At midnight on 14 August 1947, Britain’s 350-year-old Indian Empire was broken into three pieces. The greatest mass migration in history began, as Muslims fled north and Hindus fled south, and Britain’s role as an imperial power came to an end.
Patrick French’s vivid and surprising account of the chaotic final years of colonial rule in India has been acclaimed as the definitive book on this subject. Journeying across India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, he brings to life a cast of characters including spies, idealists freedom fighters, and politicians from Churchill to Gandhi. The result is a compelling story of deal-making, missed opportunities, hope, and tragedy.
