Explore India’s Rich History: Top Book Picks from The Seen and the Unseen Podcast

"The Seen and the Unseen" is India's premier long-form podcast hosted by Amit Varma. The podcast, which has been running since 2017, features long-form conversations with intellectuals, writers, economists, historians, and thought leaders from India and around the world.

I am only sharing the books recommended related to Indian History: 

Post-Independence to Contemporary India (1970s–Present)

1. India after Gandhi — Ramachandra Guha
2. 1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh — Srinath Raghavan
3. Emergency Chronicles: Indira Gandhi and Democracy’s Turning Point — Gyan Prakash
4. India Moving: A History of Migration — Chinmay Tumbe
5. Jugalbandi: The BJP Before Modi — Vinay Sitapati
6. The Paradoxical Prime Minister — Shashi Tharoor
7. The Generation of Rage in Kashmir — David Devadas
8. Atomic State: Big Science in Twentieth-Century India — Jahnavi Phalkey

Independence and Nation-Building Era (1940s–1970s)

1. VP Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India — Narayani Basu
2. The Man Who Saved India: Sardar Patel and His Idea of India — Hindol Sengupta
3. Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India — Akshaya Mukul

Colonial and Pre-Independence India

1. Gandhi Before India — Ramachandra Guha
2. Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World — Ramachandra Guha
3. An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India — Shashi Tharoor
4. Gods, Guns and Missionaries: The Making of the Modern Hindu Identity — Manu Pillai 
5. Age Of Pandemics (1817-1920): How they shaped India and the World — Chinmay Tumbe

Ancient to Early Modern India

1. Early Indians — Tony Joseph
2. The Great Indian Novel — Shashi Tharoor
3. The Discovery of India — Jawaharlal Nehru
4. Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji — Manu Pillai
5. False Allies: India’s Maharajahs in The Age of Ravi Varma — Manu Pillai

Book Review: Maus (Complete Part I and II) by Art Spiegelman

Maus (Complete Part I and II) by Art Spiegelman

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly Recommended

How difficult it is to write the review of a book acclaimed worldwide by critics? It is the only graphic novel to have won a Pulitzer Prize.  Between moral weight and artistic expression, one struggles to find words that do justice to a depiction of quiet lives being lived alongside a loud and brutal sweep of history.

"The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting," - Milan Kundera 

“A human being survives by his ability to forget. Memory is always ready to blot out the bad and retain only the good.” - Varlam Shalamov

Both these quotes hold profound significance in understanding the dynamics of power struggles, history, and human agency. Yet some memories refuse oblivion; they persist through narrative as a warning and a plea to the humanity. This memory has been itched in a book touching the lives of many and showing all the importance of bearing witness through art. History has shown that it does not start with concentration camps or mass murder, or civil war or genocide. It always starts with words: stereotypes, cliches, tropes. The fight against dehumanization, therefore, also needs to start with words. Stories. This is where Spiegelman’s Maus stands—using the intimacy of storytelling to resist erasure of the unimaginable suffering.

Maus is a graphic novel in two parts and it’s autobiographical written by Art Spiegelman. Maus I: My Father Bleeds History tells the story of Vladek Spiegelman’s life in pre-war Poland and his survival through the Nazi ghettos and camps. Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began continues Vladek’s story with the death marches, liberation from Auschwitz and the aftershocks of war. Through his parents (Vladek and Anja’s) experiences, the author depicts the horrors of the Holocaust, trauma of the survivors and tortured relationship with his aging father.

Set against the devastated landscapes of wartime and postwar Europe, the story offers an unflinching portrayal of survival, resilience, and the generational legacy of the Holocaust, blending personal memory with historical narrative. Through Anja Spiegelman, Vladek's wife, exhibits a different kind of heroism marked by emotional resilience and mental stamina. The novel also explores the complicated nature of heroism by refusing to idealize its characters. Through Vladek’s character, Spiegelman captures both the ingenuity that ensured survival and the lingering psychological scars that shadow life long after liberation. 

In Maus, last part of the narrative unfolds in 1970 at Rego Park, New York, centering around Art Spiegelman’s strained relationship with his father, Vladek who is portrayed with flaws - difficult personality, frugality, and moments of bitterness. The most remarkable and unexpected page in the graphic novel was the reaction of Vladek with fear and racial slur towards a Black Man. Spiegelman portrays a painful irony: a Holocaust survivor, once persecuted himself, now exhibits prejudices similar to those that dehumanized him. Maus teaches the readers a critical lesson on how discrimination persists universally, transcending both time and place.

The graphic novel’s layered storytelling merges visuals and text to evoke a powerful emotional and intellectual response. Spiegelman’s minimalist black-and-white art style that contrasts innocence and brutality effectively. Through its first-person perspective and the seamless interplay of image and language, it offers a profound exploration of both the graphic novel form and Holocaust memory.

In Maus, the symbolic use of animal allegory- Jews as mice, Germans as cats, Poles as pigs, and the French as frogs—functions as a striking visual metaphor that exposes the constructed nature of racial and national identities. This also sparked criticism in Poland, where some readers perceive the depiction of Poles as pigs as perpetuating negative stereotypes and oversimplifying complex historical realities.

Beyond its artistic merit, “Maus” stands as an example of the power of art to document the genocide and offer commentary on the horrors of the Third Reich. The allure is not so much to do with history as it is to present human, where flawed ideas of racial supremacy lead to genocide as cautionary tales to the readers. Maus is an essential read that tackles both private memory and historical horror.

Book Review: The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan

The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan

⭐⭐⭐⭐✰ Worth Reading

“The age of empire and the rise of the west were built on the capacity to inflict violence on a major scale. The Enlightenment and the Age of Reason, the progression towards democracy, civil liberty and human rights, were not the result of an unseen chain linking back to Athens in antiquity or a natural state of affairs in Europe; they were the fruits of political, military and economic success in faraway continents.”

The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan challenges conventional Eurocentric narratives by revealing how global history, trade, and exchange formed the bedrock for the modern world.  This perspective challenges the notion of Western progress as an isolated or inevitable phenomenon, situating it instead within the interconnected histories of empire, trade, conquest, and genocide.  

