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Not surprisingly, there were a number of books on the assassinated Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto. Even her autobiography, The Daughter of the East, dominated the bookstores for quite some time. But the book that generated debate and interest was Goodbye Shahzadi (Roli) by Shyam Bhatia, her longtime friend. It created quite a furore not only because of some of the claims regarding her personal life but because of the claim that she told the author how she had carried the secrets of nuclear bomb to North Korea in return for the missile technology.
Not unexpectedly, Hillary Clinton too caught the imagination of the world. The Clintons have fans all over the world but since she had mounted her claim to the US presidency, it was important that the voters and the world knew of Her Way (John Murray). There is little doubt that the last word on her has yet not been written. Indian women politicians too were not too far behind in finding space. The BSP supremo Mayawati had challenged the traditional vote bank calculations by what has come to be known as social reengineering and with Uttar Pradesh under her control, she can justifiably dream of becoming the Prime Minister. Penguin Viking’s Behenji by Ajoy Bose is a timely political biography that explains the person and her philosophy.
The world of creativity and music was brought closer to the readers through three remarkable books. At one end was Zubin Mehta — The Score of My Life (Roli Books) as told to Renate Grafin Matuschka and translated from German by Anu Pande and at the other, Ten Years with Guru Dutt — Abrar Alvi’s Journey (Penguin) by Sathya Saran. Many know about Zubin Mehta and want to know more; Sathya Saran brings the story of a director and his talented but unsung writer who remained with Dutt till his end. But in this genre, the prize goes to Stellar Publishers’ Ae Mohabbat — Reminiscing Begum Akhtar. Rita Ganguly, the worthy disciple of the late singer, not only succeeds in recreating the era that has gone by but also educates the readers in social and musical history and nuances. A remarkable book, indeed!
For many Indians, if Dhirubhai Ambani was the man who gave confidence to the middle class, then Lakshmi Mittal is the person who has reversed the age-old process of the Western domination of India and ushered in a new era. Cold Steel (Little, Brown) by Tim Bouquet and Byron Ousey is the story of an Indian and his successful battle for a billion-dollar global empire. Similarly, Born to Dare — The Life of Lt Gen Inderjit Singh Gill PVSM, MC (Penguin-Viking) by S. Muthiah is an inspiring account of a soldier who not only possessed physical courage in abundance but who could also create thinking officers and gentlemen.
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AS the year comes to an
end and one recalls the biographical books that made an impact, one
cannot miss the contrast between L. K. Advani’s My Country, My Life
(Rupa & Co) and Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope (Canongate).
The comparison is all the more ironical when it is noticed that youthful
Barack Obama’s views mentioned in the book — first published in 2006
when his ardent supporters, too, did not give him much of a chance —
are shared by Advani who is twice his age. Moreover, while The
Audacity of Hope deals with the vexing issues of the times and
offers humane and sensible solutions to establish his leadership
credentials, Advani seems to be summing up his public life rather than
kindling hope for the future.
Much more meaningful was
the book Reconciliation by Benazir Bhutto (Pocket Books), which
was completed just before her assassination. It deals with the problems
that afflict contemporary Pakistan, Islam and democracy. One can only
speculate how she would have actually confronted these challenges if she
had been alive!
Of lesser significance is
the autobiography, again from the house of Penguin-Viking, An
Outsider in Politics, by Krishna Bose. A member of the legendry Bose
family of Bengal, she has been a Member of Parliament for long but more
than her account and analysis of contemporary politics is her appraisal
of the social and intellectual life of Bengal.
Those interested in the
characters who have left imprint in time have always found the life of
the last Sikh ruler Duleep Singh, a poignant symbol of what was lost and
could have been. The Exile — A Novel Based on the Life of Maharaja
Duleep Singh (Penguin-Viking) by Navtej Singh caters to that
craving. Similarly, those interested in the colonial India found Kipling
Sahib and the Making of Rudyard Kipling (Abacus), by Charles Allen,
of considerable interest.