1. 1945: The Reckoning
Phil Craig
Hachette
Pp 400, Rs 899
The book is an original and emotional account of 1945 recounting how the final, dramatic acts of the Second World War set Britain, her colonies and her dominions on a new course. As the fate of the world was decided, so too was that of the British, Dutch and French empires. In India a generation committed to independence had to decide whether to support ‘the Raj’ or fight alongside the Japanese.
2. Plastic Tagore
Ranjan Ghosh
Oxford University Press
Pp 272, Rs 995
This book in Tagore studies offers a fresh analysis of Tagorean thought by employing the philosophy and poetics of plasticity and the ‘plastic principle.’ Ranjan Ghosh explores Tagore’s views on education, identity politics, environment, and literature through what he terms ‘plastic reading.’ The work introduces the concept of plastic figurality to deconstruct models present in our world, and examines him within a historical present.
3. 38 Londres Street
Philippe Sands
Hachette
Pp 480, Rs 899
In Santiago, the infamous
38 Londres Street becomes the backdrop for a riveting tale that intertwines the arrest of Augusto Pinochet in London, the post-war life of senior SS officer Walther Rauff and the sinister connections between the two men. Through a unique blend of storytelling, Philippe Sands unveils a hidden double story of mass murder and a disturbing link between the atrocities of the 1940s and those of our own times.
4. Test Cricket: A History
Tim Wigmore
Hachette
Pp 400, Rs 799
Test cricket is on the cusp of its 150th anniversary. For the first time, Test Cricket: A History tells the full, gripping story of the players and stories that have shaped the game’s evolution since 1877. Award-winning author Tim Wigmore brings to life both Test cricket on the pitch and the game’s social significance around the world. This captivating tour is illuminated by dozens of exclusive interviews with the game’s greatest players.
5. One More Story About Climbing a Hill: Stories from Assam
Devabrata Das
Speaking Tiger
Pp 248, Rs 399
The book is a series of 18 short stories by Devabrata Das about life in violence-torn Assam. The stories are fictionalised and blended with reality, and the author is sometimes a character. The themes in the book revolve around human emotions, relationships, and the effects of violence. Das’s prose is ironical and ingenious, leaving it to readers to piece together the stories. Each of the 18 stories in this collection provides an insight into life in an area of conflict, told with irony and ingenuity.