The Silk Roads is a deceptive title for a profound book. While the title evokes images of ancient trade routes, the book encompasses far more. It places ancient global dynamics revealing the enduring interconnectedness of civilizations and the forces shaping our world. 

Initial chapters of the book focus on the origins of the Silk Road as ancient commercial and cultural networks. They further dwell into how religions, revolutionary ideas, alliances and beliefs traversed the Silk Road, shaping societies across continents. The book gives a glance on the rise of key cities like Minsk, Kyiv, and Novgorod adds a crucial dimension to The Silk Roads. Frankopan delves deeply into how "military might, careful administration, low taxes and religious tolerance created the bedrock of the Mongol Empire."

Peter Frankopan goes on to discuss the commerce that is against the concept of modern society i.e. the movement of enslaved peoples and the impact of slavery on societies. The word "slave" is historically derived from the ethnonym "Slav," referring to the Slavic peoples. In the 8th and 9th centuries when many Slavs were captured and enslaved by Byzantines, Avars, Germanic tribes, and other groups during medieval wars and raids, leading to their ethnonym becoming synonymous with "slave" in Europe. 

The book further analyses the fur trade, oil (black gold), agricultural trade, gold and silver trade’s influence on power, politics, and global economies.  This trade affected the rise and fall of empires fueled by Silk Road wealth and connectivity. The last chapters deal with the Silk Road’s role during modern geopolitical tensions and America’s involvement and via Silk Road-inspired connections. Silk Road was once world's nervous system with the strategic geolocation of the Countries of the Silk Roads (from the Western borders of China to the Mediterranean Sea) has a historical ring. The 21st Century Silk Roads is what BRI is all about.

The book is vast in scope, profound in insight, and deeply philosophical in its approach. It is not merely a must-read—it demands multiple readings. The immense canvas the author unfolds can be overwhelming, yet this remains one of the finest and most illuminating treatises ever written on the idea of the Silk Road.

Book Review: Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud - Peter Watson

Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud by Peter Watson

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly Recommended

The past is an inheritance, a gift and a burden. It can’t be shirked. You carry it everywhere. There’s nothing for it but to get to know it. - Jill Lepore

Crisis makes radical ideas relevant. Radical ideas inspire social movements. Social movements amplify crisis. In a crisis, shovel-ready ideas can win support quickly. History is full of deeply flawed ideas adapted rapidly by civilization and also burial ground of the ideas applied with the best of intentions. We must look at history and to understand that change never, ever, ever comes about in a brief period. It's the gradual accumulation of knowledge as ideas to historical change that lead to the historical changes.

All the current knowledge has been built on past insights, and a book is devoted for the cause. Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud by Peter Watson, has covered the key intellectual milestones of humanity’s intellectual ascent. Central to the narrative is the theme that ideas—not war, politics, or economics—are the true drivers of history, which the author weaves with remarkable sensitivity. Watson crafts a sweeping intellectual history that traces how ideas evolve and have profound consequences. 

The book is a sweeping chronicle of how human beings have thought about the world and their place in it across cultures and centuries. The amount of knowledge condensed in a single book covering disciplines (science, philosophy, law, religion, the arts, music, economics, etc.), is astonishing! 

The reader will explore about the foundational scientific discoveries and their unexpected consequences. How great minds connect the dots across different ages and disciplines? Reader will delve into the major philosophical and religious movements that defined our ethical systems and societal structures, tracing thought from the earliest concepts of the soul to the complex theories of Freud.

Understanding how ideas evolved helps the reader appreciate the unique power of human thought and innovation. Watson’s methodology and narrative structure is exhausting for the reader as the book covers the depth and breadth of intellectual evolution. 

Reading the book is worth the effort. It's illuminating, but not without blind spots! The book is too Eurocentric, and it oversimplifies things for the experts. Peter Watson does acknowledge major non-Western civilizations (like China, India, and the Islamic world) and includes influential figures and concepts from them. However, their contributions are often subordinated to the narrative arc of Western intellectual development, especially from the Renaissance onward.

Bernard of Chartres, a medieval scholar, who said: "We are like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they, and things at a greater distance..." The phrase has come to symbolize intellectual progress built on the foundations laid by others. The trajectory of knowledge — from fire, to writing, to the internet — suggests that future breakthroughs will continue to reshape human life. Confidence in the knowledge that those before you have achieved wonderful things in past always help an individual or community to overcome doubt, hysteria and even conspiracy theories. Ultimately, the book is a celebration—and critique—of the complex history of ideas that shape our world.  

9 Must-Read Essays and Journalism Classics from The Seen and the Unseen Podcast

"The Seen and the Unseen" is India's premier long-form podcast hosted by Amit Varma. The podcast, which has been running since 2017, features long-form conversations with intellectuals, writers, economists, historians, and thought leaders from India and around the world. 

I am only sharing the books recommended related to Journalism & Media:

1.The New New Journalism — Robert Boynton

This book offers deep insight into the craft and practice of modern journalism. It features interviews with 19 leading journalists who bring facts to life in compelling ways, making stories engaging and impactful. It inspires journalists and writers to improve storytelling techniques essential for today’s media landscape.

2. The Power Broker — Robert A. Caro

This is a multi-dimensional portrait of American power and political influence. Through Robert Caro’s detailed biography, readers learn how power is gained, wielded, and its impact on ordinary people. It is a masterclass in political biography, journalism, history, and the nuanced study of power.

3. The Naïve and the Sentimental Novelist — Orhan Pamuk

This book explores the inner world of writing and reading fiction. Orhan Pamuk discusses the relationship between imagination and sensitivity, showing how literature creates alternate worlds for both writers and readers. It offers valuable perspectives for lovers of literature.

4. How Fiction Works — James Wood

James Wood’s book helps readers and writers understand the complexities of narrative art. It examines key story elements like realism, character, description, and point of view, providing a thorough understanding of how fiction is crafted. It’s useful for aspiring writers and serious readers alike.

