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1965 Stories From the Second Indo-Pakistan War
1965: Stories From The Second Indo-Pakistan War
264 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2015
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439 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 11, 2017
'For the men in olive-green. Writing their story taught me what valor is.'
I have always been interested in the war genre. I simply love to read war memoirs, novels based on wars and books like '1965: Stories from the Second Indo-Pakistan War.' When I was in the bookstore looking at new arrivals, this book instantly caught my eye. I am glad it did! There is something about the stories of these soldiers that makes me appreciate history and all those sacrifices these people made in order to make what the world is today. It is a sad reality that soldiers are never given their due. They are, oftentimes ignored or not given the full credit and respect for all that they do to make a country safe and sustainable. Rachna Bisht Rawat's book '1965: Stories of the Second Indo-Pakistan War' makes a meaningful attempt to honor all those brave soldiers that India lost during the second Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. It offers deep insight into the workings of the war, the five significant battles, personal and touching interviews from the survivors and a lot of facts which I was pretty unaware of. It gives an example of how courage and will power are sometimes game-changing when it comes to wars. The book gives harrowing details about the five fierce battles that Indian soldiers fought during the war, despite being at a technological disadvantage. It somehow proves that willpower and courage are greater than manpower and technology.
The book has it own flaws, but the kind of inspiration it offers cannot be ignored. The author mentions how she only had four months to research, type and edit a 50,000 page book and how the publisher had just one month to edit and publish it. I really applaud her for her effort. This book is definitely a must read for all those looking for inspiration and are typical history buffs like me and like reading books based on wars. This book is one of those page-turners that will surely keep you hooked to the last page.
I have always been interested in the war genre. I simply love to read war memoirs, novels based on wars and books like '1965: Stories from the Second Indo-Pakistan War.' When I was in the bookstore looking at new arrivals, this book instantly caught my eye. I am glad it did! There is something about the stories of these soldiers that makes me appreciate history and all those sacrifices these people made in order to make what the world is today. It is a sad reality that soldiers are never given their due. They are, oftentimes ignored or not given the full credit and respect for all that they do to make a country safe and sustainable. Rachna Bisht Rawat's book '1965: Stories of the Second Indo-Pakistan War' makes a meaningful attempt to honor all those brave soldiers that India lost during the second Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. It offers deep insight into the workings of the war, the five significant battles, personal and touching interviews from the survivors and a lot of facts which I was pretty unaware of. It gives an example of how courage and will power are sometimes game-changing when it comes to wars. The book gives harrowing details about the five fierce battles that Indian soldiers fought during the war, despite being at a technological disadvantage. It somehow proves that willpower and courage are greater than manpower and technology.
The book has it own flaws, but the kind of inspiration it offers cannot be ignored. The author mentions how she only had four months to research, type and edit a 50,000 page book and how the publisher had just one month to edit and publish it. I really applaud her for her effort. This book is definitely a must read for all those looking for inspiration and are typical history buffs like me and like reading books based on wars. This book is one of those page-turners that will surely keep you hooked to the last page.
April 11, 2016
Got goosebumps at least 20 times. Naam namak nishaan, an Indian army soldier is a very different soul moulded from a different metal altogether. This book made me wiser, if not immensely proud.
Dogarai Dogarai !!
Dogarai Dogarai !!
December 9, 2017
Awe inspiring. Over whelming. Story of five battles that dictated the course of the 1965 India-Pakistan war, and played a major part in Indian army's resounding victory.
Starts with how a charishmatic Major inspires his men to trek up and down 12000 feet peaks straddling a valley under sheets of rains, through sludge and mud and capture a key pass that Pakistan was used as a base for infiltration.
Recounts the brave men who cross over the then International border and capture Pakistani villages and posts. How one brave man takes out 8 Patton tanks, that were then touted as invincible by their American makers with his jeep mounted recoilless gun, giving his life up when his shell crosses the one the tank it would destroy just fired.
How men take heavily fortified villages just 24 KM from Lahore despite being out numbered.
How a CO inspires his men to fight like men possessed and finally come out winners in a furious hand to hand fight where men keep fighting even after being bayoneted.
This is also a story of young men being blown up. Of CO's having to convince their men to give up the posts their brothers in arms gave their lives up to capture, just because the politicians signed a piece of paper that would be dishonored soon. Of the men who took it stoically, if wistfully. Of brave women who wow to send their yet unborn sons to serve in their martyred husband's battalions and kept it. Of the highest traditions and courage the Indian Army had always prided itself upon.
Salute to the men who fought well. And to those who died well. My freedom is a gift from them. This is their story.
