Subhas Chandra Bose was perhaps the most enigmatic of the great Indian leaders fighting for independence in the twentieth century. This wonderful book makes a major contribution to the understanding of the political, social and moral commitments of Netaji, the great leader, as he was called by his contemporaries. -- Amartya Sen, author of The Idea of Justice Larger than life, more profoundly intriguing than the myths that surround him, Subhas Chandra Bose was India's greatest 'lost' leader. In a remarkable narrative that pairs political passion with historical precision, Sugata Bose has beautifully explored the character and charisma of the man, while providing an elegant and incisive account of one of the most important phases of the struggle for Indian independence. -- Homi K. Bhabha, author of The Location of Culture This is a definitive biography of Subhas Chandra Bose, written by the person most qualified to do so. It is an epic tale, told in an epic manner. -- Dr. Tim Harper, author of Forgotten Wars: Freedom and Revolution in Southeast Asia This remarkable book places Subhas Chandra Bose fully in the context of Indian and world history. It should be read by everyone interested in the end of the British Empire. -- Arjun Appadurai, New York University
Sugata Bose is Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs at Harvard University. He is the author of His Majesty’s Opponent: Subhas Chandra Bose and India’s Struggle against Empire and A Hundred Horizons: The Indian Ocean in the Age of Global Empire.
Subhas Chandra Bose was perhaps the most enigmatic of the great
Indian leaders fighting for independence in the twentieth century.
This wonderful book makes a major contribution to the understanding
of the political, social and moral commitments of Netaji, the great
leader, as he was called by his contemporaries.
*Amartya Sen, author of The Idea of Justice*
Larger than life, more profoundly intriguing than the myths that
surround him, Subhas Chandra Bose was India's greatest 'lost'
leader. In a remarkable narrative that pairs political passion with
historical precision, Sugata Bose has beautifully explored the
character and charisma of the man, while providing an elegant and
incisive account of one of the most important phases of the
struggle for Indian independence.
*Homi K. Bhabha, author of The Location of Culture*
This is a definitive biography of Subhas Chandra Bose, written by
the person most qualified to do so. It is an epic tale, told in an
epic manner.
*Dr. Tim Harper, author of Forgotten Wars: Freedom and
Revolution in Southeast Asia*
This remarkable book places Subhas Chandra Bose fully in the
context of Indian and world history. It should be read by everyone
interested in the end of the British Empire.
*Arjun Appadurai, New York University*
[A] lucid and meticulous new biography.
*Bookforum*
Those wishing to learn about the life and times of Netaji will
finish the book with their curiosity deeply satisfied.
*The Australian*
Here is a biography of one of the most intriguing and powerful men
in 20th century India, Subhas Chandra Bose, written with energy and
without sacrificing the historical details...In parts the book
reads like a thriller, especially when dealing with Netaji's daring
escapes from British clutches. There is a spirited account of a
secret submarine escape, and riveting material on Netaji's complex
political strategies. But above everything else, the book offers an
intimate portrait of Netaji not only as a revolutionary leader but
also a loving husband, a man of letters, and an untiring believer
in communal amity.
*Rediff.com*
[Bose] presents an admirably restrained account of this flawed
patriot. Making good use of the family archives, he reaches out to
the widest possible audience with a compelling narrative that
sacrifices none of its author's academic credentials.
*Literary Review*
Bose, grand nephew of Subhas Chandra, known as Netaji (respected
leader), has written an enthralling account of Netaji's life,
detailing his lifelong struggle against British rule (he was
imprisoned without a trial at a young age), exile in Europe, and
political successes...This biography of a nationalist leader of the
same stature as Mohandas Gandhi should be read...by all who seek a
complete picture of India's freedom struggle.
*Library Journal*
[A] magisterial biography...[Bose] does a splendid job...Bose
etches a vivid portrait of Netaji as a protean nationalist of
fierce integrity and conviction...[He] displays considerable acuity
in examining the icon's complex love-hate relationship with
Gandhi.
*livemint.com*
[This] new biography of Indian nationalist hero Subhas Chandra Bose
could help resuscitate the leader's troubled reputation outside of
India...His Majesty's Opponent aims to be the definitive biography
of a man who, as the author writes, devoted "his life to ensuring
the sun did finally set on the British Empire." ...Bose's life is
an action-packed thriller tailor-made for biographical
treatment.
*Wall Street Journal blog*
This competent biography by Bose's great-nephew, a historian, is
the best work to date to clarify some of his paradoxes. With
unpublished material from family archives and public records,
Sugata Bose supplies a fuller back-story of Netaji's predicaments.
The book has illuminated my understanding of a controversial and
charismatic Indian militarist who remains inspirational to many in
India, despite his questionable status in the global politics of
the period.
*The Independent*
This book is very fascinating--not just for those who love history
and politics, but for anyone who loves to read an illustrious story
about a famous person.
*Indian American*
Sugata Bose's book has filled a long-standing gap for an authentic
biography of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
*The Statesman*
[Bose's] impeccable scholarship is in full view, as indeed is his
awed regard for his grand-uncle. The result is a fine biography of
a man who is still regarded with some ambivalence in India, not the
least because so little is known about him. This book ought to fill
that gap.
*Business Line*
It is not easy to be objective about a national icon like Subhas
Bose, especially when he happens to be the grand-uncle of the
biographer. But Sugata Bose has achieved that critical
distance...This biography reveals a lot more about Subhas Bose's
intimate life than did the stuffy portrayals in some earlier
accounts.
*Biblio*
[A] fine, nuanced book...His Majesty's Opponent is a template
biography. It is arrestingly written, provides personal details the
author is obviously privy to--being the son of Netaji's favorite
nephew, Sisir. It is sympathetic but dispassionate and evokes in
the reader just the right mix of emotion and regret that Bose's
brilliant but truncated life deserves.
*Hindustan Times*
What, I believe, is and will remain the definitive biography of
Subhas Bose...In terms of sheer craftsmanship and mastery over
material, this is an achievement that will evoke the admiration and
envy of any historian-biographer.
*The Telegraph*
Sugata Bose (Subhas's great-nephew) has produced a full-scale
biography of this interesting figure, filling in details on his
ideas, the quarrel with Gandhi that pushed him out of mainstream
Indian politics, and his quest for German support.
*Choice*
His Majesty's Opponent offers a multifaceted portrait of Subhas
Chandra Bose. It presents a captivating account of the life of an
intellectual and a cosmopolitan, a revolutionary and a misled
nationalist.
*Times Literary Supplement*
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