Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire

Subtitled, "The Secret History of the End of an Empire" by an Oxford trained historian, this non-fiction book was a slow read for me. It is only 380 pages long but it is so fact filled that I found I couldn't read it for more than a few minutes at a time because I wanted to absorb it all. There certainly is a lot to absorb too because I knew little about the history of India. From a short description of the once-powerful Mogul empire and the colonization of the British, most of the book is about the events leading up to and surrounding the 1947 withdrawal of the British and the partition of India and Pakistan. The strength of the book, however, lies in its portraits of the people most involved with these events and their colorful personalities. It's a behind-the-scenes look at history and the people who were in the drivers' seats at the time.Central to the story is "Dickie" Mountbatten, India's last viceroy, and his wife Edwina. They are brought to life with all their complexities and frailties and by the end of the book I felt I knew them both completely. No doubt that they loved India and were saddened to watch its upheaval which caused millions to lose their lives in horrible ways and other millions to be displaced. Much of their experiences though, read like a gossip column. They were a colorful pair and their marriage was unique in that it allowed Edwina to have a long list of romantic encounters, especially one with the Indian Prime Minister Jawahari al Nehru. We also get to met Mohamed Ali Jinneh, who became the leader of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Mohandas Gandhi, the holy man whose own family life was a lot less than perfect. We also get to meet some other players in the highly dramatic narrative of what was going on at the time such as the mothers, wives, sisters and children of all the key players.I found all of this absolutely fascinating. Every time I picked up the book I learned a little more, gained more insight and grew in my understanding of a world I had previously known little about. From now on I will look upon India with a new freshness of insight and appreciation for a time and a place and a history that had previously been little known to me. This is a book to read slowly in order to absorb it all. I do definitely recommend it. It is very worthwhile.

A detailed account of the Mountbattens time as Viceroy and Vicereine at Indian independence. It illustrates the complexities of the situation as well as portraying the unusual relationship they developed with Nehru. Well written and researched it has a depth that the film The Viceroys House failed to show. Having seen the film I decoded to read further and would recommend the book.

It was clear that Britain could not afford empire. The Jewel had to go. Unfortunately, what held it in place was Britain. And Britain didn't have that much of a clue as to how/where to split it up. Thus, diffidence dictated that it be done as close to ethnic/religious lines as possible, and the state of the British economy, as hastily as possible. Indeed they could have borrowed words from Louis XV ".... apres mois, le deluge." Let the natives sort out their mess. No one more diffident to see it through than Lord Mountbatten. But, did it have to be so bloody messy? It seems that Mountbatten's personal haste brought about all that criminal waste. But who knows the extent to which it would have been less so a year later.This is history from the top down, which probably is at it should be given the events it chronicles. It focuses squarely on the Mountbattens, the Nehrus, Gandhi and Jinnah. The British Parliament may have decided, but these people pulled the triggers that gave us India, a precariously and maladroitly drawn Pakistan (which later begat Bangladesh), and a festering Kashmir (of course, part of India today, but remember the Sikhs?)which to this day hovers perilously between two atomic powers.This is a most valuable and amusing book about a critical juncture in the history of the modern world, or perhaps one should say, the dissolution of the Old. Alex von Tunzelmann (an attractive young woman, not a Teuton scribe) has navigated treacherous historical waters with clarity, restraint, and even humor. Her text is a delight to read, even when a light touch is called upon, it is never glib but one born from deeply informed judgment. Particularly warm and engaging is the view of Edwina Mountbatten, for me a somewhat melancholy figure. There was just so much she couldn't do. She was quite a lady; learning about her is worth the price of admission. Highly recommended.

Initially I wondered if I had wandered into the wrong book...it seemed way too much about Dickie Mountbatten, his royal connections and his wandering wife. But then the author delivers a gripping and enlightening story about how the Partition of India happened, making sense of a complicated situation and a cast of Indian leaders. Mountbatten apparently facilitated his wife's many liaisons, including Nehru, asking her for details and pouting when she held out. One wonders if his Partition decisions were influenced by his desire to nurture a good relationship with Nehru. In other accounts of the Partition Mountbatten serves as a useful scapegoat, but here is portrayed very sympathetically, making the best of a "sticky wicket". Perhaps, but it does seem that the Raj has a lot more to answer for than suggested here. The no-holds barred analysis of Indian leaders and their contributions to the making of a cataclysm is a useful corrective to more nationalistic assessments. This book is an enthralling work of beauty and intelligence, grounded in comprehensive familiarity with the archival materials and secondary literature and a deep appreciation for India and all the actors. The characters and scenes are brought back to life with luminous prose in this sweeping drama. Lady Mountbatten's work with refugees amidst the turmoil rescues her from her role as sensual sidekick and contrasts markedly with her husband's love of pomp and ceremony and fetishes with medals, uniforms and family tree. Grab this page turning history and hope the author has another epic in progress.