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JFK`S Forgotten Crisis
U.S. President John F. Kennedy faced two great crises in 1962 - the Cuban missile crisis and the Sino-Indian War. While his part in the missile crisis that threatened to snowball into a nuclear war has been thoroughly studied, his critical role in the Sino-Indian War has been largely ignored. Bruce Riedel fills that gap with JFK's Forgotten Crisis: Tibet, the CIA, and the Sino-Indian War. Riedel's telling of the president's firm response to China's invasion of India and his deft diplomacy in keeping Pakistan neutral provides a unique study of Kennedy's leadership. Embedded within that story is an array of historical details of special interest to India, remarkable among which are Jacqueline Kennedy's role in bolstering diplomatic relations with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan, and the backstory to the China-India rivalry - what is today the longest disputed border in the world.
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The Secret Of The Cemetery
A disturbed grave in a century-old cemetery. A ciphered message. A mysterious `repeater'... On a visit to the Park Street cemetery in Calcutta, Feluda and his friends chance upon an old grave that has been dug into. Slight clues lead them into the heart of a mystery that is both complex and blood-curdling. When the jigsaw that involves a seance in a gloomy old building, a singer in a restaurant, a ruthless and rich collector and a midnight vigil at the graveyard is put together, what emerges is one of the most intriguing mysteries Feluda has ever been faced with.
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The Curse Of The Goddess
A deserted temple. The death of a patriarch. An escaped tiger an incident near the desolate Chinnamasta temple on the rocky riverbank of Rajrappa leads to the death of Mahesh Chowdhury, the head of a Hazaribagh family. Adding to the mystery are a set of coded diaries, a valuable stamp collection that is missing, and a tiger that is roaming the streets of Hazaribagh. One of Feluda’s most intriguing adventures, this shows the master sleuth at his best.
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Hide And Seek
The second Inspector Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES. 'Ian Rankin is a genius' Lee Child A junkie lies dead in an Edinburgh squat, spreadeagled, cross-like on the floor, between two burned-down candles, a five-pointed star daubed on the wall above. Just another dead addict - until John Rebus begins to chip away at the indifference, treachery, deceit and sleaze that lurks behind the facade of the Edinburgh familiar to tourists. Only Rebus seems to care about a death which looks more like a murder every day, about a seductive danger he can almost taste, appealing to the darkest corners of his mind...
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Her Fearful Symmetry
When Elspeth Noblin dies she leaves her beautiful flat overlooking Highgate Cemetery to her twin nieces, Julia and Valentina Poole, on the condition that their mother is never allowed to cross the threshold. But until the solicitor's letter falls through the door of their suburban American home, either Julia nor Valentina knew their aunt existed. The twins hope that in London their own, separate, lives can finally begin but they have no idea that they've been summoned into a tangle of fraying lives, from the obsessive-compulsive crossword setter who lives above them to their aunt's mysterious and elusive lover who lives below them and works in the cemetery itself. As the twins unravel the secrets of their aunt, who doesn't seem quite ready to leave her flat, even after death, Niffenegger weaves together a delicious and deadly ghost story about love, loss and identity.
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Black And Blue
Special edition of the award-winning Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES - includes exclusive extra material. 'Britain's best crime novelist' DAILY EXPRESS 'Ian Rankin is a genius' Lee Child In the 1960s, the infamous Bible John terrorised Scotland when he murdered three women, taking three souvenirs. Thirty years later, a copycat is at work, dubbed Johnny Bible. DI John Rebus's unconventional methods have got him in trouble before - now he's taken away from the inquiry and sent to investigate the killing of an off-duty oilman. But when his case clashes head-on with the Johnny Bible killings, he finds himself in the glare of a fearful media, whilst under the scrutiny of an internal enquiry. Just one mistake is likely to mean losing his job - and quite possibly his life.
