If you are interested in military history, this one is a recommended reading. Themed around the military campaigns of the European powers in 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, it essentially tries to highlight the lesser known side of the failures of those powers in Asia and Africa. Interesting to know that almost until the […]
Ram Madhav
The costliest pearl – China’s struggle for India’s Ocean
Like all his other books, this one by Bertil Lintner too is a fascinating read. Good book to understand the emerging big power game, ‘a new cold war’ as Lintner describes it, in the Indo-Pacific region today. Indo-Pacific has emerged as the most important and happening region in the world in global geo-politics today. All […]
The Lost History of Liberalism – From Ancient Rome to the twenty first century
This book is a very interesting expose’ of the Liberalist dogma right from its ancient Roman beginnings to today’s western identity. Largely focused on the happenings in Europe, this book highlights the long history of omissions and commissions in the name of liberalism in various countries. Liberal word began as an abuse and epithet in […]
The Clash of Ideas – The ideological battles that made the modern world and will shape the future
There can be no better book to understand the 20th century politics of Europe and the West and their priorities for the ensuing century than to go through the collection of articles in this excellent edition of Foreign Affairs magazine. It is a compilation of articles by very eminent intellectuals like Harold Laski, Isaiah Berlin, […]
Nationalism in Hindu Culture
This Radha Kumud Mookerji’s 1921 vintage book was republished by Bibliolife. Very informative book on nationalism, patriotism and political ideals embedded in ancient Hindu scriptures and Sanskrit literature. Must read small book for Indic scholars and enthusiasts.
The Levelling – What’s next after Globalisation
The Levelling is an excellent, thought-provoking analysis of the future in store for different countries and continents. Michael o’ Sullivan insists that the age of globalisation has ended and a new world order is emerging with newer challenges. He takes us back to the Levellers movement of the 17th century Britain to engender ideas that […]
They snatched my playground
‘They Snatched My Playground’ is a superb personal narrative of a journalist-turned BJP politician from Kashmir Valley Khalid Jehangir about his life in the Valley, it’s terrorism, it’s politics and about the silent majority whose voices are hardly heard or whose stories hardly spoken about. Khalid had a distinct advantage in life in the sense […]
The Targeter – My life in the CIA, Hunting Terrorists and Challenging the White House
Nada Bakos’ book The Targeter was a greatly publicised one before its release earlier this year. A good one with information about CIA’s efforts at Langley as well as in Baghdad to track down and neutralise one of the world’s most wanted AQ terrorists and in a way the father of ISIS by name Abu […]
Hindu Dharma and the Culture Wars
Koenraad Elst never disappoints. This book is no exception. You may agree or disagree with his views and conclusions, but you cannot but read him. Like his other works starting from the 90’s writings on Ayodhya, this book too is rich in content and engrossing in arguments. Koenraad has a style that is both provocative […]
Those Eighteen Days (Volume II)
I introduced the first volume of Those Eighteen Days earlier. The second volume is also no less significant and rich in content and narrative. Dr Narayanacharya takes us through the part of the War that became Adharmic and drifted into an absolute horror. All rules of the game change and Sri Krishna takes pains to […]