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

Description

An extraordinary story of romance, history, and divided loyalties--set against the backdrop of one of the most dramatic events of the twentieth centuryThe stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, liberated 400 million people from the British Empire. With the loss of India, its greatest colony, Britain ceased to be a superpower, and its king ceased to sign himself Rex Imperator. This defining moment of world history had been brought about by a handful of people. Among them were Jawaharlal Nehru, the fiery Indian prime minister; Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the leader of the new Islamic Republic of Pakistan; Mohandas Gandhi, the mystical figure who enthralled a nation; and Louis and Edwina Mountbatten, the glamorous but unlikely couple who had been dispatched to get Britain out of India. Within hours of the midnight chimes, their dreams of freedom and democracy would turn to chaos, bloodshed, and war. Behind the scenes, a secret personal drama was also unfolding, as Edwina Mountbatten and Jawaharlal Nehru began a passionate love affair. Their romance developed alongside Cold War conspiracies, the beginning of a terrible conflict in Kashmir, and an epic sweep of events that saw one million people killed and ten million dispossessed. Steeped in the private papers and reflections of the participants, Indian Summer reveals, in vivid, exhilarating detail, how the actions of a few extraordinary people changed the lives of millions and determined the fate of nations.;A tryst with destiny -- Part 1: Empire. In their gratitude our best reward ; Mohan and Jawahar ; Civis britannicus sum ; Dreaming of the east ; Private lives ; We want no Caesars ; Power without responsibility ; A new theater ; Now or never -- Part 2: The end. Operation madhouse ; A barrel of gunpowder ; Lightning speed is much too slow ; A full basket of apples ; A rainbow in the sky -- Part 3: The beginning. Paradise on earth ; The battle for Delhi ; Kashmir ; Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow -- Part 4: Afterward. A kiss good-bye ; Echoes -- A note on names -- Glossary.