Gandhi: A Life

by Yogesh Chadha

Book Overview

The Internationally Acclaimed Biography of One of History's Monumental Figures Gandhi: A Life The first biography of this important figure in over twenty years, Gandhi: A Life rescues the man from the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471243787
• ISBN13: 9780471243786
• Release Date: February 1998
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Length: 560 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Unbiased - No Hero worship..Fact as it is

Being an Indian, I have seen how name of "Gandhi" become political currancy in today's india. Many indians, Including Myself, know about Gandhi only from his autobiography or propoganda fed by Congress Govt. over many years. Gandhi, was not one dimentional. He was multidimentional. First and foremost he was social reformist who used political platform to reach out to masses..( enough of my views). This book does what it claims to do, provide unbiased facts. I am impressed with the narration, accuracy of facts and author's restraint from expressing his own view. Author just provides facts, or history as it happened. Now its upto you to intrepret and get what you want to get out of it. While you read book, its like Gandhi's life is passing thorugh your Eyes. His strengths, his weaknesses, his successes, his failures... I highly recommend this book.

In Depth with Gandhi

I am not an avid reader but I found the movie "Gandhi" so intriguing that I decided to find a biography on this inspirational man. The book left me as satisfied as the movie did. While other books may be shorter and closer to the point, this book really goes in depth of what was going in India during Gandhi's non violence movement. I feel I really got to know the man and his policies better while even learning a lot of the Indian politics of the time. The inspiration I drew from this book and the Mahatma has led me to search for more information on this subject and to look closer into how one is supposed to live. While no man is without his faults Gandhi helps us find the truth in peace with each other. Great book

Engrossing Book

This book has several things in it's favor.- It does not try to deify Gandhi- It provides, a historical treatment of events in Gandhi's life - The author does not try to push his opinions on you, but instead allows you to absorb the facts and make your own mind up. The book is a result of a tremendous amount of research and is very well thought out and well presented. I couldn't put it down. I recommend this book for someone who wants to learn about Gandhi:The Man, his achievements and his shortcomings and not Gandhi: The Mahatma or Great Soul.

An excellent account of the mahatma's life

After having read mahatma gandhi's autobiography which does not reach towards the later part of his life, i was keen on getting a complete account of his life. I must say that Chadha's book proved immensely satisfying and educative in this regard. The book is very thoroughly researched and its best attribute is that in it Chadha tries to stick to facts and takes up the role of the narrator rather than put in his own personal views. Invariably biographies make a picture of the person as the biographer chooses to think about him or her, but in reading this book one gets the feeling that Chadha has tried to consciously hold back his opinions and remain historically accurate. He leaves the judging to the reader. All the same the book is definitely not dull and dreary. It vividly brings out the great man's character along with his faults. It shows gandhi as human and definitely not a saint. It is when we realise this that we truly understand the greatness of the mahatma and the courage, strength of character and truth on which his life, movement and teachings were based. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn about the mahatma.

A well researched book on life of Mahatma Gandhi

After having read Gandhi's "My experiments with truth" I found Chadha's book very helpful about the context surrounding Gandhi. This book almost reads like a Hypertext document in that Mr. Chadha takes you to the source of Gandhi's many inspirations e.g. Tolstoy. So a reader doesn't have to go to library and find Tolstoy, Ruskin, etc. Chadha also throws light on many persons who were followers of Gandhi in South Africa. Chadha also quotes from many friends and adversaries of Gandhi in South Africa. So this book gives lots of insight into Gandhi's past. This is indeed a very well researched book.