Starts with how a charishmatic Major inspires his men to trek up and down 12000 feet peaks straddling a valley under sheets of rains, through sludge and mud and capture a key pass that Pakistan was used as a base for infiltration.
Recounts the brave men who cross over the then International border and capture Pakistani villages and posts. How one brave man takes out 8 Patton tanks, that were then touted as invincible by their American makers with his jeep mounted recoilless gun, giving his life up when his shell crosses the one the tank it would destroy just fired.
How men take heavily fortified villages just 24 KM from Lahore despite being out numbered.
How a CO inspires his men to fight like men possessed and finally come out winners in a furious hand to hand fight where men keep fighting even after being bayoneted.
This is also a story of young men being blown up. Of CO's having to convince their men to give up the posts their brothers in arms gave their lives up to capture, just because the politicians signed a piece of paper that would be dishonored soon. Of the men who took it stoically, if wistfully. Of brave women who wow to send their yet unborn sons to serve in their martyred husband's battalions and kept it. Of the highest traditions and courage the Indian Army had always prided itself upon.
Salute to the men who fought well. And to those who died well. My freedom is a gift from them. This is their story.
March 21, 2018
When the odds are all stacked against, and when the going gets tough, that is the point where true heroes emerge. Facing difficulties both internally and externally, geographically and militarily, the men in the battles described in the book came out with a manual on bravery in adversity. The book, an account of India's glorious battles, does justice to the purpose for which it was written. A quick and a good read.
April 26, 2016
Stark realization of the hurdles faced by soldiers during war in those times when technology was not there! Also loved this line by author Rachna Bisht-
"For the men in olive green. Writing their stories taught me what valour is"
"For the men in olive green. Writing their stories taught me what valour is"
October 18, 2015
Fifty years ago, in April 1965, skirmishes between border police broke out along the Indo-Pak frontier. Despite attempts at peace, by August, the two countries were involved in a conflict that saw thousands killed and wounded.
The Indo-Pak War of 1965 has gone down as a landmark in Indian military history. It saw Indian soldiers going up against a technologically better-equipped Pakistani Army, and still pulling off astounding victories. It saw near-unbelievable displays of courage, and it made heroes out of men as diverse as an ex-tailor and an Anglo-Indian born in the UK.
In 1965: Stories From the Second Indo-Pak War, Rachna Bisht Rawat chronicles some of the stories of the Indian soldiers of 1965. The narrative centres round five battles that marked the war. Stretching from Kashmir to Punjab, these battlefields were as diverse as jungles, mountains and sugarcane fields. In all, Indian soldiers proved themselves equal both to the enemy and the terrain.
The five battles—Haji Pir Pass, Asal Uttar, Phillora, Barki, and Dograi—are covered in a long chapter each, which explains the background before going into the details of the military units deployed, the strategy, and the action itself. The entire course of the battle is covered, with significant events being highlighted—a particular victory, a loss, a surprise twist, an amusing anecdote. Each chapter, too, includes descriptions of particularly noteworthy acts of valour that earned men recognition (or, in some cases, not: at the Battle of Asal Uttar, three grenadiers, Shafiq, Naushad and Suleiman, shot dead a Pakistani GOC—probably the only foot soldiers ever to have killed a General in battle).
While the detailed descriptions of the battles may not appeal to readers uninterested in military history, what makes this book memorable are the stories of these men. Each chapter ends with a long section on one man who exemplified courage in that battle: CQMH Abdul Hamid, for example, who destroyed seven Patton tanks at Asal Uttar before being killed. Or Lt Col Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, whose courage and hands-on attitude won him the undying respect of his men.
Dotted with reminiscences of veterans, of relatives and widows who lost their men in these battles, this book brings alive the men who fought the battles of 1965. They, and the anecdotes that appear here and there, are what make this book not just a commemoration of 1965, but more: an affectionate, warm tribute to these men. There is pathos here, of course, and bravery, even humour. There is a glimpse of the other side of battle: the days of trudging through rain and mud, the lack of sleep and water. Of surviving on sugarcane for six days because there was no other food. Of villagers helping out with food and friendship (or, in one ironic incident, Pakistani villagers not realizing that the tanks rolling down their village lanes were Indian, the soldiers in them the enemy).
General Patton once said, ‘Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men’. 1965: Stories From the Second Indo-Pak War is a worthy tribute to those men who may not have won us the war (ceasefire was declared late in September 1965), but who showed us what soldiering is about.
(From my review for The New Indian Express: http://www.newindianexpress.com/lifes...)
