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Freedom at Midnight

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The book also recounts Mountbatten's diplomacy and his art of administration. It also gives an account of the Crown Rule in India: a race destined to govern, subdue and continue their futile existence ( It was definitely futile from an Indian point of view since it is very clear that the economic situation of the colonies was actually worsened by the experience of British Colonialism).

This book is imo, a must read for each and every Indian and Pakistani to actually understand in detail what exactly happened during those tumultuous times in an unbiased manner through the eyes of the person who was at its epicentre. There are also some weaknesses which at the time it was published in 1975 probably then I would not have seen.As you read, you'll find a great deal is written about Mahatma Gandhi, the "dejected bird" of Mountbatten, Nehru, the handsome Indian who is incredibly fascinated by the Mountbattens, Jinnah, the only guy who is shown in the bad light, and Patel, well... Let's just say he exists. angry .... Kashmir..... The king Hari Singh indecisiveness started this tsunami which is eating both our countries even now...... Beautifully written with lot of research. Duration from Jan 1947 to Jan 1948 is explained in detail.Scenes become vivid when you read through.

a b Gordon, Leonard A. (August 1976). "Book review: Freedom at Midnight". The Journal of Asian Studies. University of Cambridge Press. 35 (4). doi: 10.2307/2053703. JSTOR 2053703. Cameron, James (October 26, 1975). "Book Review: Freedom at Midnight". New York Times Book Review . Retrieved 22 November 2014. "There is no single passage in this profoundly researched book that one could actually fault. Having been there most of the time in question, I can vouch for the accuracy of its general mood. It is a work of scholarship, of investigation, research and of significance." That Independence and Partition of India was an epoch in the 20th Century is an widely accepted fact, but not many people are aware of the political mauevering that happened on the eve of end of Colonialism in India. Many books have been written about the social and political landscape of India, but not in as much detail as in Freedom at Midnight. If one wants to read an objective and impartial analysis of the events that led to Indian independence and the creation of Pakistan,one should stay away from this book.If one wants merely to be entertained,then,this book will do.

As partition approaches, various groups take extreme measures to ethnically cleanse their area. There are bad guys on every side. Criminal gangs also find it useful to scare their competition out of the territory. Warning—very graphic! Freedom at Midnight is a panoramic spectacular of a book that reads more like sensational fiction than like history, even though it is all true….. The narrative is as lively, as informative and as richly detailed as a maharaja’s palace.” Sidhardhan, Sanjith (31 March 2018). "Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil Mini Review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 October 2018 . Retrieved 25 March 2019. What this well-written trash tries to hide beneath its eloquence is very simple. It was the British who had created an exactly similar mess in Palestine. They had done so with the simple objective of ensuring that the place they leave remain perpetually cancerous. Exactly same model had been followed for sub-continent. Freedom at Midnight' is a history book equivalent of 'In Which We Serve' a piece in which Mountbatten is centre stage as the last viceroy creating the new states of India and Pakistan and absolving both himself and the UK for the nightmare of bloodshed that Britain created. Mountbatten, and the whole British imperial establishment, are presented as somewhat ineffectual, but well meaning umpires out of depth in a situation they have neither control over nor responsibility for. It is wrong, it is grotesque, it is a shameful lie of a book. I can't give it more than a star and my sentimental associations with the book prevent me from shelving it as disappointing, waste of time or should never have been written as it deserves.

The answer, in a word: astrology. Read on. Why is 15 August celebrated as India's Independence Day? Readers in Pakistan may find it particularly off-putting as it gives a very negative portrayal of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah and essentially is an argument against partition. The sad demise of young Britishers who died in India has been subjected to all the love, but not a drop of ink been wasted for the millions of Indians, who died pleasing their "memsahibs".Years later, in a book called Freedom at Midnight, Mountbatten is quoted as saying, “The date I chose came out of the blue. I chose it in reply to a question. I was determined to show I was master of the whole event. When they asked had we set a date, I knew it had to be soon. I hadn't worked it out exactly then—I thought it had to be about August or September and I then went out to the 15th August. Why? Because it was the second anniversary of Japan's surrender.” (Mountbatten served as Supreme Allied Commander of the Southeast Asia Command in World War II, who later signed on Japan's formal surrender.) So why midnight? Too bad that the authors had decided to make this a drama, with the Viceroy Mountbatten as its tragic hero, and time as the villain. The book provides a detailed account of the last year of the British Raj; the reactions of princely states towards independence, including descriptions of the colourful and extravagant lifestyles of the Indian princes; the partition of British India (into India and Pakistan) on religious grounds; and the bloodshed that followed. [1] Maddox, Garry. 17 May 2017. " How Prince Charles steered filmmaker Gurinder Chadha to make Viceroy's House." The Sydney Morning Herald.

The book covers about one year of time, from the decision was taken in Britain to appoint Lord Mountbatten as India's Viceroy to Mahatma Gandhi's death. The writing and the approach of narration is very fluid. The events are told from the point of view of main actors with stories of common man and woman serving as an essential ingredient. In doing so, authors have made the events of partition very relatable, especially for those who might not be aware of its complexity and tragic character. India at transition is truly an awesome entity that will have to be managed when the British Raj departs:Krishan, Y (February 1983). "Mountbatten and the Partition of India". History. Historical Association. 68 (222): 22–38. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-229X.1983.tb01396.x. Sanjith Sidhardhan of The Times of India gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Contrary to the film’s trailer, the violence is minimum in this taut action thriller, which prides itself in using the smarts; and that’s what makes this jailbreak movie an arresting watch." [6] Anna MM Vetticad of Firstpost wrote "If Swathanthriyam Ardharathriyil still remains entertaining, it is because Pappachan’s adept direction, his cast’s appeal and his tech team’s sophistication keep the thrills going when all else falters. The atmospherics, the haunting ugliness of that prison complex and the suspense hold out enough excitement to make this a watchable albeit flawed film." [7] Remake [ edit ] There is a description of Shimla, the British summertime capital in the Himalayas, and how supplies were carried up steep mountains by porters each year. Also covered in detail are the events leading to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, as well as the life and motives of Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The last quarter of the book is a fast paced detective sequence of Mahatama's Gandhi's assanination. Authors have done a brilliant job in presenting the sequence of events and potraying the conspirators as they were . The authors have done deep research to not only comb the archives and official documents but also to talk to people, right from highest level of politicians (I was most surprised to know of their interview with Indira Gandhi, who was Indian PM at that time) to locating ADCs, common people and conspirators of Gandhi's assasination.

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