India's War: The Making of Modern South Asia, 1939-1945

A ground-breaking history of India's central role in the Second World War Between 1939 and 1945 India changed to an extraordinary extent. Millions of Indians suddenly found themselves as soldiers, fighting in Europe and North Africa but also - something simply never imagined - against a Japanese army threatening to invade eastern India. Many more were pulled into the vortex of wartime mobilization. Srinath Raghavan's compelling and original book gives both a surprising new account of the fighting and of life on the home front. For Indian nationalists the war has tended to be seen as a distraction from the quest for national independence - but Raghavan shows that in fact the war lay at the very heart of how and why colonial rule ended in South Asia. By seeing the Second World War through Indian eyes, Raghavan transforms our understanding of the conflict - with famous battles such as those in North Africa and Iraq reinterpreted, as well as fascinating and little known campaigns such as the destruction of Italian northeast Africa. Time and again, it was Indian troops that made Britain into a global power and, as the war came to an end, it was the Indian army that fought the final battles which marked the end both of Japan's empire, and of the Britain's.

About the Author :
Srinath Raghavan is professor of international relations and history at Ashoka University. He is the author of several books, including The Most Dangerous Place- A History of the United States in South Asia (Penguin Random House India, 2018).

Review :
Authoritative, expansive and incisive...helps restore India to the global 20th century Absorbing and important...rational and detailed An important story...Raghavan's splendid history is a reminder not just of India's historic contribution to the defeat of fascism, but also its geopolitical potential throughout the Indo-Pacific. Raghavan's study fulfils his mission in presenting readers with intertwined narratives of military campaigns, international strategies, and the rise of the freedom struggle that was to determine the future of the subcontinent. Contains...enormous scope and a great depth of detail. A highly readable account of one of the more complex - and ignored - phase of World War II, one that even briefly threatened the U.S.-British alliance. Raghavan excels in explaining exactly what went on behind the lines...his narrative of the military campaigns is ample reward. Exemplary and enthralling.