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Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It
THE HUGE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A former FBI hostage negotiator offers a field-tested approach to negotiating - effective in any situation. 'Riveting' Adam Grant 'Stupendous' The Week 'Brilliant' Guardian ____________________________ After a stint policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Missouri, Chris Voss joined the FBI, where his career as a kidnapping negotiator brought him face-to-face with bank robbers, gang leaders and terrorists. Never Split the Difference takes you inside his world of high-stakes negotiations, revealing the nine key principles that helped Voss and his colleagues succeed when it mattered the most - when people's lives were at stake. Rooted in the real-life experiences of an intelligence professional at the top of his game, Never Split the Difference will give you the competitive edge in any discussion. ____________________________ PRAISE FOR NEVER SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE 'Such a great book that is relevant to more than just FBI negotiations: it's relevant to my relationship with my partner, to my business, to everything in between.' Steven Bartlett, entrepreneur and host of the Diary of a CEO podcast 'It's rare that a book is so gripping and entertaining while still being actionable and applicable.' Inc. 'A business book you won't be able to put down.' Fortune
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The Naga Warriors 2: Battle of Gokul Vol 2
Who is nameless Naga? What became of the remaining eighteen sadhus and sadhvis who stood against the brutal Afghans? Where does Krishna go with his unflinching devotion? And what does the mysterious Adhiraj know about the real war being fought--inside the hearts of those who dare to pursue their legacy, as much as in the fields? What is the fate of Ahmad Shah Abdali? What will become of Gokul? Will the Nagas retain the Dharma they fought so valiantly to protect? The story follows fate, myth, and history that dance together in a way that is truly epic. A tale of fidelity, selflessness, and unwavering commitment brings together mystical fighters, mesmerized troops, and formidable avatars. Get ready for an adventure where each response raises a new query and where the shockingly brave and betrayed moments disclose the real stakes. Explore the thrilling follow-up to The Naga Warriors as the nameless Naga solves the puzzles.
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Finding A Purpose In Life: 26 People Who Inspired The World
There is a pilgrim soul in all of us, an inner searching that continues throughout our lives For lack of a purpose, millions in despair seek refuge in unbridled consumerism, drugs, alcohol, crime or antisocial behaviour. From times immemorial, man has striven to know his place in this bewildering world, find a direction and pursue a purpose higher than his own advancement. In this book, R.M. Lala addresses these issues through the medium of great lives like Abraham Lincoln, Albert Schweitzer, Emperor Asoka, Vinoba Bhave, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Narayana and Sudha Murthy and others. He highlights the difference between ambition and purpose, career and purpose, and indicates how understanding this lies at the core of understanding oneself. This inspirational and motivational work shows how each of us can find a purpose satisfying to ourselves and meaningful to others.
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IMMORTAL LOVE (Saintly Devotees Of Guruvayur)
Thronged by lakhs of devotees every month, Kerala's Guruvayur temple rose to prominence through the lore surrounding five saintly devotees - Poonthanam Nambootiri, Melputhur Narayana Bhattathiri, Manavedan Raja, Vilwamangalam Swamiyar, and Kururamma - who are still part of the temple legends and devotional folklore of Kerala. All of them, except for Kururamma, the lone woman devotee, have composed exquisite works in Sanskrit and Malayalam. These personages stand tall in the hearts of ordinary devotees through the strength and sweetness of their devotion to Guruvayurappan. This book presents their devotionally rich and inspiring lives bringing them together in a single volume in English for the first time.
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Leaders,Politicians,Citizens
BALASAHEB THACKERAY. SHEILA DIKSHIT. A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM. NAMDEO DHASAL. S. JAIPAL REDDY. These are just some of the 50 dynamos whose lives and times are captured in this collection of profiles of some of the most prominent actors in independent India's political theatre. Game-changers Pranab Mukherjee, P.V. Narasimha Rao and Jyoti Basu; crowd-pulling swashbucklers Sheikh Abdullah and Laldenga; crusaders such as Kanshi Ram and Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani; mavericks Chandraswami, Amar Singh and Ajit Kumar Jogi; charismatic leaders like Madhavrao Scindia and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed; possessors of star power, including Jayalalithaa, Vinod Khanna and M. Karunanidhi; and skilful navigators like Ahmed Patel and V.C. Shukla - all find place in this incontestable list. Traversing ideologies and bringing into focus the human facet of governments, Leaders, Politicians, Citizens presents a compelling history of Indian democracy and provides riveting insights into the evolution of its political culture.
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But You Don't Look Like A Muslim
What does it mean to be Muslim in India?What does it mean to look like one's religion?Does one's faith determine how one is perceived?Is there a secular ideal one is supposed to live up to?Can people of different faiths have a shared culture, a shared identity?India has, since time immemorial, been plural, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-lingual, where various streams have fed into and strengthened each other, and where dissimilarities have always been a cause for rejoicing rather than strife. These writings, on and about being Muslim in India, by Rakhshanda Jalil - one of the country's foremost literary historians and cultural commentators - excavate memories, interrogate dilemmas, and rediscover and celebrate a nation and its syncretic culture. But You Don't Look Like a Muslim is a book that every thinking Indian must read.
