Freedom at Midnight

This book is a fascinating and deeply moving account of one of the seminal events in world history, the emergence of India and Pakistan as sovereign nations. Collins and LaPierre, in their infinitely researched, nuanced account of the independence of the Indian subcontinent, relate their story in prose that approaches the lyrical rhythm of poetry. Some may take issue with the point of view of the account, insisting that it is written primarily from the British line of sight, but regardless of any bias, it so beautifully and successfully relates the stories of those in the highest seats of power and the impact of their often wrenching decisions on the common person.I have always held that in order for history to teach us, it must be delivered in a form that seduces us into understanding it. By developing the characters whom most of us already know - Gandhi, Nehru, Mountbatten, Jinnah, Churchill - we find ourselves in the venues of the account as quiet observers as the die is cast to deliver India to its destiny. The book underscores the power of language, with excerpts from the inimitable speeches delivered extemporaneously by Nehru, in quick succession, upon the birth of the nation, and ultimately the death of its father.It is also a cautionary tale for the present, by showing so clearly how false distinctions between people, riven by such things as religion, wealth, and power, can so readily cause diverse communities living in harmony for centuries to shatter the peacefulness of their coexistence and turn on each other in abhorrent communal violence at a moment's notice, leaving us stunned and questioning our humanity. Perhaps this understanding can encourage us not to repeat this insanity.A marvelous book - highly recommended.

When it comes to writing about the Independence of India and the partitioning of the country that happened with it, it is hard to find a neutral source of information. Luckily 'Freedom at Midnight' is one such source. Unfortunately, with neutrality comes the perspective of someone outside looking in, which is also what happens in this book.That being said, this book is a MUST read for all fans of history and people interested in understanding Pakistan-India dynamics and the culture of the sub-continent. The one issue I have with the book is the glorification of the role that Mountbatten and Gandhi played in the aforementioned events. There is in some sense, a simplification of their actions and intent. The reality (at least as perceived by citizens of the two countries) is much more complicated. Gandhi's own auto-biography is more revealing, nuanced and provides a better insight into the thoughts (many naive or unsavory) of India's great leader.The final aspect, which should make this a fun read for everyone (including people who are not fans of history) is the colorful and detailed description of the (often futile and vain) life of Indian nobility. If you ever wondered what (unimaginably crazy) life the Indian princes enjoyed, make sure you read the book.

Great book, but the kindle version is riddled with spelling and formatting errors that I found distracting and even sometimes confusing.

I read this book a decade or so ago, but it has been coming back to my mind recently -- apparently simply because it made such an impact and I now have a medium (Amazon) in which to express my appreciation of it. It is an impressive book in every way: an epic story, with gripping narrative, about extraordinary events and characters. I had had no conception of the monstrous tragedy of the partition of India from Pakistan. This book not only describes its true dimensions, but also makes clear how circumstances can force such absurd things to occur. Much of the book is a biography of Gandhi, and here I could only marvel at the power and authority of this man, and -- on top of everything else -- be riveted by the assassination story in all its detail that I had not known about. Whether there are more accurate accounts of these matters, I am not in a position to say. I can only report that I found this book completely satisfying in multiple respects: as history, as biography, as narrative. At least for a non-expert I can't imagine how it could disappoint as a book, however distressing (and, alas also, timely) its subject matter may be.

I was spellbound by this book and just could not let it go without finishing through. Here is my take:Pros: This book has an excellent and gripping narrative, is exhaustively researched, gives a vivid account of 1947 in India as if one were living in that time and truly worthy of its best seller status.Cons: These are very minor points and I do not know whether they are entirely avoidable in a work of this magnitude. There are a small number of inaccuracies such as Indian names of people, organizations and festivals wrongly spelt, some numbers inaccurate etc. Also, sometimes this book dwells too much on the peculiarities of Hinduism - I am not sure whether this was just an integral part of this literary work and if it was really required in this book.All in all this book is one of the best accounts of the momentous year 1947 in India's history.