5. On Writing Well — William Zinsser

This classic guide on nonfiction writing teaches clarity, simplicity, and effectiveness. It shows that good writing comes from clear thinking and offers ways to refine a writer’s voice. It is essential reading for writers of all styles and levels.

6. I Lost It at the Movies — Pauline Kael

Pauline Kael’s critical essays capture the experience of cinema and her personal relationship with film. The book is a deep dive into film critique with cultural and emotional insights, which is important for film lovers and critics.

7. Frank Sinatra Has a Cold — Gay Talese

This groundbreaking piece of journalism broke traditional rules, blending profile and narrative. It reveals Frank Sinatra’s world through a personal and cultural lens and showcases new dimensions in storytelling and journalism.

8. Everybody Loves a Good Drought — P. Sainath

This book highlights rural poverty, drought, and social inequality in India through thorough field reporting. It offers critical insight into social justice and rural development, making it a vital reference for journalists and policymakers.

9. A Collection of Essays — George Orwell

George Orwell’s essays provide sharp and profound analysis on literature, society, and politics. He emphasizes journalistic integrity and authenticity, which remain relevant today. His writing exemplifies thoughtful clarity.

These books offer exceptional perspectives on journalism, storytelling, criticism, and social awareness, making them important reads for serious readers and professionals.

Book Review: Full Spectrum: India's Wars 1972–2020 - Arjun Subramaniam

Full Spectrum: India's Wars 1972–2020 - Arjun Subramaniam

⭐⭐⭐⭐✰ Worth Reading

In his book 'Assignment Colombo', J.N. Dixit argues in favour of India's strategic dilly-dallying, stating that adhering to absolute principles of morality is the safest and most non-controversial stance in foreign relations. This policy, however, rarely serves any purpose in the inherently amoral nature of international relations.  Today, national security and foreign policy of India have gradually represented the departure from the past. The story of evolving Indian stance in geopolitics can be usually understood at the level of the conflicts faced by India, while the primary bulwarks of defense—the role of military —get overlooked. Hence, "Full Spectrum: India's Wars 1972–2020" is a worth reading for a gripping exploration of wars and conflicts shedding light on strategies, operational steps, and political consequences. 

The book "Full Spectrum: India's Wars 1972–2020" by Arjun Subramaniam takes the story forward from the previous book India's Wars: A Military History, 1947-1971. The book offers the reader an account of wars, military operations, and security challenges in contemporary India over the past five decades. The book covers in detail on the Doklam standoff, Balakot Strike, Kargil war, Siachen conflict, Naga rebellion, Operation Blue Star, terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and India's military action in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Conventional wars have changed, and skirmishes are happening below the threshold of conventional structured war between nation-states. And the rise of non-conventional wars has led to Indian military either dealing with Hybrid war, cyber war, proxy war, border skirmishes, armed militancy, insurgency, and terrorism. 

The reading makes one realize that Indian military has also expanded its strategic horizon while dealing with the modus operandi of non-state actors.  The chapters of the book on India’s involvement with the LTTE in Sri Lanka, during the IPKF mission, makes for an interesting read. It shows how the Indian military faced a daring and locally supported adversary, and how this episode reshaped our military and foreign policy. Another insight from the book was that the absence of any active government machinery during insurgency in Punjab made Operation Bluestar more difficult. And compounded with it was often the fear and stigma of command failure, that prompted military leaders to persist with sub optimal operational plans.

The book features a gripping narrative but becomes dull in some places. These lapses in pacing make certain sections feel tedious, detracting from the overall impact.  Those who support the 'realist' argument of India's emergence as a potential global military power must read this book. The book is an invaluable resource for those interested in military studies, and the intricate interplay between war and political transformation.

In the end author asked for deep introspection within India's strategic community by sharing an old Thucydidian principle called the Melian Dialogue, which emerged during the Peloponnesian War prior to the siege of the island of Melios by Athens, which says: 'The strong will do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.'

Book Review: A Corner of a Foreign Field - Ramachandra Guha

A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport - Ramachandra Guha

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly Recommended

Our inability to understand and tell sociological stories is one of the key reasons we are struggling with how to respond to social transitions. Without embedding social narratives, we miss understanding who benefitted, who was left behind, and what kind of society we were building. The idea that we could somehow eliminate casteist mindsets, religious differences, and racist discrimination by ignoring such identity question under the veil of secular cricket leads to formation of a veil of ignorance. 

Social history of Indian cricket suffers from one enormous disadvantage: that we as a people, have criminal indifference to written records. The history of Indian cricket is indeed amazing because it reveals much more than just scores and statistics. It reflects cultural exchanges, colonial legacies, social struggles, and identities across South Asia. The history of India, like that of any other country, has been a story of social inequities, exploitation of the common people, religious conflict, and so on. The history of the cricket in India is no exception to this.  

A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport is a book depicting religious fault lines. A book talking about caste. A book talking about racism. Yet, the book is written for the lover of the game by a writer looking from the perspective of the history, sports, social transformation, and Indian Independence. The book is divided into four chapters—Race, Caste, Religion, and Nation—and features the experiences of the cricketers, politicians, and Maharajas making it an engaging and interesting read. The inherent values of cricket —fair play, competition, and endurance—resonated with the Indians under colonial rule thus attracting broad affection and embedding itself as a part of the national psyche.

The book captures the long journey of cricket in India—from its beginning as a game created by an alliance of imperial and Indian elites to becoming a sport for the masses. The book shows how Indians overcame the deeply rooted caste barriers in society and challenged the British notion of racial superiority in the game of cricket. Cricket tournaments like the Bombay Quadrangular and Bombay Pentangular were initially organized based on religious communities of Hindu, European, Muslim, and Parsees leading to widespread riots and political unrest. The book also ends with the origins of the Ranji Trophy and the formation of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Despite attempts to break free from the legacies of their forefathers and religious divisions, Indian history drags our cricketers towards a fate which led them in Independent India, as though along a river's course.