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Chequered Past, Uncertain Future The Story Of Pakistan
This vast and important book takes us on a sweeping journey through the ebbs and flows of Pakistan’s history, from the ‘Baluchi village cultures’ preceding the Indus Valley Civilization, to contemporary times. It uncovers influences from Turkey, Persia, Arabia and Britain that shaped Pakistan, as well as showcasing the region’s diverse and rich ancient tapestry of peoples, and its multicultural society. The book also describes the post-1947 shift— following the partition of India, after decades of Muslim nationalism, and the eventual establishment of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan—as the country became more religiously conservative and autocratic, intensifying sectarian and ethnic divisions. The bulk of the book comprises rigorously researched and compellingly narrated chapters on the promise, challenges, successes and failures of the Pakistani state—from the brief period of Jinnah as the supreme leader, and through the tenures of dictators and populists like Ayub Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Zia-ul-Haq, Benazir Bhutto and Imran Khan, to the dubious coalition that assumed power in 2024. As it narrates the history of Pakistan, this book also examines with extraordinary candour and clarity the challenges for democracy in a ‘nation state embedded in religious ideology’ and controlled, for most of its modern history, by a landed feudal elite and a ‘civil-military oligarchy’. Tahir Kamran’s magisterial book tells the story of Pakistan as few other books have ever done.
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Born A Muslim
Winner of Tata Literature Live ! Book of the Year Award- Non-fiction 2021 Winner of Atta Galatta- Bangalore Literature Festival – Book of the Year 2021 (Non-fiction) Who are the Indian Muslims? Are they a monolithic community practising a faith alien to India? Or are they a diverse people, geographically rooted in the cultural ethos of the land? Is there an ?Indian Islam?, a religion that grew out of Arabia but was nurtured in India and influenced by local traditions and customs? Has the power of Islam declined over the centuries because the faithful have forgotten the spirit of the religion, and are sticking to dogma and rigid rules instead? Born a Muslim: Some Truths about Islam in India attempts to answer these questions by taking a hard look at how the world?s second largest religion is practised in the country. The author takes a clear-eyed look at every aspect of Islam in India today. She examines the factors that have stalled the socio-economic and intellectual growth of Indian Muslims and attributes both internal factors?such as a disproportionate reliance on the ulema?as well as external ones that have contributed to the backwardness of the community. She shows at length, and with great empathy and understanding, what it is like to live as a Muslim in India and offers suggestions on how their lot might be improved. Weaving together personal memoir, history, reportage, scholarship, and interviews with a wide variety of people, the author highlights how an apathetic and sometimes hostile government attitude and prejudice at all levels of society have contributed to Muslim vulnerability and insecurity. Born a Muslim goes beyond stereotypes and news headlines to present an extraordinarily compelling and illuminating portrait of one of the largest and most diverse communities in India.
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Anger Management
On 7 August 2019, High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria was expelled from Islamabad, the first time an Indian head of mission had been asked to leave by Pakistan. His expulsion marked yet another low in the troubled relationship between the two neighbours who had been born within a day of each other in 1947. The latest diplomatic row followed the dismantling of Article 370 in the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir, but the hostility had been ratcheting up for a while, with the Pakistani terror attack in Pulwama, followed by the Indian airstrikes on terrorists in Balakot, and the grandstanding Pakistan engaged in over the return of a captured Indian Air Force pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman. This book looks in eye-opening detail at all these incidents that took place while the author was India’s top diplomat in Pakistan, including blunders by Imran Khan, the then Pakistani prime minister, and parleys engaged in by the powerful head of the Pakistani army, General Qamar Bajwa. He also describes his interactions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and key members of the Indian establishment as they dealt with the multiple crises that took place during that time. After providing readers with a gripping account of the events he was witness to, the author goes deep into the conflict and tension that have characterized the connection between the countries. He looks at this fractious history from a unique perspective, that of Indian diplomats who have served in Pakistan from Independence onwards. These were the people responsible for managing the situation on the ground, even as the actions of prime ministers, presidents, and generals made the news headlines. India’s envoys were expected to deal with all manner of occurrences from routine matters to rather more taxing things such as dealing with dictators, engaging in backchannel talks with