The Indo-Pak War of 1965 has gone down as a landmark in Indian military history. It saw Indian soldiers going up against a technologically better-equipped Pakistani Army, and still pulling off astounding victories. It saw near-unbelievable displays of courage, and it made heroes out of men as diverse as an ex-tailor and an Anglo-Indian born in the UK.
In 1965: Stories From the Second Indo-Pak War, Rachna Bisht Rawat chronicles some of the stories of the Indian soldiers of 1965. The narrative centres round five battles that marked the war. Stretching from Kashmir to Punjab, these battlefields were as diverse as jungles, mountains and sugarcane fields. In all, Indian soldiers proved themselves equal both to the enemy and the terrain.
The five battles—Haji Pir Pass, Asal Uttar, Phillora, Barki, and Dograi—are covered in a long chapter each, which explains the background before going into the details of the military units deployed, the strategy, and the action itself. The entire course of the battle is covered, with significant events being highlighted—a particular victory, a loss, a surprise twist, an amusing anecdote. Each chapter, too, includes descriptions of particularly noteworthy acts of valour that earned men recognition (or, in some cases, not: at the Battle of Asal Uttar, three grenadiers, Shafiq, Naushad and Suleiman, shot dead a Pakistani GOC—probably the only foot soldiers ever to have killed a General in battle).
While the detailed descriptions of the battles may not appeal to readers uninterested in military history, what makes this book memorable are the stories of these men. Each chapter ends with a long section on one man who exemplified courage in that battle: CQMH Abdul Hamid, for example, who destroyed seven Patton tanks at Asal Uttar before being killed. Or Lt Col Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, whose courage and hands-on attitude won him the undying respect of his men.
Dotted with reminiscences of veterans, of relatives and widows who lost their men in these battles, this book brings alive the men who fought the battles of 1965. They, and the anecdotes that appear here and there, are what make this book not just a commemoration of 1965, but more: an affectionate, warm tribute to these men. There is pathos here, of course, and bravery, even humour. There is a glimpse of the other side of battle: the days of trudging through rain and mud, the lack of sleep and water. Of surviving on sugarcane for six days because there was no other food. Of villagers helping out with food and friendship (or, in one ironic incident, Pakistani villagers not realizing that the tanks rolling down their village lanes were Indian, the soldiers in them the enemy).
General Patton once said, ‘Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men’. 1965: Stories From the Second Indo-Pak War is a worthy tribute to those men who may not have won us the war (ceasefire was declared late in September 1965), but who showed us what soldiering is about.
(From my review for The New Indian Express: http://www.newindianexpress.com/lifes...)
February 19, 2017
The book details some of the most important missions from the Indo-Pak war of 1965. The detailing includes the commanders and men, their plan and how the events unfolded.
My most favourite part in the book is the personality profiling section of the men at the end of every chapter. This is the part which almost all books on this subject lack.
If you are looking for the reasons of this war and geo-polity surrounding it, this is not the right book.
My most favourite part in the book is the personality profiling section of the men at the end of every chapter. This is the part which almost all books on this subject lack.
If you are looking for the reasons of this war and geo-polity surrounding it, this is not the right book.
January 6, 2016
A book that takes you back 50 years to the heroic deeds of valor of our armed forces. A truly authentic and unbiased account of 1965 Indo-pak war as narrated by the war veterans.
You feel the goosebumps and hair raising on your arms, reading stories of gallantry awardwees and sacrifices made for mother India. A must read for all Indians to truly understand our glorious piece of history.
You feel the goosebumps and hair raising on your arms, reading stories of gallantry awardwees and sacrifices made for mother India. A must read for all Indians to truly understand our glorious piece of history.
October 16, 2015
A war that gave birth to heroes we are not grateful to. Some of the stories we heard millions of times. But some are lost in the history. Rachna's 1965 war cherishes the memories of those who laid their lives for the motherland.
September 18, 2015
comprehensive review of the story and good account of the mental taughness of our Armies. serious book but refreshing!
May 8, 2017
One Word.Epic.Hell lot of goosebumps.
May 3, 2019
1965: Short Stories from the second Indo-Pak War was a very informational book on the second Indo-Pak war. What was really interesting in this book was how it does not exaggerate anything. The author does not get any information from the web but gets it from the people who actually fought the war and those close to them. It is interesting to see the perspective of people fighting the war. Another good thing about this book is how it talks about the different battles in the war. I also like the fact that this book was very informational. It was very different to see all the specifics in the battles from tanks to guns, to cars and planes. Throughout the book, it is seen that the author has maintained the topic of this book, and not sidetracking on other topics. This book is also an interesting read because it talks about the soldiers felt during battle. Instead of just saying it, she described it with lots of detail. The main prospect of this book is how she made the reader (non-educated on the topic or not) understand what she meant and what she wrote. This meaning that the way she wrote made readers understand complex things such as guns, tanks, and battles. In the end, this book is a very interesting read and is highly recommended for people who are interested in learning about specifics such as emotions during a battle, the aftermath, guns, tanks, plans, etc. If you like all of those this book is definitely for you.