This book introduced me to Palwankar Baloo and his brothers, early Indian cricketers, and shared stories about famous players like C.K. Nayudu, Lala Amarnath, Vijay Hazare, and Vijay Merchant. The book delves us into first Test match of Indian cricket team in England, in 1932 symbolizing both achievement and aspiration for a modern nation. This is a must-read book capturing cricket history of India in an effortless and seamless manner

Book Review: Beyond A Boundary- C.L.R. James

Beyond A Boundary- C.L.R. James

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly Recommended

The essence at the core of culture, writes Byung-Chul Han, is ornamentation. Culture sits beyond functionality and usefulness. The ornament dimension, emancipated from any goal or use, is how life insists that it is more than survival. The book was written in an era when British have the illusion of the racial superiority even in the game of cricket while tradition and history of the game were part of the British culture.  

“Time would pass, old empires would fall and new ones take their place, the relations of countries and relations of classes had to change, before I discovered that it is not quality of goods and utility which matter, but movement, not where you are or what you have, but where you have come from, where you are going and the rate at which you are getting there."

This statement from C.L.R. James’s classic book shows role the game of cricket has played in the making of the history of Caribbean society. C.L.R. James, the historian and cricket writer, embarks on a biographical journey from 1910s to 1950s in West Indies, and England to prove the point. He invites us to look closely the complex ties between political struggles of decolonization through cricket and the long process of decolonizing his own mind from the gaze of the western civilization.  

Beyond a Boundary starts by focusing on wonder years of the writer in Trinidad and his observation on the intermingling of the race and class in the local cricket. During his teenage years, James became deeply engrossed in cricket and Literature which allowed him to examine Trinidad’s working class through the lens of sport. 

Two players he often highlighted in this context were Learie Constantine and W.G. Grace to argue that cricket is inseparable from the politics and social structures of its time. The idea of “leaving politics out of sports” is a topic of ongoing debate, but this book makes us aware that the injustice "beyond the boundary" ultimately impacts the cricket. The players are not islands of sportsmanship while being deeply engulfed into societal structures, systemic biases and burden of the history. 

The book also highlights the successful campaign for racial equality in West Indies cricket, including the appointment of Frank Worrell as the first black captain in 1960. Apointment of Frank Worrell as captain for the 1960–61 tour of Australia, West Indies cricket bid farewell to white leadership and entered a new era of black leadership and pride—one that inspired the Caribbean people and united them like never before.

The writer advocates cricket as an art form like Greek literature by observing the game not just as a sport, but as a craft with rhythm, beauty, and a narrative flow. The writer argues in the book that cricket was a form of resistance against colonial oppression, especially as Black players took on leading roles, challenging racial stereotypes and social barriers. 

The writer traveled to England and the exposure felt like awakening to him: Once the veil of the empire drops, he didn’t just “analyze” culture—he saw its webs working through you. From that point, C.L.R. James achieved a mental freedom, not only rejecting conditioning but also recognizing the interconnectedness of imperial power, cricket, culture, and resistance, which shaped his revolutionary outlook and deepened his commitment to black internationalism and Marxist theory.  

Today, C.L.R. James embodies a unique and compelling mixture of identities: a Marxist historian, an anglophile in initial years, a Black intellectual, and a passionate lover of cricket. The book is written through this multi-faceted perspective, that is as much about the identity, and struggle as it is about cricket.

Book Review: Time of Parting - Anton Donchev

Time of Parting - Anton Donchev (Alternate Reading)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly Recommended

A nation is shaped by its shared memories. In literature, we can see the elements that make up a collective memory—often rooted in a common pain —that influence national identity. Newly independent countries often seek a fresh start, breaking away from their historical past. Anton Donchev's Time of Parting (Bulgarian: Време разделно, Vreme razdelno) dives deep into a time when a nation, Bulgaria, survived by enduring humiliation under Ottoman rule.

The Balkans, including Bulgaria, were subjected to centuries of Ottoman rule starting in the late 14th century, which brought significant social and religious transformation. Catholic powers (Papacy and Habsburgs) were often perceived as foreign and adversarial.  The Ottoman conquest and the subsequent division between Catholic and Orthodox spheres of influence in the Balkans gave rise to opportunities for Muslims to act as a unifying force in a divided region. While many apologists dispute a direct connection between religious violence and radical Islam, the nuanced history of Bulgarian religious life under Ottoman rule shows that society experienced both pragmatic coexistence and adaptation, as well as periods of institutional discrimination and social unrest. 

Set during the Islamization of Bulgaria in the summer of 1668 particularly in the Rhodope Mountains, the story doesn't claim to be an exact historical record. Instead, it reflects how those events shaped Bulgarian culture and identity. The theme of being forced to choose a side resonated strongly with the dominant ideologies of the polarized world. The novel has sparked ongoing debates about how the Ottoman period and forced religious conversions are viewed in Bulgaria. With the changing political landscape, Time of Parting continues to be a highly discussed and impactful piece of literature.

The book explores a painful choice for a community: whether to hold on to their beliefs and die for them or convert to a foreign religion to stay alive. The narrative is told in parallel by two witnesses: the French nobleman called the Venetian, and the Bulgarian priest Aligorko. This dual narration provides a layered, nuanced view of the cultural, religious, and personal conflicts. As the tale culminates, the relentless campaign of forced Islamization breaks the spirit and unity of the Bulgarian Christian community. This finale reflects the larger historical tragedy of the era — the erasure of cultural heritage through brutal force.The heavy loss of life, culture, and dignity leaves a haunting legacy of division and sorrow.

The movie "Time of Violence" (Bulgarian: Време разделно) released in 1988 is based on the novel "Time of Parting" by Anton Donchev (Антон Дончев). The portrayal of historical events is considered by few as biased leading to debates over historical accuracy. The Hindi book "बेला विदा की" (Bela Vida Ki) is a rendition of "Time of Parting" authored by Vimlesh Kanti Verma and Dheera Verma.

Book Review: India's Wars: A Military History, 1947-1971 - Arjun Subramaniam

India's Wars: A Military History, 1947-1971 - Arjun Subramaniam

⭐⭐⭐⭐✰ Worth Reading

A new generation of Indians are rediscovering their military history, realizing that the popular narratives often fail to reflect the complexities of the truth. Today, India's military remains resource-constrained, overstretched, and increasingly aware of the dual-front threat posed by China and Pakistan. Its strategy and preparedness are shaped by a mix of historical conflicts, and contemporary geopolitical realities. 

