Backflap: Nehru’s Bandung

Nehru’s Bandung

by Andrea Benvenuti.

Speaking Tiger. Pages 384. Rs 750

Drawing on Indian, western and Chinese archival sources, ‘Nehru’s Bandung’ sheds light on a neglected aspect of India’s Cold War diplomacy. It starts with the role of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his Congress government in organising the first Asian-African Conference in Bandung (Indonesia) in 1955. Prime Minister Nehru seized the opportunity accorded by the conference to transcend growing international tensions and pursue an alternative vision — a neutralised Asian ‘area of peace’.

Jahanara: A Novel

by Sukumaran. Translated by Kalaivani Karunakaran.

Westland. Pages 191. Rs 399

Jahanara was the most powerful of Mughal princesses, but little is known about her. In this work of history interwoven with fiction, Tamil poet Sukumaran takes the readers through her life. It draws on her secret diaries written in Persian. The most erudite of Mughal princesses, she advised her father Shah Jahan on state affairs. However, hers was also a life of great emotional turmoil. In love with the Rajput king Chattar Sal, she led a life of constant isolation.

A Drop in the Ocean

by Syeda Saiyidain Hameed.

Speaking Tiger. Pages 288. Rs 599

This is a sensitive, deeply human and intimate record of the life of Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, a writer, women’s rights activist and educationist. She has translated and edited four volumes of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s works, and translations of Hali, Ghalib, Faiz and Sarmad Shaheed. Syeda writes of many such encounters that gave meaning to her life, and of some extraordinary people who shaped it, including her parents, her uncle, cinema legend KA Abbas, Indira Gandhi, with whom she briefly worked, and her mentor Khushwant Singh.

The Lion, the Admiral and a Cat Called B Uma Vijaylakshmi

V Raghunathan.

Westland. Pages 251. Rs 499

Academic, author and corporate leader, V Raghunathan has worn many hats. This book is an account of his career and life in the changing landscape of India from the 1970s onwards. This book is about viewing each life situation as a lesson, and offers insights into management, resilience and innovative problem-solving. Raghunathan’s sharp wit and constantly curious intelligence shines as a beacon of hope and cheer in an often-difficult world.

Let’s Be Best Friends Forever

by Jerry Pinto.

Speaking Tiger. Pages 299. Rs 399

With stories from beloved and popular authors, this collection celebrates the universal power and beauty of friendship. There is the classic story of ‘The Kabuliwala’; Jo March and Laurie from ‘Little Women’ meet at a dull party; Jesse Owens narrates an inspiring tale of sportsmanship and solidarity from his Olympic days; and 12-year-old Kamala and her friends endure the Partition riots together in Bulbul Sharma’s heart-warming story. In all, it is a collection to savour.