India Remembered: A Personal Account of the Mountbattens During the Transfer of Power

by Pamela Mountbatten and Lady Pamela Hicks

Book Overview

In March 1947 Lord Louis Mountbatten became the last Viceroy of India, with the mandate to hand over 'the jewel in the crown' of the British Empire within one year. During this time, his daughter kept... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1862058156
• ISBN13: 9781862058156
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Pavilion Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A Personal View Of History

Lady Pamela Mountbatten Hicks is the younger daughter of the late Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma, a remarkable couple who were glamourous royal relations and high society figures but at the same time energetic and talented military and humanitarian leaders. In 1946 Lord Mountbatten was appointed last Viceroy of India, with the responsibility of ending British rule there. Lord and Lady Mountbatten, with 17 year old Pamela, arrived in India and spent nearly two years during one of the most tumultuous periods in the subcontinent's long history. Lady Pamela was a teenager when the events she describes in this memoir took place, but she was an intelligent observer who dutifully kept a diary. The diary entries, interspersed with many letters and numerous pictures from her parents' photo albums, make up the bulk of this work. Lady Pamela must be among the very last still living witnesses of this period in Indian history, and thus India Remembered, however inconsequential some of the details may seem, is and will remain an important account. On a more personal level, Lady Pamela has also helped history to better remember her able and talented parents.

India Revisited

This is a very interesting time frame for India. It shows how well the British kept order in a huge population. It showed that the country was not prepared to rule itself. Photographs were most unique. Mountbatten ruled during the most unsettling time during partition. He also wrote a book "Freedom At Midnight" which gives detail of the process of partition. The books compliment each other. Having lived in India, it brought back many memories. A very good research book.

Interesting Family in an interesting time.

Lord Louis Mountbatten was one of the most interesting people of the 20th Century. This book by his daughter Pamela and her daughter India should not be confused with a scholarly book. It is a fascinating account from the viewpoint of an 18 year old living through some exciting and horrendous times. Lady Pamela and her mother the Vicereine worked far harder among the native peoples than anyone might have expected them so to do. It would probably be helpful to have some knowledge of the transfer of power in 1947 and the creation of Pakistan. However, I think a person could learn some about that historic occurance by reading this book. The issue of Pakistan is still a plague to many people. Lady Pamela mentions riots in the North West Frontier. This is where there are many difficulties today - 60 years on. There are pictures in this book from family albums that have not been seen in other books. I would recommend this to anyone with a healthy curiosity about the world.