For anyone genuinely interested in understanding the historical wars with our Pakistan and China, "India's Wars: A Military History, 1947-1971" by Arjun Subramaniam is an indispensable read.  The book offers a compelling examination of India’s military evolution post-independence, with detailed accounts of pivotal wars, including the Indo-Pak Wars (1947-48, 1965, and 1971) and the Sino-Indian War of 1962. Battles into contested regions like Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (referred to as Azad Kashmir by Pakistan), Gilgit-Baltistan, Arunachal Pradesh (claimed by China as South Tibet) are meticulously explored, often accompanied by maps to provide clarity. While the historical narrative may pose a challenge for casual readers, the book is rewarding for those seeking the intricacies of battlefield strategies and political decision-making.

I have few notable observations as a reader:

• The departure of the British left India with inadequately demarcated borders leading to the territorial disputes.
• India has reliance on idealism and restraint that clashed with the pragmatic, force-centric approaches of adversaries like China and Pakistan.
• Unfolding of events in China India 1962 war is tragic tale for the Indians. Tragedy presents situations in which there is a desperate urge to assign blame. In all this chain of events, failure of intelligence and political decision framework hurts most.
• India's limited intelligence-gathering capabilities and the "fog of war" resulted in critical decision-making dilemmas. These inadequacies were evident in moments of crisis, often amplifying the challenges faced during conflicts.
• India captured the strategically vital Haji Pir Pass during the 1965 war but returned it to Pakistan under the Tashkent Agreement, forfeiting a key advantage in controlling infiltration routes into Kashmir.  
• After the Bangladesh Liberation War, India released about 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war without leveraging their return for a resolution on Kashmir or territorial securities, drawing criticism for missing a major bargaining chip.
• Post-1971 victory, India did not negotiate for the transfer of border enclaves or land on Bangladesh’s side that could have reduced the vulnerability of the Siliguri Corridor (“Chicken’s Neck”), leaving the Northeast perpetually exposed. The Siliguri Corridor remains at risk due to inadequate geopolitical leverage post-1971 and greater China-Bangladesh collaboration.

Subramaniam also highlights a hard-learned lesson for India: in international relations, realism often trumps idealism. It took nearly 25 years for Indian leadership to move beyond the non-violent and nonaligned ideals of the independence movement and adopt force as a legitimate instrument of statecraft. This shift is at the heart of India's modern military doctrine, making the book an essential resource for understanding the evolution of its strategic mindset.

Books on Ideas That Will Make You Smarter — Curated from The Seen and the Unseen Podcast

"The Seen and the Unseen" is India's premier long-form podcast hosted by Amit Varma. The podcast, which has been running since 2017, features long-form conversations with intellectuals, writers, economists, historians, and thought leaders from India and around the world. 

I am only sharing the books recommended grouped into broad thematic categories that align with traditional library and academic classification systems in philosophy, psychology, ethics, and literature:

Psychology and Cognitive Science

1. The Elephant in the Brain — Kevin Simler & Robin Hanson
2. Human: The Science Behind What Makes Your Brain Unique — Michael S. Gazzaniga
3. Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman

Ethics, Morality, and Philosophy of Goodness

1. The Moral Arc: How Science Makes Us Better People — Michael Shermer
2. Better Never to Have Been — David Benatar
3. The Difficulty of Being Good — Gurcharan Das
4. The Expanding Circle: Ethics, Evolution, and Moral Progress — Peter Singer
5. On Bullshit — Harry Frankfurt

Philosophy and Intellectual History

1. Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud — Peter Watson
2. The Hedgehog and the Fox — Isaiah Berlin
3. The Open Society and Its Enemies — Karl Popper
4. The Logic of Scientific Discovery — Karl Popper
5. History Of Western Philosophy — Bertrand Russell
6. History of European Morals — W. E. H. Lecky

Sociology, Social Psychology, and Mass Behavior

1. Crowds and Power — Elias Canetti
2. The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind — Gustave Le Bon
3. The Argumentative Indian — Amartya Sen

Literary Criticism and Classics

1. Why Read the Classics? — Italo Calvino
2. Testaments Betrayed — Milan Kundera
3. Beyond Words: Philosophy, Fiction, and the Unsayable — Timothy Cleveland

Saurabh Dwivedi ki Kitab Salah - Pathakon ke Liye Behtareen Kitabein - The Lallantop

लल्लनटॉप पर एक साल पहले, सौरभ द्विवेदी ने प्रशासनिक सेवा तैयारी कर रहे उम्मीदवारों के लिए अपनी दोस्त की लाइब्रेरी से कुछ महत्वपूर्ण किताबों की सलाह दी थी।  इनमें संस्कृति, इतिहास, राजनीति, समाजशास्त्र और आर्थिक विषयों से जुड़ी गहन जानकारी वाली किताबें शामिल हैं। इस ब्लॉग में उन किताबों के साथ-साथ उनके अमेज़न से खरीदने के लिंक भी दिए गए हैं, ताकि आप सीधे सही किताबें खरीद सकें और समय बर्बाद न हो।

* कभी-कभी ज्यादा सोचने-समझने से किताबें हाथ में नहीं आतीं, इसलिए बिना ज्यादा देरी किए किताबें खरीद लेना ही सही होता है। अपनी लाइब्रेरी खुद  बनाइये, धीरे धीरे जोड़िये....

