Customer Reviews

Freedom at Midnight - The Epic Drama of the End of the Raj and the Tumultuous Birth of the New India

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3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre have managed to capture one of the most important years (1947) of world history in their book. Freedom at Midnight is possibly one of the most outrageously enthralling works of writing based on real events that I have ever read.

This book is an account of the year 1947 in context to the freedom of India from the British Raj. It opens on New Year's Day, 1947, London and takes the reader on a journey of significant events that lead to the independence of India. On the way, the reader is introduced to many brilliant characters who shaped up the history in that part of the world and have since left their mark that is still evident. The decisions made by these people defined the future of millions of people.

Freedom at Midnight is an intimate account of the reasoning of these historical figures that lead to the independence and division of India. Why did Prime Minister Clement Atlee who took office dedicated to break the Empire apart choose Louis Mountbatten, a member of the royal family to be the last viceroy of India? Why was he the man to administer India's freedom operation?

This book is one of the most intimate accounts of the most venerated figures in the world's history, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi aka Mahatma Gandhi. His approach, position, attitude towards the British Raj, the Indian Congress, the political and social blueprint that he dreamed of the Independent India. And vice-versa. As the book flows like an epic, it gives detailed account of final days of Gandhi and who, why and how of the assassination of this revered leader. The reader is also introduced to Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

What happened to the Maharajas, the palaces, the tigers, the jewels and the harems? What lead to the demise of fantastic royalty in India? The authors have devoted a whole chapter to recounting the opulence enjoyed by the Maharajas and their magnificent indulgences.

How was the line drawn that divided the nation? Who initiated the idea and why was the idea initiated? Collins and Lapierre show poignant picture of the greatest migration in history. The religious division left an estimated 250,000-500,000 people dead.

One of the unsolved matter since than that still afflicts both nations (India and Pakistan) and have since lead to three wars, Kashmir, is devoted a whole chapter. The valley that was once described as "heaven on earth" by the last Mogul Emperor of India today is contradicting the emperor's statement in every way possible. This book discloses the history behind the conflict.

One of the most appealing qualities in the writing of the authors was their effort into giving some personal accounts into the lives of the common people. I recommend this book to anyone who is a student of world history and precisely history of India. This book takes the reader through the year that lead to the birth of three nations, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

History has never been so intriguing. Being an Indian I read the book from an Indian standpoint and for me it was an incredible experience. Having grown up in India I have been exposed to a lot of material about Independence but none have aroused such thought as "Freedom at Midnight". A masterfully written, superbly researched and above all a very human account of what happenned in that period of Indian History. Mountbatten comes across as the hero of India and though Gandhi is shown to be more human than saint his actions were definitely that of a Mahatma. This book gave me a better understanding of my own country. A must read for every Indian or anyone who is interested in India.

Freedom At Midnight is one of my favorite books of all time. The way it tells the story of the last few crucial pre-indepence years of the Indian struggle is admirable - it provides huge amounts of information, different viewpoints, and popular notions at the time all without making the whole affair a dry history lesson. It's gripping as any bestselling novel.

Some of the flaws of the book include an overt tendency to canonize Gandhi, to mention startling facts in a kind of look-this-is-so-exotic way without much exploration into their causes, and other simplistic approaches. For a book that otherwise provides fascinating insights into Gandhi, there needed to be much more information about and analysis of the lesser known aspects of his life - like his experiments with celibacy, and his occasional violation of vows. The British are portrayed too tamely and sympathetically and their atrocities (like Kalapani) are not recorded. The canvass of the book is too large to do justice to many events.

The authors freely crowd the commentary with their own takes on the issues, which makes the telling all the more interesting. Gandhi, much more than most other characters in the novel, is intimately presented to the reader, so much so that the book becomes a tearjerker when describing Gandhi's plight. And, to be honest, the simplistic startling facts do tend to be fascinating.

The storytelling ability of the authors is the highlight of the work. At many points, the book becomes impossible to put back down, much to the detriment of other engagements (the book took up 3 or 4 precious hours on the eve of the most important exam of my life).

A fascinating, commendable work.

The first time I read this book was years ago when I was in Graduate school, and since then I have taken out and read my copy frequently, at times to breeze through a chapter or a reference point, but twice to read it cover to cover all over again.

