Overview
The first prime minister of India after independence from British rule, Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) was a major architect of India as a nation state. His dedication to politics led to imprisonment under British rule, a deeply disturbed family life, and eventually to nearly two decades in power during which he ceaselessly pursued his vision of a transformed and democratic India. This compelling biography depicts the phases of Nehru's life and shows how each phase reflected new developments in Indian politics. Drawing on new sources including Nehru's post-1947 papers which have not been accessible before, Judith M. Brown offers the most complete and penetrating account of Nehru yet written. Casting new light on both the public and private Nehru, the book also provides an array of insights into the history of India's nationalist movement and international standing, and into the complexities of constructing a new nation state in the aftermath of imperial rule."A superb book. Judith Brown catches the spirit of Nehru's times as well as his own tribulations and achievements."-Wm. Roger Louis, University of Texas at AustinAuthor Biography: Judith M. Brown is Beit Professor of Commonwealth History, University of Oxford, and professorial fellow of Balliol College, Oxford.
Synopsis
The first prime minister of India after independence from British rule, Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) was a major architect of India as a nation state. His dedication to politics led to imprisonment under British rule, a deeply disturbed family life, and eventually to nearly two decades in power during which he ceaselessly pursued his vision of a transformed and democratic India. This compelling biography depicts the phases of Nehru's life and shows how each phase reflected new developments in Indian politics. Drawing on new sources including Nehru's post-1947 papers which have not been accessible before, Judith M. Brown offers the most complete and penetrating account of Nehru yet written. Casting new light on both the public and private Nehru, the book also provides an array of insights into the history of India's nationalist movement and international standing, and into the complexities of constructing a new nation state in the aftermath of imperial rule."A superb book. Judith Brown catches the spirit of Nehru's times as well as his own tribulations and achievements."-Wm. Roger Louis, University of Texas at Austin
Author Biography: Judith M. Brown is Beit Professor of Commonwealth History, University of Oxford, and professorial fellow of Balliol College, Oxford.
The Washington Post
Brown's political biography, drawing on access to new papers from Nehru's years as prime minister, offers a nourishing and balanced life, largely sympathetic but willing to acknowledge Nehru's errors. — Steve Coll