Hindi Books

1. Sanskriti Ke Char Adhyaya by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar
2. Kashi ka Assi & Upsanhar by Kashinath Singh
3. "अभ्युदय (राम-कथा)" श्रृंखला ( दीक्षा, अवसर, संघर्ष की ओर, साक्षात्कार, पृष्ठभूमि, अभियान, युद्ध -1, युद्ध - 2) और  "महासमर" श्रृंखला (बंधन, अधिकार, कर्म, धर्म, अन्तराल, प्रच्छन्न, प्रत्यक्ष, निर्बन्ध, आनुषंगिक ) by नरेंद्र कोहली
4. Swang by Gyan Chaturvedi
5. Awara Bheed ke Khatre by Harishankar Parsai
6. Meri Jeevan Yatra by Rahul Sankrityayan
7. Mrignayani & Ahilyabai by Vrindavan Lal Verma
8. Manas Ka Hansa by Amritlal Nagar
9. Rajadhiraj, Patan ka Prabhutva, Gujrat ke Nathh by Kanhaiyalal Maniklal Munshi
10. Tamas by Bhishma Sahni
11. Shuddhipatra and Khela by Neelakshi Singh
12. Jitni Mitti Utna Sona & Lapujhanna by Ashok Pandey
13. Gandhi aur Sarladevi Chaudhrani by Alka Saraogi
14. Areba Pareba and Aur Ant mein Prarthana by Uday Prakash
15. Shabdo ka Safar Vol. 1, Shabdo ka Safar Vol. 2 and Shabdo ka Safar Vol. 3 by Ajeet Vadnerkar
16. Basere Se Dur, Neerh Ka Nirman Phir, Dashdwar Se Sopan Tak and Kya Bhulu kya Yaad Karoon by Harivansh Rai Bachchan
17. Raam Rajya and Maun Muskaan ki Maar by Ashutosh Rana
18. Akaal me Uttsav by Pankaj Subeer

English Books 

1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
2. On the shoulders of giants by Stephen Hawking
3. The archer and Brida by Paulo Coelho
4. Relentless by Yashwant Sinha
5. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
6. Unfinished: A Memoir by Priyanka Chopra
7. Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdie
8. Writer, Rebel, Soldier, Lover: The Many Lives of Agyeya by Akshay Mukul
9. Bose: The Untold Story of an Inconvenient Nationalist by Chandrachur Ghose
10. Babasaheb: My Life With Dr Ambedkar by Savita Ambedkar
11. Indira Gandhi: A Biography by Pupul Jayakar
12. Intertwined Lives: P.N. Haksar And Indira Gandhi and A Chequered Brilliance: The Many Lives of V.K. Krishna Menon by Jairam Ramesh
13. Indian Innings: The Journey of Indian Cricket from 1947 by Ayaz Memon
14. The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace by A.S. Daulat
15. A Little Book of India: Celebrating 75 Years of Independence by Ruskin Bond
16. Steve Jobs and Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson
17. Glimpse of World History by Jawahar Lal Nehru
18. Before Memory Fades: An Autobiography by Fali Nariman
19. The Indian Trilogy: An Area of Darkness, A Wounded Civilization, A Million Mutinies Now by V.S. Naipaul
20. A History of the Sikhs Vol 1 and A History of the Sikhs Vol 2 by Khushwant Singh
21. Bharatiya Darshan Vol 1 and Vol 2 by Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan
22. Political Violence in Ancient India by Upinder Singh
23. How Prime Minister Decide by Neeraja Chaudhary

Books translated in Hindi

1. Manto Dastavej by Saadat Hasan Manto
2. Kagajhi hai Pairahan by Ismat Chughtai
3. Hindu: Jeevan ka samriddha kabaad by Bhalchandra Nemade
4. Ramayan-manvata ka mahakavya by Gunwant Shah
5. Mrityunjaya by Shivaji Sawant
6. Bharat me Isai Dharm-prachartantra by Arun Shauri
7. Lata-Sur-Gatha by Yatindra Mishra
8. Kuchh aur Nazme, Mirza Ghalib and Manzarnama series (film screenplays) by Gulzar
9. Savarkar: Ek Bhule-Bisre Ateet Ki Goonj 1883-1924 and Savarkar: Ek Vivadit Virasat 1924-1966 by Vikram Sampath
10. Bharat Nehru ke Baad, Gandhi: Bharat Se Pahle and Bharat Gandhi ke Baad by Ramchandra Guha
11. Shiv Kumar pura Sangreh by Shiv Kumar Batalvi
12. Urdu-Hindi Shabdkosh by Muhammed Mustafa Khan 'Maddah'
13. Baburnama by Babur

Academic and Religious Books

1. Samaj Vigyan Vishwakosh
2. Bharat Ka Samvidhan by Dr. DD Basu
3. Doosra Lucknow by Nadeem Hasnain
4. Rigveda Sampoorna Khand
5. BBT- Geeta Press Combo Of 11 Upanishad.

English Books read in 2024 - 2

 Continuing from the previous blog post, let’s delve further into the books:

~Highly Recommended~

1. Beyond A Boundary- C.L.R. Jame

2. A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport - Ramachandra Guha

~Worth a Look~

1. The Country Without a Post Office- Agha Shahid Ali

2. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

3. Prisoners of Geography - Tim Marshall

4. Missing In Action: Why You Should Care About Public Policy - Pranay Kotasthane

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

English Books read in 2024 - 1

I read the books for perspectives aesthetics not much bothered about aesthetics, political orientations, and reviews. Good books who present realistic complexity and ambiguity with clarity are captivating and satisfying reading experience. Sharing the review of brilliant books read in 2024:

~Highly Recommended~

1. Time of Parting - Anton Donchev (Alternate)
2. India's Wars: A Military History, 1947-1971 - Arjun Subramaniam

~Worth a Look~

1. Indians: A Brief History of a Civilization - Namit Arora

2. The Sources of Social Power: Volume 1, A History of Power from the Beginning to AD 1760 - Michael Mann

3. Absolute Power - Inside story of the National Stock Exchange’s amazing success, leading to hubris, regulatory capture and algo scam - Sucheta Dalal

4. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hindi Books read in 2024

In 2024, I read four original Hindi books and two Hindi-translated Urdu books. This was more an effort to stay connected to my mother tongue and culture. 

~Highly Recommended~

1.पतरस के मजमीं  (हिंदी संस्करण) – पतरस बुख़ारी 

पतरस बुखारी प्री-पार्टीशन के वक्त के एक प्रसिद्ध उर्दू साहित्यकार थे, जो अपनी चतुर, सूक्ष्म और सूफियाना शैली के लिए जाने जाते थे। "पतरस के मजामीन" पुस्तक का कालखंड 1920 का दशक है।  पतरस के मजमीं केवल ग्यारह कहानियों वाली एक छोटी-सी, दिलचस्प और हास्यपूर्ण किताब है, जिसमें हर कहानी का विवरण अलग है और उनकी ताजगी एक सदी बीत जाने के बाद भी जस की तस बनी हुई है। पाठक इसमें कई चीजों को खुद से जोड़ पाएंगे, जिससे कहानियों का आनंद और भी बढ़ जाता है। लेकिन इसे इस तरह लिखा गया है कि पाठक हर वाक्य पढ़ते समय हँसेंगे और हर कुछ पंक्तियों के बाद मुस्कुरा उठेंगे।

2. खोया पानी (हिंदी संस्करण) – यूसुफ़ी मुश्ताक अहमद

"खोया पानी" पाकिस्तानी लेखक मुस्‍ताक अहमद यूसुफ़ी की एक उल्लेखनीय पुस्तक है, जो 1947 के विभाजन से पहले के अविभाजित भारत और नवगठित पाकिस्तान के पात्रों के जीवन पर आधारित है। यह पुस्तक हास्य, विडंबना और मानव स्वभाव की गहरी समझ से भरपूर है। यूसुफ़ी ने उस उथल-पुथल भरे समय के जीवन की विसंगतियों और विरोधाभासों को अपने अनूठे अंदाज में प्रस्तुत किया है। वह अपनी बुद्धिमत्ता और हास्य के माध्यम से उस त्रासदी और उन लोगों की संघर्षशीलता को उजागर करते हैं, जिन्होंने इस समय का सामना किया। इस पुस्तक के पात्र नौकरशाही की अक्षम्यताओं, स्थानीय विचित्रताओं और परिवार तथा बहुसांस्कृतिक समाज की अजीबोगरीब स्थितियों में उलझे हुए हैं।  मुझे यह पुस्तक क्यों पसंद है?  यह पुस्तक पूर्व-विभाजन भारत की यादों से भरी हुई है, जो गहरी नॉस्टेल्जिया से रंगी है। इसमें उस खोई हुई सरलता, सांस्कृतिक आदान-प्रदान और उस समय की एक झलक है, जब धार्मिक मतभेद सार्वजनिक चर्चा पर हावी नहीं थे।

3. मेरी आत्मकथा – किशोर साहू

किशोर साहू एक महान निर्देशक और लेखक थे, जिनका योगदान बॉलीवुड के स्वर्ण युग में अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण रहा।किशोर साहू की आत्मकथा "मेरी आत्मकथा" एक संक्षिप्त लेकिन जानकारीपूर्ण पुस्तक है, जिसमें उन्होंने अपने  बचपन, शिक्षा, कला के क्षेत्र में प्रवेश, अपने योगदान के बारे में विस्तृत विवरण है। उनकी जीवनी उनके समय की धड़कनों और सिनेमा के अनुभवों को सरल और सहज भाषा में जीवंत दस्तावेज़ के रूप में प्रस्तुत करती हैं | 

4. आग और पानी – व्योमेश शुक्ल

किताबवाला के साप्ताहिक एपिसोड में, सौरभ द्विवेदी ने लेखक व्योमेश शुक्ल से उनकी पुस्तक 'आग और पानी' पर गहन बातचीत की। इसके बाद पुस्तक को पढ़ने का विचार किया है। आख़िरकार, लंबे इंतज़ार के बाद किताब मिल गई और मैंने बनारस के बारे में पढ़ा जिसके ज़र्रे-ज़र्रे में कोई न कोई अद्बभुत बात है।

जब मार्क ट्वेन कहते हैं कि 'बनारस इज़ ओल्डर दैन द हिस्ट्री' यानी ये शहर इतिहास से भी पुराना है तब वाकई लगता है कि बनारस संस्कृति की आदिम लय का शहर है! व्योमेश शुक्ल ने अपनी किताब में बनारस की आत्मा, उसके ऐतिहासिक और आध्यात्मिक महत्त्व को बड़ी खूबसूरती से उकेरा है । 'आग और पानी' में बनारस के जीवन के विरोधाभासों को, जैसे कि भौतिकता और आध्यात्मिकता, संघर्ष और समर्पण, और आधुनिकता और परंपरा, के बीच के संतुलन को बेहद सूक्ष्मता और खूबसूरती से पेश किया है। यह किताब बनारस की गलियों, लोकगायकों का शिल्प, गंगा-जमुनी तहज़ीब और आम जनजीवन से प्रेरित हैं। यदि आप बनारस को जानना और महसूस करना चाहते हैं, तो ये किताब जरूर पढ़ें।

5. ग़ाज़ीपुर में क्रिस्टोफर कॉडवेल – उर्मिलेश

उर्मिलेश, एक प्रसिद्ध पत्रकार, लेखक, और सामाजिक-राजनीतिक विश्लेषक हैं, जो हिंदी पत्रकारिता के क्षेत्र में अपने महत्वपूर्ण योगदान के लिए जाने जाते हैं। "ग़ाज़ीपुर में क्रिस्टोफ़र कॉडवेल " एक महत्वपूर्ण कृति है, जो उनकी जीवन यात्रा और पत्रकारिता के अनुभवों को संजोए हुए है। उर्मिलेश की लेखनी में पूर्वांचल और बिहार के सामाजिक परिवेश और राजनीतिक मुद्दों की गहरी समझ परिलक्षित होती है। उर्मिलेश के लेखन का एक प्रमुख पहलू यह भी है कि वे पूरे उत्तर भारत में मार्क्सवाद और जेएनयू में प्रशासनिक उपेक्षा पर खुलकर बात करते हैं।

