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Welcome. A Review on the Book Freedom at Midnight Chapter 1 - 10. Dr. Tajkia Haque Roll no. 5028. Book details. Authors. Dominique Lapierre (born in 1931), a French writer Larry Collins (1929 - 2005) an American writer
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A Review on the Book Freedom at Midnight Chapter 1 - 10 Dr. TajkiaHaque Roll no. 5028
Authors • Dominique Lapierre (born in 1931), a French writer • Larry Collins (1929 - 2005) an American writer • Two friends wrote a number of bestselling novels on historical background. • Each wrote in his own language, and it was published simultaneously before being translated into sixteen other languages.
Overview of the book • The book makes its reader feel like being direct witness of the liberation events of Indian subcontinent. • An excellent narrative of the events leading up to India's independence. • Authors do an excellent job of blending the human side of things along with the fact; they take us on a once-in-a-lifetime kind of ride that is bound to change our perceptions regarding the history.
Overview of the book • This is one of the best researched history of the people behind India's Independence movement. • The build up towards independence and its aftermath are written in such a style that it all appears like dramatic fiction.
Chapter 1‘A Race Destined to Govern and Subdue’ • Post-war pathetic condition of London is expressed by the pale Christmas and New year celebration. • They only had the blue and gold document, the British passport which guarantees their entry to almost a quarter of the earth’s surface.
‘A Race Destined to Govern and Subdue’ British Prime minister Clement Atlee selected Lord Mountbatten as the last viceroy of British India.
Chapter 2‘Walk Alone, Walk Alone’ • The image of Mahatma Gandhi is sketched in details. • Riot between Hindu and Muslim outburst in greater India is narrated here.
‘Walk Alone, Walk Alone’ • Mahatma Gandhi alone continued his effort to keep peace in Noakhali with his Sattyagroho& Ahingsa.
‘Leave India to God’ • The background of commonwealth formation • Life history of Lord Mountbatten and Mahatma Gandhi • House of Commons voted to end British rule in India by June 1948.
Chapter 4A Last Tattoo for the Dying Raj • The story of colourful, eventful and meaningful tenure of Louis Mountbatten and his glorious better half Edwina Mountbatten • It was the distinct method of dealing with the people of this subcontinent which was based on psycho-social understanding.
Chapter 5An Old Man and his Shattered Dream • Mountbatten had a secret meeting with Nehru, Gandhi, Patel and Jinnah • Jinnah was strict on having Pakistan for Muslim. • Mountbatten finally agreed to the proposal which actually shattered the dream of Gandhi’s united India.
Chapter 6A Precious Little Place • The description of the very British-style summertime capital the gorgeous Shimla • The smart interaction of Nehru with Mountbatten couple in defining the future of the subcontinent is its content.
A Precious Little Place • It was Suhrawardy, who claimed independent Bangla for the first time.
Chapter 7Palaces and Tigers, Elephants and Jewels • The life of the Maharajas of India. • Various sorts of interesting, sometimes peculiar and even odd lifestyle of the princes are portrayed in the chapter. • Although the positive stories are undermined in respect of the pessimistic events.
Chapter 8A Day Cursed by the Stars • Mountbatten impulsively decided the date of partition (Aug 15, 1947) at a press conference • But the astrologers, ‘Jyotishis’, the most powerful occult body in India opposed the day due to its odd position according to their calculation and assumption.
Chapter 9The Most Complex Divorce in History The Partition process included attempt to divide • all government departments and their contents • the emotional bondage among its inhabitants .
Chapter 10‘We will always remain brothers’ The other facets of the Indian independence story like the Kashmir problem and the issue of princely states have also been dealt in a very detailed manner
‘We will always remain brothers’ The crucial maps setting the boundary separating India and Pakistan were drawn by Cyril Radcliffe.
Criticism Positive Aspects: • The writers had outstanding skill of presenting history in a form of an interesting tale. • Touching review of complexity of human emotions of those extraordinary days are expressed with mastery. • This book has an excellent and gripping narrative, is exhaustively researched. • This book gives a 360 degree view of Indian freedom and gives a vivid account of 1947 as if one were living in that time. • I liked the poetic name of each chapter.
Negative Aspects: • Based on thirty hours of interviews granted by Louis Mountbatten to its authors. It is essentially a one-man version of how India won its independence. • An exaggerated glorification of Mahatma Gandhi and Mountbatten himself while neglects the other key players of those times such as Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Azad and many more. • Too much space has been given to cover the weird life histories of the Maharajas.
Due to Mountbatten's personal views, Nehru is portrayed in extreme positivity and Jinnah is projected in extreme negativity. • Personal character of Suhrawardy is depicted in a pessimistic way which is really objectionable and seems to be irrelevant. • There is detail about Hindu and Muslim religion which has some wrong & confusing information. • The authors also do not seem well-versed in Indian history before the British confusing Muslims and Mughals.
Conclusion The book is as entertaining as well as factual as this. Authors told the story in a casual style andmanaged to capture one of the most important years (1947) of world history. It describes historical events and portrays the personality of the important 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. A lot of interesting details help to visualize what happened during the partition of India and Pakistan.
ANY Questions? ?
