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MC Davar worked relentlessly to avoid Partition. When that couldn’t be achieved and the nation was torn into two, he devoted himself to the cause of the Partition refugees and peace. Drawing upon his interviews and anecdotes narrated by his friends and colleagues, his son Praveen Davar pieces together the story of a nation in turmoil and the men who toiled to make it a better place for all.

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It was Arup Ratan Basu’s first posting as an Army surgeon. Kargil was in a localised warlike operation, but in no time, the issue escalated and a full-blown offensive was launched by India. Between May 19 and July 24, 1999, as the sole Army surgeon at the field hospital in Kargil, he ended up performing 250 surgeries. He noted down the day’s happenings in a diary, which forms the basis of this book.

Tasked not just with grooming young boys for the armed forces but moulding them into leaders and next-generation officers, Punjab’s Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute in Mohali is often termed a ‘mini-NDA’. With more than 140 commissioned officers, it has proven its mettle as a cradle of defence excellence. While seemingly a memoir, this book captures not just the honour and determination of the institute’s cadets, but also the memories and bonds that define their journey.