Top 5 Books by Khushwant Singh that Everyone Should Read

One of India’s best-loved columnists and writers, Khushwant Singh (1915-2014) was the author of several novels and the founder-editor of Yojana, and editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India, Hindustan Times and National Herald. In 2007, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan.

Khushwant Singh has written a lot of books on social and political issues in India. With the tremendous richness of characters and in-depth study of the topic, all of his books are very engaging and will keep you hooked!

Below are the top 5 must-read books by Khushwant Singh:

Malicious Gossip 

An unputdownable volume that spans Khushwant Singh’s long, chequered career, in which he reminisces about the people he met, befriended, and fell out with. It also includes fascinating, insightful pieces on the many places the author travelled.Characteristically ‘no-holds-barred’, each profile reveals intimate titbits about the personalities and allows us to discover unknown aspects of India and the world.

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Best Indian Short Stories

Khushwant Singh, the country’s foremost literary figure, serves up another volume of the finest fiction from across India. ‘A good read . . . engaging . . . The names live up to their reputation.’ – India Today ‘Tremendous richness of characters on display.’ – Deccan Herald ‘Offers much . . . to the discriminating reader.’ – Deccan Chronicle ‘An eminently readable book . . . The range of geographical areas and social backgrounds that this selection represents are truly vast.’ – The Tribune

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The Sikhs

In this classic, Khushwant Singh presents a concise history of the followers of one of the world’s youngest religions. Beginning with the life and times of the founder, Guru Nanak (1469-1539), he moves on to describe the vital contribution made by the following nine gurus in shaping and developing the Sikh religion; and the significance of the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, and its centrality to the religion. He examines the setting up of the Singh Sabha and the accompanying social reform, the impact of the Ghadr rebellion and the Akali agitation for control of various Sikh shrines. The new Afterword by his son, journalist Rahul Singh, brings the story of the Sikhs up to date. Authoritative yet accessible, this is one of the most concise and readable accounts of the Sikhs and their faith.

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Delhi Through the Seasons

This is the diary of a nature lover, patterned after the traditional Baramasi of Indian poets. It tells us of the trees, flowers, fruits, birds, snakes, insects and animals that are found in Delhi and its surroundings through the twelve months of the year. It also mentions the many fairs and festivals that are celebrated in the country; the story of clouds and what their shapes and movements mean; why hailstorms come in spring and early summer and not in winter; how birds communicate with each other and why their calls vary with the seasons.

Woven into the text are poems by Kalidasa, Guru Nanak, Meer Taqi Meer, Mirza Ghalib, Akbar Allahabadi, Rabindranath Tagore, Rudyard Kipling and many others. Delhi through the Seasons marks Khushwant Singh’s classic collaboration with Suddhasattwa Basu, one of India’s finest painters of natural phenomena. This collector’s edition is a rare treasure.

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Godmen and Godwomen of India

In this vibrant volume, Khushwant, in his inimitable style, tackles all issues related to religion, faith, blind faith, new cults, and new movements in other words, he charges like a raging bull to attack the epidemic of gods and godmen that has swept the nation in recent years. Khushwant Singh quotes liberally and with perfect ease from the Adi Granth, Adi Shankaracharya, Upanishads, Koran and other holy books to buttress his arguments.

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