Gandhi: His Life and Message for the World [Mass Market Paperback]

Louis Fischer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 7, 1982

This is the extraordinary story of how one man's indomitable spirit inspired a nation to triumph over tyranny. This is the story of Mahatma Gandhi, a man who owned nothing-and gained everything.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Mentor (December 7, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451627423
• ISBN-13: 978-0451627421
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( G ) > Gandhi, Mahatma
  • #77 in Books > History > Asia > India

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His life is his monument., January 13, 2002

By 

Cipriano "www.bookpuddle.blogspot.com" (Planet Claire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gandhi: His Life and Message for the World (Mass Market Paperback)

The perfect introduction. This is the perfect book for someone who wants to learn the essentials about the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi without having to wade through some of the larger books that have been written. This one is under 200 pages, and is laid out in three easy to read sections (From Birth To Greatness - Gandhi In India - Victory and Tragedy). Fischer does not bog down into political minutiae, post-assassination trial stuff, or hair-splitting Gandhi-isms (on this latter point for instance, Gandhi's own autobiography devotes four consecutive chapters to his internal agony over whether or not to include goat's milk in his vegetarian diet)! Fischer's book is more of an OVERVIEW of the profound world-shaking life that was Gandhi. Yet it is immensely informative, and well-paced. The author personally met with Gandhi in 1942 and again in '46, and his book shows that he had a wonderful understanding of the Mahatma's faith and convictions. Those who want to know more about Gandhi should, however, go on to read the autobiography (subtitled "The Story of My Experiments With Truth") and also Yogesh Chadha's "Gandhi: A Life".

The book ends abruptly with the three shots, the smile fading from Gandhi's face, and his final words on earth "Oh God."
"His legacy is courage, his lesson truth, his weapon love.
His life is his monument.
He now belongs to mankind."
We turn the page, and hope that something is there... but it isn't. The world since, has not seen anyone like Gandhi.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courage and Truth, April 20, 2001

By 

R. Davis "rddrn" (Madison, AL US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gandhi: His Life and Message for the World (Mass Market Paperback)

This is one of the best biographies I've ever read, in part because of the enormous charisma of the subject and in equal part because of the obvious respect and affection with which he is treated by his biographer, Louis Fischer. Gandhi's life and message can be a life-changing experience for one willing to think about his search for Truth, and his unwillingness to compromise even in the face of seemingly insurmountable opposition.

When I decided to read up on Ghandi's life, I was confronted with many many volumes. I didn't know which to choose, so I bought several, in hopes that at least one would be a good choice. I needn't have worried. This particular volume is small and thin, and I selected it in part because of its size - a thicker volume on a man I knew nothing about would have been too intimidating for a first exposure. What a wonderful surprise! Fischer's story of Gandhi's life was engaging from the first few paragraphs and riveting through Gandhi's last utterance.

Fischer does not analyze very much - this is not a history of Gandhi's influence on India and the wider world; rather, it is the personal story of a man who touched lives. Mohandas Gandhi is presented in the context of his world rather than Gandhi's world being presented in the context of him. To me, that creates a more approachable man, one whose life can be emulated, not just revered. This is a must-read with the potential to become a must-do, or at least a must-think. Highly recommended.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read on the Life of Gandhi, June 1, 2000

By 

Steven D. Crain - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gandhi: His Life and Message for the World (Mass Market Paperback)

Written by a foreign correspondant and author of many books on world affairs, this book is the best place to begin understanding the life of Gandhi. I used it to supplement the Oscar-winning film and found that the two complemented each other very well. It is a short book. In a matter of hours the reader will not only be introduced to the events of Gandhi's life and of the Indian independance movement, but she will also get inside the man. Fischer carefully considers Gandhi's religious convictions and experiences and thereby tries to explain Gandhi's incredible moral authority, both during his lifetime, and beyond. If you wonder why so many people consider Gandhi the most influential human being of the 20th century, read this book. And then be prepared to reexamine your own life. What do I value? Why? What is my purpose in life? What does it mean to be a just, compassionate, and merciful human being? Is a violent response to evil ever justifiable? Reading this inexpensive, 200-page paperback will pay rich dividends.