their counterparts and other Pakistani officials (accounts of which have only recently been declassified) when ties were strained, dodging spies, and even on occasion having to endure verbal and physical abuse from thugs and the Pakistani intelligence services. Equally, for all the stresses they had to endure, the warmth and friendship they received from ordinary Pakistanis made many of them hope that one day the cantankerousness and bloodshed that blighted Indo-Pak ties would be replaced by normalcy, if not enduring bonds of warmth and amity. The stories about what these diplomats were able to do during their time in Pakistan provide the reader with fresh insights into most of the pivotal moments in the relationship—especially Partition, the 1948 Pakistani offensive that was stopped in its tracks by the prompt action of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and the even bigger wars of 1965 (ably handled by Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri), 1971 (in which Prime Minister Indira Gandhi won a resounding victory), and 1999 (where the Pakistani intruders were repulsed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s decisive leadership). The book throws fresh light on terrorism in Kashmir, the skirmishes across the Line of Control, the attacks by Pakistani terrorists in Mumbai, and the assault on the Indian parliament. Further, the book covers the few initiatives that sought to resolve the perennial state of strife and suspicion between the neighbours—the Simla Accord of July 1972, Vajpayee’s historic bus journey to Lahore in 1999, the Agra Summit of 2001, and other short-lived attempts to make new beginnings. Besides his in-depth analysis of history and current events, the author offers a reasoned plan of how India and Pakistan might be able to arrive at a lasting peace. Masterfully blending scholarship, telling revelations, memoir, and history, Anger Management is a remarkable study of the diplomatic engagement between India and Pakistan.
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Zikr In The Light And Shade Of Time
Internationally renowned, Muzaffar Ali has donned many hats in his lifetime. The scion of the princely house of Kotwara, the boy Muzaffar was shaped by the changing post-Partition India. Having studied science at Aligarh University, he started his career in an advertisement agency in Calcutta, worked with the nascent Air India and then ventured on a journey that produced cinematic masterpieces like Umrao Jaan. Along the way, his path collided with many-from Satyajit Ray to Faiz Ahmad Faiz-and he has cultivated many a passion, whether for cars or couture. His autobiography is a peek into this wealth of experience-a close look at Ali, prince, poet, philosopher, film-maker, automobile aficionado and artist. Zikr is also a rich interior portrait of an artist, as Ali takes us behind the scenes of films like Anjuman and Gaman, speaking of the sensibilities that shaped them and the influences on his work. Above all, this is a book that resounds with a deep love for life. Whether you're looking for inspiration, seeking to venture off the beaten track of Bollywood or wishing to bite into a slice of erstwhile Awadhi culture, Zikr has something to offer all.
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Coromandel A Personal History Of South India
COROMANDEL. A name which has been long applied by Europeans to the Northern Tamil Country, or (more comprehensively) to the eastern coast of the Peninsula of India. This is the India highly acclaimed historian Charles Allen visits in this fascinating book. Coromandel journeys south, exploring the less well known, often neglected and very different history and identity of the pre-Aryan Dravidian south. During Allen's exploration of the Indian south he meets local historians, gurus and politicians and with their help uncovers some extraordinary stories about the past. His sweeping narrative takes in the archaeology, religion, linguistics and anthropology of the region - and how these have influenced contemporary politics. Known for his vivid storytelling, for decades Allen has travelled the length and breadth of India, revealing the spirit of the sub-continent through its history and people. In Coromandel, he moves through modern-day India, discovering as much about the present as he does about the past.
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India Is Broken
Through the first half century after independence, India’s leaders could point to uneven but measurable progress. After the mid-1980s, dire poverty declined for a few decades, inspiring declarations of victory. But today, a vast number of Indians struggle in a state of underemployment and are one crisis away from despair. Public goods—education, health, cities, air and water, and the judiciary—are in woeful condition. Policy makers search for easy solutions that further undermine the provision of public goods and job creation. India Is Broken is a history that explains how India landed in this economic catch-22. Mody contends that successive post-independence leaders,starting with Jawaharlal Nehru, failed to confront India’s true economic problems. India’s economic growth relied increasingly on unregulated finance and environmentally destructive construction. Social norms and public accountability decayed, allowing for the rise of a violent Hindutva. Hard-hitting, strongly argued, data-driven, and drawing on vignettes from cinema, this book will make for relatable and sombre reading.