer in Sikkim to dealing with them in Galwan when he was Chief, from daily incidents of ring across the LC to implementing a ceasefire with Pakistan, General Naravane takes us through his distinguished career spanning over four decades that saw him serve in all corners of the country. This is a specialist’s take on what makes our forces unique, particularly those that deal with the planning and conduct of operations―the raison d’être of the Army.
In Four Stars of Destiny, General Naravane shares lessons on leadership and management with universal applicability and gives us an insider’s perspective on what else needs to be done to make the Armed Forces a more potent instrument of national power, ready to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. General Naravane’s life and career illustrate the strength and resilience required to overcome adversity, and the importance of family and maintaining a work-life balance―something that has been lost in today’s 24x7 work culture.
448 pages, Hardcover
Published January 12, 2024
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February 5, 2026brilliant book
February 7, 2026
A fascinating look into how the apex operational authority in one of the world's largest armies operates. Gen. Naravane goes into considerable details on the seemingly mundane matters of the Fauj, issues like automation, digitisation, training, and more prominent ones like the different counter-insurgency operations it is charged with, the Tour of Duty project (known also as Agnipath), the integration of women into conventional roles, theatrisation et al.
Are there parts that seem like they were written for a Regimental Newsletter? Definitely. Whole chunks of text are unremarkable for their bureaucratic style (ironic, given Naravane himself complains about this being a bug of Service Manuals), but there are also enjoyable little sojourns to the NDA, the IMA, and his regimental service. There are insights too, into matters like foreign relations and the Line of Control and civil-military/military-industry relations, but all too often it feels like he had all the right ideas for all his designations.
The tract that has caused a ruckus in Parliament is fairly inoffensive but detailed, and speaks to a paralysis within elected policymakers and unelected Cabinet-rank czars. Naravane has no scores to settle with the government in power, else he would have used the book as a grievance portal for the failure of the establishment to appoint him Chief of Defence Staff. His observations, then, are valuable for their professional insights into the functioning of a system, though one can argue for or against decisions he made, and wonder why certain calls - like sacking a senior subordinate - were not exercised.
Are there parts that seem like they were written for a Regimental Newsletter? Definitely. Whole chunks of text are unremarkable for their bureaucratic style (ironic, given Naravane himself complains about this being a bug of Service Manuals), but there are also enjoyable little sojourns to the NDA, the IMA, and his regimental service. There are insights too, into matters like foreign relations and the Line of Control and civil-military/military-industry relations, but all too often it feels like he had all the right ideas for all his designations.
The tract that has caused a ruckus in Parliament is fairly inoffensive but detailed, and speaks to a paralysis within elected policymakers and unelected Cabinet-rank czars. Naravane has no scores to settle with the government in power, else he would have used the book as a grievance portal for the failure of the establishment to appoint him Chief of Defence Staff. His observations, then, are valuable for their professional insights into the functioning of a system, though one can argue for or against decisions he made, and wonder why certain calls - like sacking a senior subordinate - were not exercised.
February 18, 2026
An uneven book. At times interesting, at other times boring. Episodes on Kashmir and Myanmar are thrilling. Defense of Agnipath and theatre command are noteworthy. Enjoyed reading the militarydiplomacy part. Narvane's life is ordinary, therefore the personal descriptions are unremarkable.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews