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Feroze Gandhi is often remembered as Indira Gandhi's husband and Jawaharlal Nehru's son-in-law. But who was Feroze Gandhi? A Congress worker, a young freedom fighter, a parliamentarian, or just another Gandhi? Diving into the history of the Nehru-Gandhi family, the Swedish journalist Bertil Falk brings together his 40-year-old research in this biography of Feroze Gandhi. Including first-hand interviews of people close to Feroze and personal experiences of the author with some rare photographs, this volume brings to light his significant, yet unrecognized, role as a parliamentarian, in cases such as the Mundhra case, Life Insurance and Freedom of Press Bill. It also busts some myths about Feroze's controversial birth, his personal life, his importance as a politician, and his relationship with the Nehrus. With interesting details about Feroze as a young boy in Allahabad, to his years as a freedom fighter, journalist, Congressman and a politician, this volume examines the chronology of events that shaped the life of Feroze.

Dongri to Dubai is the first ever attempt to chronicle the history of the Mumbai mafia. It is the story of notorious gangsters like Haji Mastan, Karim Lala, Varadarajan Mudaliar, Chhota Rajan, Abu Salem, but above all, it is the story of a young man who went astray despite having a father in the police force. Dawood Ibrahim was initiated into crime as a pawn in the hands of the Mumbai police and went on to wipe out the competition and eventually became the Mumbai police's own nemesis.The narrative encompasses several milestones in the history of crime in India, from the rise of the Pathans, formation of the Dawood gang, the first ever supari, mafia's nefarious role in Bollywood, Dawood's move to Karachi, and Pakistan's subsequent alleged role in sheltering one of the most wanted persons in the world.This story is primarily about how a boy from Dongri became a don in Dubai, and captures his bravado, cunningness, focus, ambition, and lust for power in a gripping narrative. The meticulously researched book provides an in-depth and comprehensive account of the mafia's games of supremacy and internecine warfare.

A veteran journalist and former member of Parliament, Kuldip Nayar is India's most well known and widely syndicated journalist. He was born in Sialkot in 1923 and educated at Lahore University before migrating to Delhi with his family at he time of Partition. He began his career in the Urdu newspaper Anjam and after a spell in the USA worked as information officer of Lal Bahadur Shastri and Govind Ballabh Pant. He eventually became Resident Editor of the Statesman and managing editor of the Indian news agency UNI. He corresponded for the Times for twenty-five years and later served as Indian high commissioner to the UK during the V.P. Singh government. His stand for press freedom during the Emergency, when he was detained; his commitment to better relations between India and Pakistan, and his role as a human rights activist have won him respect and affection in both countries. Author of more than a dozen books, his weekly columns are read across South Asia.

These are in-depth profiles of India's biggest business barons. These are the men who are powering new India's leap into the 21st century; the faces behind the great Indian success story. You'll find them all here. The traditional big names of Indian industry: Ratan Tata and Kumar Mangalam Birla. The new gurus of information technology: Nandan Nilekani and Azim Premji. The wizards of the sunrise entertainment and telephony sector: Sunil Bharti Mittal, Subhash Chandra and Rajeev Chandrasekhar . And many more. Essential to the depth of these profiles is that all of the subjects sat down for hours to tell Vir Sanghvi about their hopes, their dreams and their heartbreaks. These are profiles based on fresh information, direct from the mouths of the men of steel themselves. Nobody who wants to understand the contours of the Indian success story can afford not to read this book. It is a highly readable insight into the new India.

In 1991, Monisha's family uprooted from Sheffield to Madras in the hope of making India their home. Two years later, fed up with soap-eating rats, stolen human hearts and the creepy colonel across the road, they returned to England with a bitter taste in their mouths. Twenty years later, Monisha came back. Taking a page out of Jules Verne s classic tale, Around the World in 80 Days, she embarked on a 40,000km adventure around India in 80 trains. Travelling a distance equivalent to the circumference of the Earth, she lifted the veil on a country that had become a stranger to her. As one of the largest civilian employers in the world, featuring luxury trains, toy trains, Mumbai's infamous commuter trains and even a hospital on wheels, Indian Railways had more than a few stories to tell. On the way, Monisha met a colourful cast of characters with epic stories of their own. But with a self-confessed militant atheist as her photographer, Monisha's personal journey around a country built on religion was not quite what she bargained for... Around India in 80 Trains is a story of adventure and drama infused with sparkling wit and humour.

Baba Allauddin Khan's daughter, Pandit Ravi Shankar's first wife, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan's sister, representative of Maihar-Senia gharana - Annapurna Devi has an illustrious lineage. And she is a star in her own right - she is the only female surbahar player in the country. Yet, Annapurna's life is shrouded in mystery. Though she is a true guru to her hishyas, to others she is an eccentric recluse or simply too strong-minded. This first authorised biography offers a glimpse into her life, not to reveal or to shock, but to set the record straight - her turbulent years with Ravi Shankar, the death of her only son, her single-minded pursuit of music and a life in seclusion. Drawing on interviews with Annapurna Devi and her family members, admirers, critics and students, Swapan Kumar Bondyopadhyay offers an absorbing portrait of a brilliant individual, who shuns public erformances devoting her time instead to her music, her students and to keeping her father's legacy alive.

This girl. is going to make it to the top with her second novel,' I said to myself (as I finished Rani Dharker's first novel) . In her, we have a clever, erudite woman who can communicate Indian thought and tradition to the Western world as few living writers of India today.' Khushwant SinghHere's Anurima, the second novel Khushwant Singh spoke about. It takes us to Sonapur, once a princely state, now a bustling city, where the lives of three people, very unlike each other, collide in unusual circumstances. There's Royina, young but stubbornly quiet; Krishan, a charismatic young artist. And then there's Elise, a Jew from Austria, who spends her last days reliving memories of Sonapur's lost glory. Memories whose dominant figure is the hauntingly beautiful Princess Anurima. Mesmerising and dream-like, Anurima is also Royina's journey into that past, a journey in which she rediscovers herself.

Bambi, Chops and Wag: A madcap story of how three dogs trained a family is a first-person account of author Ranjit Lal's love for his three pet dogs and how the family cared for the two Boxers and a Labrador. A book for everyone from age 10 to 100, this is a fun, easy-to-read book that will keep the readers hooked to their antics, and their different personalities. At times funny and at times touching the core of your heart, this book celebrates the family's commitment to the three adorable dogs: Bambi, Chops and Wag.

Architect of 'Operation Flood', the largest dairy development programme in the world, Dr Verghese Kurien has enabled India to become the largest milk producer in the world. A man with a rare vision, Dr Kurien has devoted a lifetime to realizing his dream - empowering the farmers of India. He has engineered the milk cooperative movement in India. It was a sheer quirk of fate that landed him in Anand where a small group of farmers were forming a cooperative, Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers'Union Limited (better known as Amul), to sell their milk. Intrigued by the integrity and commitment of their leader, Tribhuvandas Patel, Dr Kurien joined them. Since then there has been no looking back. The 'Anand pattern of cooperatives were so successful that, at the request of the Government of India, he set up the National Dairy Development Board to replicate it across India. He also established the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation to market its products. In these memoirs, Dr Verghese Kurien, popularly known as the 'father of the white revolution', recounts, with customary candour, the story of his life and how he shaped the dairy industry. Profoundly inspiring, these memoirs help up comprehend the magnitude of his contributions and his multifaceted personality.

Very few French writers have ventured to write on the social, religious, political and cultural issues of Pakistani society, but Claudine is an exception. She is one of those writers who not only made frequent visits to Pakistan but also watched some very sensitive prevailing issues from a close angle. Her fine sensibilities and eye for detail is a hallmark of her writing skills which also makes her an accomplished writer. In Hira Mandi her strong pen has beautifully succeeded in capturing the true identity of the society. Hira Mandi is a remarkable piece where Claudine has rolled out a tale that would make the readers spellbound. Hira Mandi sounds a forbidden subject for many who are familiar with the name as it is an area located in the walled city of Lahore which in its hey days was notoriously known as pleasure seekers' paradise but Claudine's expressions, portrayal of feelings and glaring social dichotomies are unparallel. Jaffer Bilgrami Television Journalist, Islamabad (Pakistan)