April 25, 2019
Living through the hardest battles that India has ever foughten through is hard. Pakistan has American weapons, tanks, and airplanes. Just because of Indian's grit they one. They had unfair things that were happening as a couple of hundred people to twenty tanks. This is showing the result of unfairness between the battles, but did the Indians give up? No! They fought until the end and they destroyed the "undefeatable"(said by the Americans) tanks and won the battle.
This book is great for people who want to learn the results and power of the Indians. The author didn't exaggerate the book, like what most authors do, and giving us the people who fought there and told us how it was to be there. They even told us of the farmers who were drafted in battle from the Pakistanies and gave them food and the soldiers made sure to return them back to their family.
This book is great for people who want to learn the results and power of the Indians. The author didn't exaggerate the book, like what most authors do, and giving us the people who fought there and told us how it was to be there. They even told us of the farmers who were drafted in battle from the Pakistanies and gave them food and the soldiers made sure to return them back to their family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2019
It's in 1965. It's the year where the Indians and the Pakistanis attack and during this war, there are many stories to tell. Pakistan was given an advantage that made sure that India had a fear of them. They were given American weapons. Tanks, guns, and planes that outnumbered India's arsenal. But did this fear India really? Each soldier made sure that they did everything they could do against Pakistan. This gave each soldier a story to tell. And this book contains the incredible stories of India.
The stories written in this book are ensured that they are not exaggerated as it was said at the beginning of the story but the stories are still amazing that these people who fought had incredible stories. I may have liked it but since I was going for different books but this was a good one anyways. I like how detailed each operation was planned and the detail for the execution of that operation so it was a great plus for this book but the person mentioned in each story wasn't mentioned as much as the operation.
The stories written in this book are ensured that they are not exaggerated as it was said at the beginning of the story but the stories are still amazing that these people who fought had incredible stories. I may have liked it but since I was going for different books but this was a good one anyways. I like how detailed each operation was planned and the detail for the execution of that operation so it was a great plus for this book but the person mentioned in each story wasn't mentioned as much as the operation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2023
Inspirational Book
A detailed account of 1965 war explained in a simple and an inspirational manner. A must read for those who live reading about vious wars fought by our Indian Armed Forces.
A detailed account of 1965 war explained in a simple and an inspirational manner. A must read for those who live reading about vious wars fought by our Indian Armed Forces.
March 15, 2020
Amazingly well writ and vivid and detailed description of the 1965 Indo Pak War. Loved the book, felt proud and sad for the fallen heroes of the war who gave the sacrifice supreme for the Motherland.
January 22, 2021
The brilliant untold stories of the warriors of the 1965 Indo-Pak Wars. Must read for every Indian.
October 8, 2024
Unashamedly one-sided as written based on the recollections of Indian soldiers but still a fascinating read with lots of interesting detail.
March 25, 2017
Well recounted tales from the war, good profiles of soldiers, but not extremely well written.
July 22, 2020
Nice book
देश की सेवा करते हुए प्राण न्योछावर करने वाले शहीदों को नमन। अच्छी किताब है ज़रूर अपने बच्चों को ये इतिहास बताएं कि किस तरह सैनिकों ने प्राण दे कर जीत हासिल की लेकिन राजनेताओं ने सब गवां दिया।
देश की सेवा करते हुए प्राण न्योछावर करने वाले शहीदों को नमन। अच्छी किताब है ज़रूर अपने बच्चों को ये इतिहास बताएं कि किस तरह सैनिकों ने प्राण दे कर जीत हासिल की लेकिन राजनेताओं ने सब गवां दिया।
November 15, 2016
An excellent book on the war fought between India and Pakistan which has been almost forgotten.
The author does explain all the major skirmishes during the war.
However, as the book is categorized as per the major battles fought we fail to get a detailed info on the war and the events in order.
The author does explain all the major skirmishes during the war.
However, as the book is categorized as per the major battles fought we fail to get a detailed info on the war and the events in order.
Read
July 28, 2016Really inspiring book and way INDIAN ARMY captured the victory .HATS OFF to heroes , real superheroes .MUSt READ if you are army BRAT or interested to join ARMED FORCES.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews