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Nehru a Political Biography
This biography of Nehru is also a political history of India over the forty years of Nehru's involvement in the freedom movement and the politics of the formative years of Indian nationhood. It traces Nehru's political and psychological development, exploring the complexities of his character. Brecher assesses Nehru as a leader and also his place in history.
267 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 11, 2021
First published in 1959 the political biography of Nehru is very detailed and extremely sympathetic. At times Bresher looks like less of a biographer and more of an admirer. The big book goes in great detail about the formative years of Nehru and his contribution to the independence movement. The period covered during independence movement gives great details of Indian freedom struggle. A lot of history books written later have taken more than an inspiration from this book. A lot of people including many who had taken part in freedom movement were alive during the writing of the book and hence the author had the advantage in getting first person account.
The tumultuous period of partition and thereafter gets an equally detailed handling. The best part comes after that. The first person account of Nehruvian vision of socialism, secularism, non-alignment and planning gets detailed handling. The very ambitious second five year plan, the rescue of the plan with foreign funding are given detailed handling. Nehru's relation with USA and USSR and what was going on in his mind are also discussed in detail.
Primarily a political biography it does not delves in the personal life of Nehru but it does gives details of his likes and dislikes. The basis of Nehru's leftward leanings, his strained relationship with rightist elements in Congress party are also discussed in detail.
The follies of Nehru, the over centralization of power, weakening of the Congress party and making party individual centric rather than cadre based are also discussed in detail.
Nehru had written in 1954 "if any people choose to think of me then, I should like them to say: "This was a man who, with all his mind and heart, loved India and the Indian people. And they, in turn, were indulgent to him and gave him of their love most abundantly and extravagantly."
Today when Nehru and his ideas and ideals are increasingly under attack, this is a timely read.
The tumultuous period of partition and thereafter gets an equally detailed handling. The best part comes after that. The first person account of Nehruvian vision of socialism, secularism, non-alignment and planning gets detailed handling. The very ambitious second five year plan, the rescue of the plan with foreign funding are given detailed handling. Nehru's relation with USA and USSR and what was going on in his mind are also discussed in detail.
Primarily a political biography it does not delves in the personal life of Nehru but it does gives details of his likes and dislikes. The basis of Nehru's leftward leanings, his strained relationship with rightist elements in Congress party are also discussed in detail.
The follies of Nehru, the over centralization of power, weakening of the Congress party and making party individual centric rather than cadre based are also discussed in detail.
Nehru had written in 1954 "if any people choose to think of me then, I should like them to say: "This was a man who, with all his mind and heart, loved India and the Indian people. And they, in turn, were indulgent to him and gave him of their love most abundantly and extravagantly."
Today when Nehru and his ideas and ideals are increasingly under attack, this is a timely read.
October 4, 2019
Detailed and strong biography of a world leader, the first Prime Minster of independent India.
I particularly enjoyed the three fold-out maps and the several photographs. The first photo is from 1894 and shows the boy aged five in a sailor suit on a tricycle. Some of the photos show or include women, and we see Albert Einstein at Princeton in 1948. The book ends in 1958.
Bibliography and index P641 - 682. I read this book from the RDS Library.
I particularly enjoyed the three fold-out maps and the several photographs. The first photo is from 1894 and shows the boy aged five in a sailor suit on a tricycle. Some of the photos show or include women, and we see Albert Einstein at Princeton in 1948. The book ends in 1958.
Bibliography and index P641 - 682. I read this book from the RDS Library.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews