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A monumental biography of the subcontinent from the award-winning author of The World Is What It Is The Authorized Biography of V S NaipaulSecond only to China in the magnitude of its economic miracle and second to none in its potential to shape the new century India is fast undergoing one of the most momentous transformations the world has ever seen In this dazzlingly panoramic book Patrick French chronicles that epic change telling human stories to explain a larger national narrativeMelding on-the-ground reports with a deep knowledge of history French exposes the cultural foundations of Indias political economic and social complexities He reveals how a nation identified with some of the most wretched poverty on earth has simultaneously developed an envied culture of entrepreneurship here are stories like that of C K Ranganathan who trudged the streets of Cuddalore in the s selling sample packets of shampoo and now employs more than one thousand people And even more remarkably French shows how despite the ancient and persistent traditions of caste as well as a mind-boggling number of ethnicities and languages India has nevertheless managed to cohere evolving into the worlds largest democracy largely fulfilling Jawaharlal Nehrus dream of a secular liberal orderFrenchs inquiry goes to the heart of all the puzzlements that modern India presents Is this country actually rich or poor Why has its Muslim population the second largest on earth resisted radicalization to such a considerable extent Why do so many children of Indians who have succeeded in the West want to return home despite never having lived in India Will India become a natural ally of the West a geostrategic counterweight to the illiberal rising powers China and Russia To find the answers French seeks out an astonishing range of characters from Maoist revolutionaries to Mafia dons from chained quarry laborers to self-made billionaires And he delves into the personal lives of the political elite including the Italian-born Sonia Gandhi one of the most powerful women in the worldWith a familiarity and insight few Westerners could approach Patrick French provides a vital corrective to the many outdated notions about a uniquely dynamic and consequential nation His India is a thrilling revelation.
About the Author
Patrick French (born 1966) is a British writer and historian, based in London. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh where he studied English and American literature. French is the author of several books including : Younghusband: The Last Great Imperial Adventurer (1994), a biography of Francis Younghusband, The World Is What It Is (2008), an authorized biography of Nobel Laureate V.S Naipaul which won the National Book Critics Circle Award in the United States of America. , and India: A Portrait. During the 1992 general election, French was a Green Party candidate for Parliament. He has sat on the executive committee of the Tibet Support Group UK, and was a founding member of the inter-governmental India-UK Round Table.