When the ancient ways of a peaceful but brave tribe is threatened by the arrogance of an empire, savagery of the "e;civilised"e; and greed of the affluent, the only thing left to do is rise in rebellion. The year is 1855. The tribe: Santals. Born a few months after the British soldiers raided their village and killed his father, Bikram grows up with a strong intolerance for injustice. Lt. James Davies of the British Native Infantry finds himself in the madding world of 19th century Colonial India. But he is quick to learn and develops a strange affection for this complex land and its people. Shibani is a Bengali child-widow and an heiress, who finds her life lonely and stifling. Of the many burdens she must bear at a young age are protecting her estate and the future of her son. Their lives collide in the backdrop of mounting unease amongst the tribals. Result of extensive historical research and brimming with memorable characters, the story moves through a whirlwind of passion, greed, betrayal, cruelty and sacrifice. As Bikram grows up, he realises it's his identity as a Santal that has become a bane. He finds himself sucked into the vortex of Hul - the Great Santal Rebellion against the British and their lackeys -the 'dikus'. Thousands of Santal tribesmen wage a desperate war for self-determination. Bare feet against boots; arrows against howitzers. The odds seem insurmountable. 50,000 Santals are massacred in the Hul.

A fascinating re-creation of the life and times of the dazzling nautch girl who became the celebrated Begam Samru after her marriage to a foreign military adventurer, General Reinhardt. She shared his dangers and tortuous intrigues in the turbulent 'time of troubles' in the eighteenth century. When he died she took over his jagir, converted to Christianity and steered a perilous course with uncanny skill through the Moghul empire's last days and the evergrowing power of the British. The life story of this extraordinary Christian princess has no parallel in the transition from chaos to order in Hindustan two hundred years ago. Her memory lives on in the splendid cathedral she built at Sardhana near Meerut which continues to draw thousands of visitors from far and near.

Zubin Mehta left the sheltered environs of his parental home in Bombay in 1954, as an eighteen year old, and moved to Vienna into the very unique culture of the Music Academy, where he studied under illustrious teachers such as Hans Swarowsky. Just seven years later, he conducted the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras and became the director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at the age of twenty-five. Further assignments included Los Angeles, New York, Florence , Tel Aviv, and eventually, Munich, where he worked as general music director of the Bavarian State Opera from 1998 to 2006. Zubin Mehta is one of the most celebrated conductors in the world. He has worked with all the top-class international orchestras and with excellent instrumentalists and opera stars of the past many decades. Musicians such as Daniel Barenboim, Claudio Abbado, Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman count among his intimate friends. Despite his tremendous success, this popular Indian with a zest for life still remains a restless spirit - a wanderer between the worlds, who is as famous for his commitment to Israel as for his musical openness to everything from open-air concerts to operas. His exciting life makes for a gripping autobiography.

In this selection of stories from the classics of Sanskrit fiction, Professor Naravane offers fascinating glimpses of life in ancient India. Retold in modern English and presented in a lively, fluent style, those stories are marked by an amazing diversity of atmosphere, situation, attitudes and characterization. They reveal the centuries, and convey the unique, distinctive flavour of Indian life and culture.

I'm not butter chicken, you can't order me!'. Not a very wise thing to shout at your dad. But then, that's teenagers for you: so un-wise, yet breathtakingly brilliant, all at the same time. Growing up in a changing world, coping in a fallible world. The stormy years, the funny, wise, heart-wrenching years.The precious years, the bandar years, the wonder years. Teen stories, heart-breakingly wise, because they are so true.

This comprehensive guide to Southern India's varied heritage covers all the major Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and European historical monuments and sites in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The descriptions vary from forts and palaces, and temple architecture, sculpture and painting, to mosques and tombs, and churches and civic buildings. The guide is divided into travel-friendly itineraries, accompanied by useful location maps. Some of the special features of this travel guide are: (1) The most comprehensive coverage of the region's cities and monuments, museums, and archaeological sites. (2) Includes all the major sites - the great port cities of Mumbai, Chennai and Kochi; the citadels of Golconda, Vijaynagara and Gingee; the rock-cut sanctuaries at Ajanta and Ellora; the temples at Badami, Halebid and Thanjuvar; the mosques of Hyderabad and Bijapur; and the cathedrals at Goa - and hundreds of less well-known places. (3) Detailed up-to-date practical information, with maps and archival photographs.

