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  • Indian Summer

  • The Secret History of the End of an Empire
  • Written by: Alex von Tunzelmann
  • Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
  • Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (194 ratings)

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Indian Summer

Written by: Alex von Tunzelmann
Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
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Publisher's Summary

At midnight on 15 August, 1947, India left the British Empire. This defining moment of world history had been brought about by a handful of people: Jawaharlal Nehru, the fiery Indian prime minister; Mohammed Ali Jinnah, leader of the new nation; and Louis and Edwina Mountbatten, despatched to get Britain out of India.

Within hours of the midnight chimes, their dreams of freedom and democracy would turn to chaos, bloodshed and war. Behind the scenes a secret personal drama was unfolding, as Edwina Mountbatten and Nehru began a passionate love affair. Steeped in the private papers and reflections of the participants, Indian Summer reveals how the acts of a few players changed the lives of millions and determined the fate of nations.

©2011 Oakhill Publishing Ltd (P)2011 Oakhill Publishing Ltd
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic Reviews

"A true tour de force:absorbing in it's detail and masterly in the broad sweep of its canvas." (Sir Martin Gilbert)

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What listeners say about Indian Summer

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Amazing Book

A very good book with indulging naration. Time flies by when one gets deep involved into the story and understands how the struggle for freedom and life after freedom would have been for Frontline politicians.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent rendition and a great narrative.

I like listening to every bit of this book. It is so well written. I agree there could be differ perspectives in India’s run to freedom but the book throws light on the machinations behind it. Stephen Thorne is an amazing narrator.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Solid research and a very engaging read

The book tells the story of Indian independence and partition through the intermingled life stories of 5 chief protagonists. What I loved is the ability of the author to weave intricate details, gossips and quirks of these people into the broader chronological narrative.
Accessible to all, it would be really interesting for Indians to compare it with the history of independence taught in our schools.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wonderful listen

The book sweeps over a long period of time, broadly covering the life of Louis Mountbatten. It is almost entirely interesting, the characters, including some lesser known political players, are well rounded, humanized. Even potentially scandalous aspects like the private lives of the Mountbattens and Nehru is dealt with a view of how that affects politics, rather than as salacious titbits.
The narration was great, and I plan to listen more books by the narrator.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great account of the Modern Indian History

Most of the accounts of the Modern Indian history are pure Indian versions from India or pure British versions written as part of the larger British empire. This book is a mix of both and does not appear to be biased to a particular leader or country. A must read for Indians to understand the situations around Indian independence and why things happened the way it happened. The book delves deep into the lives of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Mountbattens, Gandhiji and Jinnah. It is also a must read for fanatics on both sides of the Kashmir issue as well as for the fanatics on both sides of the Hindu-Muslim divide.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Right version of history during distorted times

This book carries a right version of history and in current scenario its important for every Indian to understand it. The book unfolds the sequence of events of India's independence. The book also give lots of insights about the contribution of various factors and forces in India's independence.

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Fascinating account of events around independence

Fascinating account of events around Indian independence. How it came about, what happened and what followed. Brilliantly narrated.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Mostly good but somewhat biased

The book is really interesting and I would even say a must read in many respects but I do think it focuses a lot more than it should on the affair between Nehru and Edwina which gives it somewhat of a high school romance vibe rather than a historical take on events. Also, the views on Gandhi seem biased and his person under researched.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I would as as good as Freedom at midnight.

the narrator is really good. however I felt at few instances, the recording had some issues. words were swallowed. but over all very good content if you are interested in India history.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Captivating!!

beautifully written and matched in narration. the intricate and unbiased details make it splendid and spellbinding.

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