Icons: Men and Women who Shaped Today's India

Icons: Men and Women who Shaped Today's India PDF Author: Anil Dharker
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
ISBN: 8174369449
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 238

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Book Description
Sixty glorious years of independence of India mark several milestones and immense contributions from great men and women who have become part of its history. For the first time ever, this book showcases post-Independent India's twenty greatest living personalities who have and continue to set extraordinary examples for the nation. Brilliantly orchestrated and edited by renowned author Anil Dharker, the book singularly establishes the unparalleled greatness and iconic status of these men and women, including A P J Abdul Kalam, Amartya Sen, Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, M F Husain, Charles Correa and Sonia Gandhi, by some of India's best known writers - Srinivas Laxman, Prem Shankar Jha, Maithili Rao, Dom Moraes, Ranjit Hoskote, and Kumar Ketkar, among others. A fascinating saga spanning several decades, this book unfolds the charisma, exceptional destinies, talents and achievements of twenty men and women who continue to shape today's India. 'The previous evening while he (K C Pant, former defence minister) and Dr Kalam were going for a walk, the minister asked him: "What would you like me to do to celebrate the success of Agni tomorrow?" Replied Kalam, "We need 100,000 saplings at the missile research centre." Srinivas Laxman on A P J Abdul Kalam'

Icons: Men and Women who Shaped Today's India

Icons: Men and Women who Shaped Today's India PDF Author: Anil Dharker
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
ISBN: 8174369449
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 238

Get Book Here

Book Description
Sixty glorious years of independence of India mark several milestones and immense contributions from great men and women who have become part of its history. For the first time ever, this book showcases post-Independent India's twenty greatest living personalities who have and continue to set extraordinary examples for the nation. Brilliantly orchestrated and edited by renowned author Anil Dharker, the book singularly establishes the unparalleled greatness and iconic status of these men and women, including A P J Abdul Kalam, Amartya Sen, Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, M F Husain, Charles Correa and Sonia Gandhi, by some of India's best known writers - Srinivas Laxman, Prem Shankar Jha, Maithili Rao, Dom Moraes, Ranjit Hoskote, and Kumar Ketkar, among others. A fascinating saga spanning several decades, this book unfolds the charisma, exceptional destinies, talents and achievements of twenty men and women who continue to shape today's India. 'The previous evening while he (K C Pant, former defence minister) and Dr Kalam were going for a walk, the minister asked him: "What would you like me to do to celebrate the success of Agni tomorrow?" Replied Kalam, "We need 100,000 saplings at the missile research centre." Srinivas Laxman on A P J Abdul Kalam'

Going Native

Going Native PDF Author: Thomas Weber
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
ISBN: 8174369929
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 298

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Book Description
Gandhi’s relationship with women has proved irresistibly fascinating to many, but it is surprising how little scholarly work has been undertaken on his attitudes to and relationships with women. Going Native details Gandhi’s relationship with Western women, including those who inspired him, worked with him, supported him in his political activities in South Africa, or helped shape his international image. Of particular note are those women who ‘went native’ to live with Gandhi as close friends and disciples, those who were drawn to him because of a shared interest in celibacy, those who came seeking a spiritual master, or came because of mental confusion. Some joined him because they were fixated on his person rather than because of an interest in his social programme. Through these fascinating women, we get a different insight into Gandhi, who encouraged them to come and then was often captivated, and at times exasperated, by them.

Baji Rao: The Warrior Peshwa

Baji Rao: The Warrior Peshwa PDF Author: Jaiwant E Paul
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
ISBN: 9351941205
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 170

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Book Description
E. Jaiwant Paul is a man of varied interests, having authored eight other books, including Rani of Jhansi, The Story of Tea,The Unforgettable Maharajas, Har Dayal: The Great Revolutionary (co-author Shubh Paul), Arms and Armour: Traditional Weapons of India, Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan and The Greased Cartridge. He is on the expert panel on weapons for several museums of Rajasthan. A hardcore corporate, he initially worked for Hindustan Unilever and was later Director of Brooke Bond, India. Thereafter he headed the National Mineral Water Company in Muscat, Oman. A keen cricketer and tennis player, he now lives in Delhi.

Ramakant Achrekar: Master Blaster's Master

Ramakant Achrekar: Master Blaster's Master PDF Author: Kunal Purandare
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
ISBN: 9351941930
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 207

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Book Description
One of the greatest cricket coaches in the world, Ramakant Achrekar dedicated his entire life training champions. This book narrates his inspiring life story along with rare tales that highlight his immense contribution to the game. This biography of the legend includes interviews/inputs by various players Achrekar has trained through the years.

Best Stories from Indian Classics

Best Stories from Indian Classics PDF Author: V.S. Naravane
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
ISBN: 8174368973
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
In this selection of stories from the classics of Sanskrit fiction, Professor Naravane offers fascinating glimpses of life in ancient India. Retold in modern English and presented in a lively, fluent style, those stories are marked by an amazing diversity of atmosphere, situation, attitudes and characterization. They reveal the centuries, and convey the unique, distinctive flavour of Indian life and culture.

The Koh-i-noor Diamond

The Koh-i-noor Diamond PDF Author: Iradj Amini
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
ISBN: 9351940357
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description
A courtesan had told Nadir Shah that the priceless diamond hidden in Mohammed Shah's turban. Citing an ancient tradition, the victor demanded an exchange of headgear. At last the diamond was his. Or was it? Hastily he undud the folds... Wonderstruck at the gem's size, brilliance and beauty, he exclaimed, 'Koh-i-noor'! 1739: the gem now had a name. One fabulous diamond whose value could feed the entire world for two-and-a-half days. Four race: Indian, Afghan, Persian and English, whose destinies were inextrcably involved with this gem. A Persian oilman's son who went on to virtually rule Golconda and its vast diamond mines. A Mughal prince, hated by history, who was sinned against as much as sinning. Only an Indian or Persian couild tell this great story with all its nuances.

