Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi Paperback – January 1, 2002

I ordered this for my wife thinking it would be a hard-cover book. Unfortunately, it's not. She enjoyed it anyway.

Katherine Frank has produced an objective biography with empathy of Indira Gandhi, described variously as ma durga, gungi gudiya, authoritarian, democrat, emergency not withstanding, and An Iron Lady. The book has been reviewed earlier by Many. This is my second reading that is still profitable done. The book stands tall among all the biographies of Indira Gandhi, beginning even before the word birth - hua - used to announce her birth till she breathed her last. Indira's personal fads and feuds, her love for her parents, differences with her aunts and father, coming of age politically in London, problems with education, especially Latin while in London, attraction to Krishna Menon, aversion to fascists, love for Feroze, and a determined spine like sprinting on her heels, her acute colour sense and awareness to dress according to occasions, her sense of colour, dance and theatre, her political attitudes to opponents, concern for friends and acquaintances, her yoga and running drills, non vegetarian food habits are all narrated and analysed by the author on authority of wide and in depth readings of original texts and Nehru's writings. It is a must for general and a specialist reader and lovers of pithy, nuanced and felicitous writing in English language with insightful remarks on her father and grandfather and much more.

Well researched book. It's a big book but while reading, I did not feel it. It keeps you engrossed till the last page.

great to learn about this woman and India's history.

Great in all respects!!...[how many times do I have to write this?]

The author has been very careful of not spilling out controversial topics. but very well organized thought otherwise. The purpose is well met

superb

The book provide a comprehensive and reasonably neutral view of her life. The book is mostly based on facts. However, there are a few important missing elements. MK Gandhi's interaction and influence on Indira is almost non-existent in the book. Background of Feroze's last name is also not mentioned. Gandhi instead of Ghandy is used throughout the book even before he met the Nehru family.