Here are seven books on history and politics that our host of the month thinks you should read!
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
When I was suddenly seized by the writing impulse amidst my corporate career, this was the book that took my hand and taught me so much. A beautiful meditation on the nature of art, what it means to be a writer, and how to bring one’s authentic self to what is a calling, not a career.
Maus by Art Spiegelman
A powerful graphic novel that uses the device of animals as people to reconstruct the story of the lives of his parents, survivors of the Jewish holocaust. The personal and the political come together in riveting form. A must read for anyone seeking to understand historical trauma.
Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh
A book that taught me how to use the English language to wrestle with the Punjabi milieu and bring the story of Partition alive on page. Rooted in the soil of Punjab, this dramatic narrative is harrowing, yet shot through with love.
Stern Reckoning by G.D. Khosla
Justice Khosla wrote this book in the immediate aftermath of Partition and documents in great detail the violence that erupted, casualty figures, and political occurrences. A first-hand and first-rate scholarly account.
The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru
This book made me fall in love with my country. Written by Pandit Nehru during his jail term in Ahmednagar Fort, without the aid of google or research material, this is a homage to the idea of India/Bharat/Hindustan.
Raiders in Kashmir by Akbar Khan
This is a memoir of the Kabaili invasion of Kashmir written by the soldier who spearheaded the effort that was planned in Lahore by senior Pakistani officials. Riveting.
The Wager by David Grann
A powerful retelling of a shipwreck that steers clear of tropes. Naval explorations were at the heart of empire-building and Grann lays open the racism and greed at the heart of this enterprise. A masterclass in narrative non-fiction writing.
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