Gandhi Before India

De: Ramachandra Guha

Narrado por: Derek Perkins

Ramachandra Guha - hailed by Time as "Indian democracy's preeminent chronicler" - takes us from Gandhi's birth in 1869 through his upbringing in Gujarat, his two years as a student in London, and his two decades as a lawyer and community organizer in South Africa. Guha has uncovered myriad previously untapped documents, including private papers of Gandhi's contemporaries and coworkers; contemporary newspapers and court documents; the writings of Gandhi's children; and secret files kept by British Empire functionaries.

Using this wealth of material in an exuberant, brilliantly nuanced and detailed narrative, Guha describes the social, political, and personal worlds inside of which Gandhi began the journey that would earn him the honorific Mahatma: "Great Soul". And, more clearly than ever before, he elucidates how Gandhi's work in South Africa - far from being a mere prelude to his accomplishments in India - was profoundly influential in his evolution as a family man, political thinker, social reformer, and, ultimately, beloved leader.

Researched with unequaled depth and breadth, and written with extraordinary grace and clarity, Gandhi Before India will radically alter our understanding and appreciation of 20th-century India's greatest man.

©2013 Ramachandra Guha (P)2018 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Great book, average narration

I personally prefer books where the author reads the book themselves (I.e, Principles by Ray Dalio, Inglorious Empire by Shashi Tharoor). But I also understand that it is not possible for all books. However, using a non-south Asian narrator for a book featuring several hard-to-pronounce Indian names was not an ideal choice. Some pronunciations were way off.

Coming to the book, it’s a well written piece on how a seemingly average person became a Mahatma. This isn’t the book for you if you want a highlight reel filled with important historical events.

Excellent book @Gandhiji

There’s lot to learn about non violent ways of settling disputes in currently highly violent world!!!

Love of Labour

I have read many biographies of Mahatma, but in spite of it there was lot of new material here. This is not a beginner’s book if you just want to know more than the 3 hour film version. The author does well to keep the empathy of the subject

A magisterial work

A painstakingly-researched, well-written, objective and inspiring account of how Mohandas Gandhi became the man who would go to become the Father of our nation.

A truly comprehensive work from a specific period

I learned so much from this book about Ghandi’s life and how many struggles he and many others went through in South Africa for many years. I found the narration easy to hear and relaxed.