A comprehensive history of the Lahore Durbar, the glorious reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his exemplary organizational skills that led to forming of the formidable Sikh army and the fiercely fought Anglo Sikh wars. The Last Sunset: The Rise and Fall of the Lahore Durbar recreates history of the Sikh empire and its unforgettable ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Shukarchakia dynasty. An outstanding military commander, he created the Sikh Khalsa Army organized and armed in Western style, acknowledged as the best in undivided India in the nineteenth century. Ranjit Singh's death in 1839 and the subsequent decline of the Lahore Durbar, gave British the opportunity to stake their claim in the region till now fiercely guarded by Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army. Captain Amarinder Singh chronicles in detail the two Anglo-Sikh wars of 1845 and 1848. The battles, high in casualties on both the sides led to the fall of Khalsa and the state was finally annexed with Maharaja Duleep Singh, the youngest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh put under the protection of the Crown and deported to England.

6 June 1984: The Indian Army storms the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Called Operation Bluestar, the historic and unprecedented event ended the growing spectre of terrorism perpetrated by the extremist Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers once and for all. But it left in its wake unsolved political questions that continued to threaten Punjab's stability for years to come. How, in a brief span of three years, did India's dynamic frontier state become a national problem? Who was to blame: the central government for allowing the crisis to drift despite warnings, or the long-drawn-out Akali agitation, or the notorious gang of militants who transformed a holy shrine into a sanctuary for terrorists? First published two months after Operation Bluestar, The Punjab Story pieces together the complex Punjab jigsaw through the eyes of some of India's most eminent public figures and journalists. Writing with the passion and conviction of those who were involved with the drama, they present a wide-ranging perspective on the past, present and future of the Punjab tangle; and the truth of many of their'conclusions having been borne out by time.

It was a dark, winter night when Zeenat was thrown into the Mughal's emperor's harem to satisfy his lust. Set against the backdrop of Jahangir's indolence and Shahjahan's rebellion, Escape from Harem tells the story of her life that changes forever that fateful night. From the harem of Jahangir to Shahjahan's golden age of architecture and Jahanara's boudoir, Zeenat's life is a dizzying roller coaster of events, with moments happy and sad trapped in the quagmire of the imperial zenana. The silken skeins of romance juxtaposed with the coarse threads of passion and aggression recreate the tumultuous period of Mughal history. Traversing the span between circa 1610 and 1650, her story is also a preview of the Mughal culture and way of life.

Blood Brothers is M.J. Akbar's amazing story of three generations of a Muslim family - based on his own - and how they deal with the fluctuating contours of Hindu-Muslim relations. Telinipara, a small jute mill town some 30 miles north of Kolkata along the Hooghly, is a complex Rubik's Cube of migrant Bihari workers, Hindus and Muslims; Bengalis poor and 'bhadralok'; and Sahibs who live in the safe, 'foreign'world of the Victoria Jute Mill. Into this scattered inhabitation enters a child on the verge of starvation, Prayaag, who is saved and adopted by a Muslim family, converts to Islam and takes on the name of Rahmatullah. As Rahmatullah knits Telinipara into a community, friendship, love trust and faith are continually tested by the cancer of riots. Incidents - conversion, circumcision, the arrival of the plague of electricity - and a fascinating array of characters - the ultimate Brahmin, Rahmatullah's friend Girija Maharaj; the worker's leader, Bauna Sardar; the storyteller, Talat Mian; the poet- teacher, Syed Ashfaque; the smiling mendicant, Burha Deewana; the sincere Sahib, Simon Hogg; and then the questioning, demanding third generation of the author and his friend Kamala - interlink into a narrative of social history as well as a powerful memoir. Blood Brothers is a chronicle of its age, its canvas as enchanting as its narrative, a personal journey through change as tensions build, stretching the bonds of a lifetime to breaking point and demanding, in the end, the greatest sacrifice. Its last chapters, written in a bare-bones, unemotional style, are the most moving as the author searches for hope amid raw wounds with a surgeon's scalpel.

