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Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, His People and an Empire

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A candid recreation of one of the most influential lives of recent times, this book finally answers questions long asked about the timid youth from India's west coast who became a century's conscience and led his nation to liberty: What was Gandhi like in his daily life and in his closest relationships? In his face-offs with an Empire, with his own bitterly divided people, with his adversaries, his family and his greatest confrontation - with himself?

"A more heroic tale has yet to be told... [Mohandas] is meticulously researched, written in felicitous prose and is a delight to read." — Khushwant Singh, Outlook

"Rajmohan strikes a fine balance in this comprehensive work, lacing the painstakingly detailed chronological account with just the right amount of interpretation. [His] approach goes a long way in painting a portrait of Gandhiji that is very human, plausible, and easy to identify with." — Mukund Padmanabhan, The Hindu

"An impeccable exercise in objectivity . . . A remarkable performance. This biography ought to be read over and over again . . . The bareness of Rajmohan’s recital of moods and events heightens the poignancy . . . Mahatma Gandhi was a votary of restraint; this book exemplifies, magnificently, such restraint. The grandfather would have approved of Rajmohan’s Mohandas." — Ashok Mitra, Telegraph

"A story of epic proportions . . . Gandhi’s luminous compassion, courage and humanity shine through these pages and bring light into our lives." — Sonia Gandhi

"The only word to describe this work is 'fabulous'. Literally scores of people have written on Mahatma Gandhi . . . But . . . Mohandas will henceforth be remembered as the last word on the subject." — M.V. Kamath, Organizer

Published by : Penguin Books India
Published : 01-Oct-2007
ISBN : 9780143104117

There are also US, UK and French editions.

Reviews of this book

Rajmohan Gandhi, research professor at the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, speaks about his new biography of his grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi. The talk is divided into four videos. The first is below, and for the other three use the related links.

Rajmohan Gandhi talks about the life and philosophy of his grandfather, Mohandas K. Gandhi. He is interviewed by Amitabh Pal, managing editor of The Progressive magazine. This interview was recorded in Chicago, during the Chicago Tribune Printers Row Book Fair.

By William Dalrymple, Financial Times

Review of 'Gandhi: the Man, His People and the Empire' by Charles Allen in the August 2007 issue of the Literary Review of London

Article in the Guardian by Sarfraz Manzoor, on a new film about Mahatma Gandhi and on Rajmohan's book