The author masterfully brings the key players of India’s unification to life, allowing us to see beyond their titles and into their fears and motivations. Rather than painting the rajas as mere obstacles, we feel their deep sense of betrayal by the British and growing distrust of Congress—emotions that simmer beneath their political decisions.
The book is a wonderful introduction to the lives of various freedom fighters, especially at a time when the ideas of freedom and independence are much debated. Many of them have passed away owing to natural causes in the last few years; many living into their late nineties and some even past hundred
In this book we learn something of the history of battalions, of the movement of forces, of wartime strategies and the reasoning behind tactics employed in times of conflict. We also come to understand how decisions in wartime are made keeping in mind our strengths and weaknesses
Prabhu encourages them to form their own opinions and interpretations, and support their ideas with evidence from the artwork itself. He illustrates this while talking about ‘a tapasvin…and a god’ from the mammoth rock face. He describes the sculpture–man standing on one leg, arms aloft, fingers locked.
Sunny’s text highlights the transformation of Jharkhand from ‘the land of forests and rivers’ to ‘a land of industries and mines’ (p. 8), and raises critical questions for young minds to rethink the very nature of development, land rights, ecological challenges, environmental sustainability and social justice.
Ajeet Bajaj’s narrative of rafting down the Alsek River in snow-bound Alaska and Canada’s Yukon Plateau was another edge-of the-seat thriller, with icebergs, rapids and grizzly bears! Apparently, there are signboards on that route warning adventurers how from that point onward, they ‘are part of the food chain’!