Parul: A Love Story

Parul: A Love Story PDF Author: Harsha V. Dehejia
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
ISBN: 9351940306
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description
Praful is a Professor, a dyed-in-the-wool academic who is shaped by the life-denying philosophy of Shankara’s Advaita Vedanta. Parul, on the other hand, is a sensual, earthy woman who believes in the veracity of love and the reality of the many beautiful things that life offers. A chance meeting between the two leads not only to a romantic relationship spread over eleven purnimas, but becomes a dialogue between two philosophical systems, the Advaita of Shankara and the Madhurya of the Bhagvata Purana. As romantic moments between the two unfold, intellectuality interacts with sensuality, questioning the validity of each, and as Chaitra moves to Magh, a transformation takes place. As Harsha Dehejia weaves this romantic story, where meetings by the Parijataka and conversations underneath the Champa, are not only moments of shringara but introspections on the meaning of life, we hear and feel the sensuality of love as it merges seamlessly with the intellectuality of a philosophic discourse. In this heart-throbbing romantic relationship, there is the spiritual quest of ultimate reality along with the pleasures of the sound of the wind and the song of a bird. Metaphysical thoughts and tender feelings, evocative colours and resonant sounds, intoxicating aromas and patterned textures, myths and metaphors, intermingle in the hushed conversations of two people in love.

Shadows Across the Playing Field

Shadows Across the Playing Field PDF Author: Shashi Tharoor
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
ISBN: 817436949X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 148

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Book Description
Shadows across the Playing Field tells the story of the turbulent cricketing relations between India and Pakistan through the eyes of two men - Shashi Tharoor and Shaharyar Khan - who bring to the task not only great love for the game, but also deep knowledge of subcontinental politics and diplomacy. Shashi Tharoor, a former UN under-secretary-general and man of letters, is a passionate outsider, whose comprehensive, entertaining and hard-hitting analysis of sixty years of cricketing history displays a Nehruvian commitment to secular values, which rejects sectarianism in sports in either country. Shaharyar Khan, a former Pakistan foreign secretary, is very much the insider, who writes compellingly of his pivotal role as team manager and then chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board at a time when cricket was in the forefront of detente between the two countries. In their essays, the two authors trace the growing popularization of cricket from the days of the Bombay Pentangular to the Indian Premier League. They show how politics and cricket became intertwined and assess the impact it has had on the game. But above all, their book is a celebration of the talent of the many great cricketers who have captivated audiences on both sides of the border. If politics and terrorism can at times stop play, the authors believe that cricket is also a force for peace and they look forward to more normal times and more healthy competition.

Prism Me a Lie Tell Me A Truth: Tehelka as Metaphor

Prism Me a Lie Tell Me A Truth: Tehelka as Metaphor PDF Author: Madhu Trehan
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
ISBN: 8174369503
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 487

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Book Description
In March 2001, the website Tehelka broke Operation West End, the biggest undercover news story in Indian journalism. Using spycams and masquerading as arms dealers, Tehelka's reporters infiltrated the Indian government, bribed army officers, gave money to the president of the ruling party and the defence minister's close colleague right in the defence minister's residence. This eventually forced both the ministers'resignations. In a rigorously researched and searing authentic account of the Tehelka expose and its aftermath, Madhu Trehan does a forensic study of the imperatives at the root of it, the characters and heroes and villains of the story, and of how the system got back: by obfuscating, by attempting to destroy the investors without leaving any footprints. In the style of Rashomon, the story is related by numerous participants of the same incidents and, of course, none of the stories tally. With exhaustive personal interviews, this is a must-read for anybody who wants to understand modern India - or even better, modern international journalism.

An Odyssey In War And Peace

An Odyssey In War And Peace PDF Author: Lt. Gen J.F.R. Jacob
Publisher: Roli Books Private Limited
ISBN: 8174369333
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 194

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Book Description
Jews who have made India their home have flourished without adverse discrimination. Of this, the Baghdadi Sephardic community is very small in number but has produced one of India's greatest contemporary soldiers, Lt Gen. Jack Jacob. This is his fascinating story. As a small boy, Jacob, who was from a business family, was sent to a residential public school in Darjeeling along with his two brothers. When the Second World War broke out, Jacob without informing his family joined the army in 1941 to fight against the Nazis! After Independence, Gen. Jacob became a gunnery instructor for some time and subsequently was trained in an advanced Artillery and Missile course at Fort Sill in the US. A quick learner, he commanded infantry and artillery brigades, headed the artillery school, and finally the Eastern Army. Rubbing shoulders with some of the stalwarts who strode the Indian political and military arena in those times, Gen. Jacob sometimes fell foul of his bosses and twice came close to resigning. But he stuck on and the pinnacle of his career came in 1971, when he planned and oversaw operations leading to the fall of Dacca and obtained an unconditional public surrender, the only one in history, of Gen. Niazi and his army of 93,000. Written lucidly, this autobiography comes to life as a historical document recapitulating some of the most important events of the 1960s to the 90s - from the defeat of the Naxalites in West Bengal, to the problems of Nagaland and Sikkim and the politics of Goa and Punjab. This is not only the story of the life of one great soldier, but provides glimpses of some of the most influential and colourful personalities who wrote the history of those tumultuous times.