Setting out at the point when (a reluctant) Lord Mountbatten is assigned the task of dismembering the empire from its proudest colonial possession, the book proceeds to delve deep into the principal characters involved in one of the most remarkable events in human history. Through a combination of exquisite prose, meticulous research and skillful narrative, Collins and Lapierre brings to life these men and women, who with their life's work played out an irrevocable part first in the subjugation and subsequently, centuries later, to the liberation of millions in the sub-continent.

Portrayed thus in those highly textured and vivid images are the personalities of Mahatma Gandhi, breathtakingly simple in philosophy and excruciatingly complex in what he does; Jawaharlal Nehru, loyalties divided between his affection for the Mahatma and (what he considered) pragmatic solutions for India's problems; Sardar Patel, the man who many consider the "real hero"; Jinnah, unscrupulous and unflinching in his demand for Pakistan; and Mountbatten, flamboyant, savoir-faire, and as the authors would have us believe, ever empathetic towards India. (This last part being driven in at times with a bit too much fervour to the liking of many who look at it from the East's perspective). Added in good measures, in deference to the west's fascination perhaps, are revealing accounts of the Maharajas and their larger than life existences with their elephants and their harems. Significant no of pages are also devoted to the run-up to the Mahatma's assassination, and the people involved in this act.

To the authors credit, the book makes no pretences of being a historic commentary on the Indian Freedom Struggle. Those who want to formulate their ideas on the Indian freedom motion are better advised reading other available works on the subject first, and then dig into this book for an entirely new flavour of history telling, which none of the others attempts to. Given this, excessive criticism directed at "Western leanings" in the narrative seems out of context.

In conclusion, a gripping work, eminently successful in what it sets out to achieve and a highly recommended read for any interested in the travails of "a fifth of humanity"

This is an excellent book about nations, states, people, ethnic and religious tensions, and violence versus non-violence. Anyone seeking not only to understand modern India but indeed the post modern post colonial world must read this long and detailed book.

The insights reflect the over three years of research and incredible access that the authors had to both primary sources and participants in the process of dissolving Britain's Indian Empire.

The book starts with a violent prequel to Britain's decision to leave India. Two events collided--Britain, the exhausted and spent `victor' of World War II could no longer afford the Empire, and India, may of its men having fought and died for liberty elsewhere in the Commonwealth, wanted their own domestic freedom. Events, tensions and bloodshed started to spiral out of control until Churchill was forced to admit "It is with deep grief that I watch the clattering down of the British Empire with all of its glories and services that it has rendered to mankind. Many have defended Britain against her foes, but none can defend her against herself." (p. 53) The challenge for the British, Indian and would be Pakistani leaders and planners was to fix a date and a process that would not be perfect, but would somehow be better than Gandhi's incantation to "leave India to God."

Mountbatten and Jinnah--the lead Brit and lead Pakistani--held a series of meetings that were crucial to the carving up of Empire. At the same time Mountbatten had to deal with Nehru and Gandhi on the other side of the equation--a prequel to `shuttle diplomacy' if ever there was one. Despite the fact the most prudent planers wanted no partition, Jinnah--secretly being consumed by a tuberculosis he knew would kill him soon--drove himself and everyone else to achieve the dream of a independent and separate Pakistan. Knowing that you will not long live to inherit the consequences provides a freedom of thought and action that is liberating in the present, but holds dire results for the later generations. (pp 102-111)

While everyone was trying not to let the emotions and dogs run loose and wild, more and more ethnic and religious incited violence continued to leave hundred and indeed thousands of dead in wide swaths across India (Kahuta, Peshawar, Punjab, Kashmir). Seeking to calm the tempers and stay the killings, instead the British were left with almost no choice but to draw an almost arbitrary set of map lines that guaranteed the violence would accelerate before it would abate. Mountbatten traveled tirelessly, his perceptive wife at his side, from refugee camps to destroyed towns and burnt bodies--and ever more frantically realized that he had to set a date soon and then drive everyone remorselessly to achieve it as perfect as it could be, not as perfect as it should be.

