The book contains profiles of eminent men and women and little known facets of their personality. They hail from the world of politics, poetry and literature, films, culture, sports and other areas. They have been put together in this volume and each portrait makes interesting reading.

HARIHAR SWARUP is a senior journalist based in Delhi. At present, he is a columnist and political commentator; his columns are published in many newspapers.

These are not memoirs of a civil servant in the conventional sense. There is no post-mortem of any government action. There is no advice or exhortation to anyone in the government on matters relating to administration. This is a collection of narratives. They are not fictional but based on real life incidents of which the author was a witness during his career as a civil servant in West Bengal and Delhi.

K.C. Sivaramakrishnan retired from the IAS in 1992. Presently, he is Chairman of the CPR Board. He is also associated with the Institute of Social Sciences. Trained in economics, political science and law.

The present book is an autobiography, but it more an effort at sharing of experiences rather than chronicling the author’s life which, Mahesh Buch says, is inconsequential. The book is written in light-hearted vein, but it does interject from time to time a note of seriousness when the author addresses the structures of government in India or the others which should bind the politicians and the civil servants.

M.N. BUCH joined the IAS in 1957. He has traveled extensively in Europe, the United States and South and South-East Asia. His areas of special interest are forests, environment, the wild life, the Urban planning and development and governance. He has written four books and a large number of articles and papers.

A Stranger in Paradise is about this extraordinary man who had remarkable achievements to his credit, who was a dedicated civil servant, a scholar and loved adventure, who never surrendered his ideals on the road to success. His life is powerfully and poignantly told by a woman who shared his dreams and dangers. The reader will see the predicaments of the Indian bureaucracy set against the panorama of the nation’s progress.

Born in Calcutta to a family of scholars and diplomats, educated in England, America, and Italy, ACHALA MOULIK joined the IAS. Achala has a parallel career as novelist, cultural historian, playwright and poet. She has written nineteen books on history, literature, art, physical heritage and has written numerous articles.

It is not only a historical biography of one of the most important but misunderstood leaders who guided the destiny of his community and the nation during 50 years of its most crucial period of history before the partition, the work also presents a study that shows a significant contradiction between the prevailing public perception and real character and integrity of a great personality.

GURNAM SINGH REKHI, who did his post-graduation in History from Punjabi University, Patiala, with top honors, is a multi-faceted person with contributions in the field of education, administration, social service and literature.

The book deals with many hitherto unknown aspects in the life of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose—the most towering figure in India’s struggle for independence. Spread over ten chapters, the book documents in detail Netaji’s activities in East Asia that not only led to an overall emancipation of overseas Indians who fought for India’s liberation at the Indo-Burmese battlefields but also enhance the image of India in the eyes of East Asians.

Priyadarsi Mukherji, a poet and a polyglot since childhood. Educated at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and later specialized in modern Chinese literature at Fudan University, Shanghai, and in folklore and folk literature at Beijing Normal University, China. He won the first prize at the International Chinese Speech Contest in Shanghai in 1986. Currently, he is Professor in Chinese and Sinological Studies Centre for Chinese and South-East Asian Studies Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Reminiscences of some surviving war veterans of Azad Hind, the diaries of Netaji’s Secret Service men, recollections of some INA functionaries, and also the anecdotes by some high ranking functionaries from Japan uncover the real story behind the liberation movement. Unconventional methods have been adopted to analyzed the Indian freedom movement that acquired a new dimension beyond the boundaries of India–which actually compelled Britain to quit India. It was not the spinning wheel or satyagraha, but the springing Tiger that expelled the British colonialists from India. Many intriguing questions have been answered candidly that eventually lead to the rewriting and reinterpretation of the most crucial phase in the Indian freedom movement.

This biography makes sense of this puzzle and throws light on the other half of the famous Sachin Tendulkar- Vinod Kambli partnership. It is tale of success, glory, fame, fortune, tragedy, pathos, misfortune and heartbreak. The purpose of this book is to share his poignant saga with the world.
At present, KUNAL PURANDARE is Assistant New Editor with Daily News and Analysis (DNA).

An Envoy Looks Back is a book which essentially talks about the life of a man and his journey from a small business town called Unjha in North Gujarat to become the Ambassador to several countries.
K.H. PATEL joined the Ministry of External Affairs, in the early 1960s and retired after three decades of active and varied assignments at different destinations.