Freedom at Midnight

This book is a fascinating and deeply moving account of one of the seminal events in world history, the emergence of India and Pakistan as sovereign nations. Collins and LaPierre, in their infinitely researched, nuanced account of the independence of the Indian subcontinent, relate their story in prose that approaches the lyrical rhythm of poetry. Some may take issue with the point of view of the account, insisting that it is written primarily from the British line of sight, but regardless of any bias, it so beautifully and successfully relates the stories of those in the highest seats of power and the impact of their often wrenching decisions on the common person. I have always held that in order for history to teach us, it must be delivered in a form that seduces us into understanding it. By developing the characters whom most of us already know - Gandhi, Nehru, Mountbatten, Jinnah, Churchill - we find ourselves in the venues of the account as quiet observers as the die is cast to deliver India to its destiny. The book underscores the power of language, with excerpts from the inimitable speeches delivered extemporaneously by Nehru, in quick succession, upon the birth of the nation, and ultimately the death of its father. It is also a cautionary tale for the present, by showing so clearly how false distinctions between people, riven by such things as religion, wealth, and power, can so readily cause diverse communities living in harmony for centuries to shatter the peacefulness of their coexistence and turn on each other in abhorrent communal violence at a moment's notice, leaving us stunned and questioning our humanity. Perhaps this understanding can encourage us not to repeat this insanity. A marvelous book - highly recommended.

I am not sure How to review this book. About the Book ***** (5 Star) Kindle Edition 0 (Worst) About the Book. Book can be summed up in one sentence - "Every Indian Must Read It Once" The Story of India during the transfer of power from British, Division, Riot and the sacrifice of the greatest human being that lived and died. Detailed. Authentic with master writing. About Kindle Edition This is the worst of Kindle edition I have read and Paid for. Too many spelling mistake but some of the biggest problems. 1. Words are split and wrong point. Useless spaces make it difficult to read. something like: T hi sis w ha ty ou may g etwhen re adin g fr eedo mat mid ni gh t. 2. Drop Case Problem. The first letter of chapter appears on a different line than the rest of the words. 3. Annotations and Footnote. I don't understand why annotation and footnote are not written as annotation and footnote as per ebook standard. Its written just as plain text and because the page size is not fix foot note beocmes annoying. Please update it

Great book, but the kindle version is riddled with spelling and formatting errors that I found distracting and even sometimes confusing.

When it comes to writing about the Independence of India and the partitioning of the country that happened with it, it is hard to find a neutral source of information. Luckily 'Freedom at Midnight' is one such source. Unfortunately, with neutrality comes the perspective of someone outside looking in, which is also what happens in this book. That being said, this book is a MUST read for all fans of history and people interested in understanding Pakistan-India dynamics and the culture of the sub-continent. The one issue I have with the book is the glorification of the role that Mountbatten and Gandhi played in the aforementioned events. There is in some sense, a simplification of their actions and intent. The reality (at least as perceived by citizens of the two countries) is much more complicated. Gandhi's own auto-biography is more revealing, nuanced and provides a better insight into the thoughts (many naive or unsavory) of India's great leader. The final aspect, which should make this a fun read for everyone (including people who are not fans of history) is the colorful and detailed description of the (often futile and vain) life of Indian nobility. If you ever wondered what (unimaginably crazy) life the Indian princes enjoyed, make sure you read the book.

i read this book when i was 18 as part of supplementary reading for my high school special paper on contemporary indian history (i am not indian and studied indian history purely as personal interest). unlike my indian history text books, Freedom at Midnight was easy to read and so much more interesting. The writers adopted a story telling style such that readers can appreciate the story without the academic jargon. even if you have no interest in history, i highly recommend this book as the story is engaging and complex. on a sidebar. i found it so sad that, india, pakistan and bangladesh were all one country, all brothers and sisters. however, as events unfolded, india and pakistan became sworn enemies as if two blood brothers became strangers focused on annihilating the other. even as a non indian (non pakistan), i feel the sadness. i hope these two peoples would eventually find the reconciliation to become friends if not brothers/sisters again.....

I read this book a decade or so ago, but it has been coming back to my mind recently -- apparently simply because it made such an impact and I now have a medium (Amazon) in which to express my appreciation of it. It is an impressive book in every way: an epic story, with gripping narrative, about extraordinary events and characters. I had had no conception of the monstrous tragedy of the partition of India from Pakistan. This book not only describes its true dimensions, but also makes clear how circumstances can force such absurd things to occur. Much of the book is a biography of Gandhi, and here I could only marvel at the power and authority of this man, and -- on top of everything else -- be riveted by the assassination story in all its detail that I had not known about. Whether there are more accurate accounts of these matters, I am not in a position to say. I can only report that I found this book completely satisfying in multiple respects: as history, as biography, as narrative. At least for a non-expert I can't imagine how it could disappoint as a book, however distressing (and, alas also, timely) its subject matter may be.

Collins and Lapierre's "Freedom At Midnight" is the classic history of the 1947 Partition of India into India and Pakistan, the plight of its refugees, the plotting of, and the fact of Gandhi's 1948 assassination. The storyline is chronological, non judgmental, heroic in parts, bordering as fictive; the descriptive detail can exhaust. To deny its accuracy makes little sense as the history is so compelling, engraved, and sad. Their sources are clearly based on the Mountbatten archives, so any criticism of the monumental decision making on the geographical lines for the Partition is muted. The Kindle format can be trying at times; photographs are few and there is only one map. Online searches can bring up most of the famous images and maps of this historic event.

As for the vendor and book quality, the book arrived in time and better quality than claimed. Very pleased will look for this seller when buying books. As for the books content, this is my favorite book of all time. Had a copy which I lent to someone and never got it back. Now replaced it with a better personal hard cover copy. This book is must read for anyone who is interested in modern Indian history. Provides the context for Pakistan’s creation and root causes for Bangladesh independence. Readers will enjoy the first hand account of Kashmir’s annexation to india and escapades of various maharajas in British India. One word. Buy it.