Ironically, it was the Armies--Pakistani, Indian and British--that had to be brought back into to instill discipline and restore some semblance of order, although in many cases they were simply too few, too late. As the Chapter 13 "our people have gone mad' displays in poignant writing, once the lid was off the pot, it simply began to boil over even faster. Gandhi, in the last great act of his life before being assassinated by a Hindu group of radicals, was able to instill some peace and order--but only in the isolated spots were he could personally be present. As the multitude of 20, 30 and 50 mile long columns of refugees wound their way past each other, the unspeakable was done over and over again. Trains were halted and all butchered. The scope was simply too vast even for Mountbatten and Gandhi.

In many ways, this book foretells of Africa, the Balkans and Iraq today in a great many painful parallels. It is a hard read, but read it you must if you want to try to understand how groups that have lived more or less at peace and in co-existence, can over a few short months and years, become bitterly polarized antagonists for generations to come.

I found this book captivating. Since I work with more than 20 Indians and one Pakistani, I was able to discuss the events in the book at length with them. One of my friends' father barely escaped death on one of the trains fleeing Pakistan. He and his brother have bullet wounds to show. The Pakistani's father also narrowly escaped death while leaving India for Pakistan. Two of the Indians decided to read the book with me. All agree that the book is accurate. It was very emotional for me to read of the atrocities and understand the personalities involved. My Indian friends experienced even more intense emotion as the read of the experiences of their parents.
One of the other customer reviews stated that the book made Montbatten look too good. My Indian friends disagree. Montbatten was a great man. The book might have underrated him, if anything.
The book also shows several sides of Gandi that most Westerners are not exposed to. He is still a great soul, though.
This book will change you. At least read the first 100 pages before you make a decision -- it'll draw you in.

This book is based on thirty hours of interviews granted by Louis Mountbatten to its authors. It is essentially a one-man version of how India won its independence. Reading this book, one would think that the "white-knight" Mountbatten rode into India to save the day, overlooking the fact that the British had subjugated those people, sometimes, brutally, for over a century. There are several better books which give a much more balanced and objective account of the Indian Independence without sounding like someone's diary or a sycophantic homage from a couple of grateful writers. Try the Oxford History of India.

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.

I have finished reading this book few days back and still wondering that I read a history book or a fiction novel. I must say that this book was quite an interesting read. I've spent most of my life in India and know its history quite well. Though I picked this book for just another good read but it left a sour taste by the end. I can't help thinking the biased picture being presented to the people who are not aware of the Indian histroy very well. Authors have certainly try to project an image for Britishers emphasizing their reluctance to give away India but not mentioning the exploitation done to Indians for 400 years. Readers are made to believe that British gave up India as mother sends her child abroad for higher studies. Page after page it describes about the blessing that British Raj proved to be for India. I think they could not avoid talking about Jallianwaala bagh tragedy but they did make it a point to blame it on a single person and remove any possibility of it symbolizing the general attitude of raj towards Indians. They couldn't risk writing anything against Gandhi but they glorified Mountbatten as the war hero of all times and put Gandhi assassins in the most pathetic description. .....

Collins and Lapierre are among the most overrated historical writers of all time. The writing of "Freedom at Midnight" is good and the text is interesting, and in my opinion they would do quite well writing fiction. One would think given the pages and pages of references at the back that this is a thoroughly researched book, but this is a good instance of how statistics can lie.

Here are some of the big errors I found in the book:

1. The biggest whopper is that Messrs. Godse and Sawarkar enjoyed a homosexual relationship. Nobody who knows even an iota of the facts from any other sources will believe this -- all I could do was shake my head and smile at this preposterous claim, which incidentally does not even provide a reference.

2. The life of the maharajas chapter - all lies. The reference for this whole chapter is a book written by an Englishman who wanted to impress people back home. It is akin to claiming a "Wild West" account as fact.

3. There is no RSSS. The organization is RSS, Swayamsevak is one word. This just smacks of poor research. I doubt the writers have even looked at the covers of some of the books they have claimed as references.

4. Many place and people names are badly misspelled. There is no Pavel in Bombay for instance. The place name is Parel, and it is not a high income locality. In fact, it has a huge factory workers' colony.

I found several more, and am sure still many more exist in the book -- I am just a typical Indian, no historian or anything like that. Although this book is very interesting, I wish I had not read it and would not recommend it to anyone who wants genuine knowledge about India. Whatever I knew of the book's subject is now mixed up with the book's lies, so I don't even know what is true or not anymore. Surely, false information is worse than no information at all.