6. लपूझन्ना - अशोक पांडे 

लपूझन्ना अशोक पांडे का एक जीवन के बदलाव का दौर को पेश करने वाला उपन्यास है जो बचपन की यादों को वापस लाता है और उपनगरीकरण, सामाजिक पदानुक्रम और मानवीय भावनाओं की जटिलताओं की गहराई में जाता है। लेखक अपनी किशोरावस्था के स्थानीय जीवन का एक अंश उत्तराखंड के रामनगर शहर के दृष्टिकोण से प्रस्तुत करता है और इसे "चार धाम" (हिंदू धर्म के चार पवित्र तीर्थ स्थान) से तुलना करता है। "रामनगर के चार धाम सुन लो सूतरो! इस तरफ को खतारी और उस तरफ को लखुवा। तीसरा धाम हैगा भवानिगंज और सबसे बड़ा धाम हैगा कोसी डैम।" लेखक ने अपने छोटे शहर के किरदारों—किशोरों से लेकर युवाओं तक, जिनके साथ वयस्क सहायक पात्र हैं—की भावनात्मक तस्वीर खूबसूरती से उकेरी है। उनकी आंतरिक द्वंद्व, प्रेम, आकांक्षाएं और असफलताएं बिना किसी छिपावट के प्रस्तुत की गई हैं। कहानी की लेखन शैली सरल और प्रबल है, जो इसे एक समृद्ध सांस्कृतिक अनुभव बनाती है। यह पुस्तक किशोरावस्था की सभी विशेषताओं को कड़वे-मैठे अनुभवों —उत्साह, मित्रता के बंधन, दिल टूटने, पहचान की खोज, स्कूल के अनुभव, सिनेमा संस्कृति, पारिवारिक रिश्ते, सपने, विद्रोह और गलतियाँ को बयान करती  करती है। 

On Tyranny

Now is a good time to re-read Tim Snyder's observations and advice in On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. Here are observations from On Tyranny that seem especially pertinent.

1. Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.

2. Defend institutions. It is institutions that help us to preserve decency. They need our help as well. Do not speak of “our institutions” unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning. So choose an institution you care about—a court, a newspaper, a law, a labor union—and take its side.

3. Beware the one-party state. The parties that remade states and suppressed rivals were not omnipotent from the start. They exploited a historic moment to make political life impossible for their opponents. So support the multi-party system and defend the rules of democratic elections. Vote in local and state elections while you can. Consider running for office.
 

4. Be wary of paramilitaries. When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching with torches and pictures of a leader, the end is nigh. When the pro-leader paramilitary and the official police and military intermingle, the end has come.

5. Be as courageous as you can. If none of us is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die under tyranny

Thoughtful Present

In the name of "They got what they deserve", a great deal of injustice gets explained away and perpetuated in each society! We self-deceive to make us feel better about ourselves and naturally think in ways that come to conclusions that favor us. Strength of the country is not just in its GDP but in the confidence of its citizens on the fairness and equality of justice there.

I was guided by several articles on issues of Justice, Liberalism, Secular State, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Reduced Inequalities, Need of strong Institutions. I was inspired by persons like Christopher Hitchens, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Nadeem Parcha, Pratap Bhanu Mehta etc. Also, I interacted with a progressive, and liberal individual whose essays have impacted me in a positive manner. The person is Mr. Namit Arora whose blog was a insight into heart of a humanist.

It was his great gesture to share a copy of The Lottery of Birth: On Inherited Social Inequalities with a young reader for a social network friendship. Thanks Sir for the gift.

Books read in 2016

“When you read a great book, you don’t escape from life, you plunge deeper into it. There may be a superficial escape – into different countries, mores, speech patterns – but what you are essentially doing is furthering your understanding of life’s subtleties, paradoxes, joys, pains and truths. Reading and life are not separate but symbiotic.” ― Julian Barnes, A Life with Books

Beliefs acquired by reading fictional narratives are integrated into real-world knowledge. I am addicted to surfing news articles and watching movies.But the internet has this addictive quality, and it’s one thing I am unable to control. I had less time to read, but I still enjoy a good book now and again. I discerned my love for spiritual reading from early age as our problems are on the enigma of life. The joy of reading comes from entertainment, enjoyment, education, enrichment, escape, and the way it eases life in a stressful world. But a deep reading always increase the insight in tragic world and the escape route looks more difficult. Deep reading does demand a lot of focus. I can't possibly comprehend the book without paying attention to it completely. Hence, I had surrendered myself to self-chosen ignorance and proving difficult to change inertia.

To cut a long story short, I have seen better days in reading. No self pity, but one see through the present crisis of confidence, fitness and concentration. I was more cynical, asshole in complete sense, bad judge of person and minor burnout due to work. To say that I let the momentum slip away is an understatement. Longevity in any field is a achieved only through endurance, endurance is a product of persistence amid ups and downs of the path. I have to extract 'fight' or 'flight' response. There are no half measures. I am trying to read more in tranquility, to revive mind and body. Hope springs eternal. Repository of hope in a broken system is all that I need to set a target free 2017.

This year was cruel one as my favorite writer Martin Crowe passed away with a lasting legacy. The grand plan of reading 2 book a month for perfection was an abysmal failure. I realized the stupidity of it all, and instead would settle for a long, slow reading. I have completely updated goodreads profile and this sort of classification comes naturally to me.

Books Read in 2016:

Playing It My Way - Sachin Tendulkar - English - 7/10 -autobiography of former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar with popular anecdotes.

Durbar - Tavleen Singh - English - 7.5/10 - Comprehensive chronicle of the events from the Emergency to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi with a few well written sections.

India's Broken Tryst - Tavleen Singh - English - 6.5/10 - A lot of potential is wasted on documenting history and insights are more personal in nature.

Battle of the Ten Kings - Ashok K. Banker- English - 5/10 - Historical fiction and expanding a story into novella.

A History of the Sikhs, Volume 1 : 1469-1839 - English - 8/10 - A comprehensive history of Sikhism, spanning the social, political and religious factors accessible to a general audience.

A History of the Sikhs - Volume 2: 1839-2004 - English - 8/10 - An essential reading into the history of the sikh community and it ends with a beautiful epilogue on the challenges ahead.

The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan -  Yasmin Khan - English - 6/10 - Densely written academic South Asian history during partition era with deep focus on communal line in political parties.

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