After leading a sheltered life for sixteen years, Pessi, Bertie, Randy and Maachh are thrust into the world of the National Defence Academy. Soon they realize that life here is not just about spit and polish, but six terms of adventure and achievement. It is about soaring ambition and tough challenges, a punishing regimen and endless Puttie Parades. However, rugged training and severe ragging cannot keep their spirits down for long. Weaving yarns about imaginary girlfriends, bragging about their escapades and sexual exploits, they turn from greenhorns to tough soldiers. United by their experience, these comrades-in-arms form a bond for life. Tanushree Podder, in this tongue-in-cheek saga of youth, camaraderie and 'growing-up', skillfully reconstructs life at NDA - where boys become men of honour.

The classic, heart-touching story of unrequited love of a man's fall from grace and his tragic end offers an insightful and compassionate portral of men and women in love. Devdas, written in early decades of the twentieth century, still captivates readers, and has been filmed several times - a testament to endurance and class. One of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee's finest novels, it reveals the best there is in Indian romantic literature. The abridged translation of Devdas, Srikanta and six of Sarat Chandra's short stories brings to English readers a careful selection of writer's best.

Jews who have made India their home have flourished without adverse discrimination. Of this, the Baghdadi Sephardic community is very small in number but has produced one of India's greatest contemporary soldiers, Lt Gen. Jack Jacob. This is his fascinating story. As a small boy, Jacob, who was from a business family, was sent to a residential public school in Darjeeling along with his two brothers. When the Second World War broke out, Jacob without informing his family joined the army in 1941 to fight against the Nazis! After Independence, Gen. Jacob became a gunnery instructor for some time and subsequently was trained in an advanced Artillery and Missile course at Fort Sill in the US. A quick learner, he commanded infantry and artillery brigades, headed the artillery school, and finally the Eastern Army. Rubbing shoulders with some of the stalwarts who strode the Indian political and military arena in those times, Gen. Jacob sometimes fell foul of his bosses and twice came close to resigning. But he stuck on and the pinnacle of his career came in 1971, when he planned and oversaw operations leading to the fall of Dacca and obtained an unconditional public surrender, the only one in history, of Gen. Niazi and his army of 93,000. Written lucidly, this autobiography comes to life as a historical document recapitulating some of the most important events of the 1960s to the 90s - from the defeat of the Naxalites in West Bengal, to the problems of Nagaland and Sikkim and the politics of Goa and Punjab. This is not only the story of the life of one great soldier, but provides glimpses of some of the most influential and colourful personalities who wrote the history of those tumultuous times.

Rudyard Kipling: was he a vampire of the Raj or an Indian born in another skin, who upheld the British empire but gave his heart to the East? Khushwant Singh, celebrated columnist, author and ardent Kipling fan, knits this anthology with a fascinating introduction on the life of this controversial writer.

One of the most celebrated contemporary fiction writers of Malayalam, Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai is well known for his captivating short stories. This selection of fourteen stories reflects his many faceted genius. Sensitive yet presented in a simple style of prose, these tales, when first published, evoked a new social awareness in the society.

Few people know just how much more there is to Agra than the Taj Mahal. A recent listing by INTACH has identified many beautiful ruined Mughal gardens, tombs and mosques, colonial buildings, and havelis along the winding lanes of the old city. For those who want to range wider than the normal tourist route, Lucy Peck's new book takes the visitor through historic Agra and Fatehpur Sikri, revealing the lesser-known buildings to be found in both places. It is illustrated with photos, line drawings and numerous maps, many of which feature walks through the historic areas.

Ambani & Sons is the riveting story of one of the wealthiest families in the world. Dhirubhai Ambani was a rags-to-riches tycoon whose company, Reliance, is now one of India's major corporations. His sons, Anil and Mukesh, took over after his death in 2002 and their respective arms of the company are bigger than the parent ever was. However, a family feud of colossal proportions, that has had political reverberations, ensued. The Ambani tale contains a bigger story about modern India, not only as an economic powerhouse, but about the complicated links between government and big business.