Indian Summer

The Secret History of the End of an Empire

By: Alex von Tunzelmann

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's Summary

At the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the British Empire withdrew from India, igniting the exhilaration and turmoil of a newly free society. In this vivid, atmospheric popular history, Alex von Tunzelmann chronicles these times through the most prominent figures: Dickie Mountbatten, Britain's dashing, inept last viceroy; Dickie's savvy, glamorous wife, Edwina, who found the love of her life in Jawaharlal Nehru, India's new prime minister; Muslim leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah; and Mohandas Gandhi. Tunzelman's thrilling chronicle "removes the veil from the colorful personalities and events behind India's independence and partition with Pakistan" (The Washington Post).

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2007 Alex von Tunzelmann (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"In her scintillating debut, British author von Tunzelmann keeps one eye on the big picture, but foregrounds the personalities and relationships of the main political leaders - larger-than-life figures whom she cuts down to size.... [A] compelling narrative history, combining dramatic sweep with dishy detail." (Publishers Weekly)

"This is history as multiple, interconnected biography... a book more concerned with the smaller, more colorful threads of individual character than with the broader tapestry of history and retrospective judgment.... Indian Summer achieves something both simpler and rarer, placing the behavior and feelings of a few key players at the center of a tumultuous moment in history." (The New York Times Book Review)

“Nicola Barber’s narration is warm and intelligible, despite her entirely appropriate posh British vowels. Barber does an excellent job of pronouncing the names and titles of the various Indian places, princes, and pundits.” (AudioFile)

Such an interesting piece of History made easy

I had started reading the book several times and never got past the firts few chapters. It is a piece loaded with historical facts and the lovely and melodious voice of Nicola Barber makes it very easy to digest, follow, understand and most of all, enjoy.

A Great Primer On A Subject I Knew Little About

I was aware the subcontinent was partitioned at independence and little else. I had heard of Lord and Edwina Montbatten and was faintly aware of rumors of Nehru and Edwina's special relationship. Of course, who has not heard of Mahatma Gandhi. "Indian Summer" gives background to the events of 1947 in terms of personalities, geography and historical events. It also provides insights into how Pakistan has developed from what was intended to be a secular nation into what we see today.
I am certain there is more to learn, but "Indian Summer" is a great beginning and a solid base to build on.

Fabulous, easy history

Of India. Part of this book is written when I was a child growing up. So, it was on the daily news. It's wonderful to put it all together!

The narrator gets too emotional...

The narrator is emotional.... The narrative is biased... Reads more like the Mountebatten history... India comes second...

NOT the TV show

Well read, BBC likes to take history books and turn them into historical dramas... I like to watch the shows and then dig up the history books. The history of what happened to cause India, the Jewel in the British Crown, to break away from the empire is actually an important piece of history. Some would argue that but for the UK wanting to make sure they could hold on to India, Israel would not currently exist as a Jewish State, etc. So it's impact on the world is a lot bigger than you think

Interesting history about a little known subject.

If you could sum up Indian Summer in three words, what would they be?

Thorough and thoughtful.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narrator's voice was not a good match for the story, in my opinion. However, she was able to pronounce some very tongue twisting names with ease.

So now I have an idea about why what happened

A lot of misconceptions and sweeping judgements about the characters and decisions of various actors in this epic drama were brought to light and dare I say that I almost could see why they did what they did.
The missing history from history books and the maligned live story felt so humane that one cannot stop from adoring it.
The reference to the movie "The men from two worlds" implying Gandhi as the local shaman and Nehru as the western doctor, both getting wrong the malady of India was poignant.
From promiscuity to patron,Edwina's journey reminds of any modern day celebrity but her acuity puts all of them to shame.
The simpleton Mountbatten's rise to power and ultimate dramatic exit reminds ordinary mortals like us how ordinary our lives are compared to these troubled actors who played in this episode.
The narrator was very good, clear and emphatic as required but she couldn't be forgiven for pathetic pronunciation of Indian names. They weren't too difficult and a lack of trying kind of rubs off badly. At places towards the end she got them almost right but mostly it was off putting and confusing to say the least.
All in all, a very enlightening reading.

Good story not so easy to hear

I like the story a lot. Nicola Barbara speaks in a pleasant patter. Unfortunately her voice tended
to lull me to sleep. Ordinarily I wouldn't mind. This is a good story though and I regret zoning out. I've listen to the story several times now and I am just beginning to feel that I have the gist.

Good read.

I really enjoyed this book. I really didn't know much about the events and people, but have a fascination with India in general. When I saw the narrator was Nicola Barbee, I had to get it (she also did all the Call the Midwife books. Love her voice) I was not disappointed and now want to read more on the subject.

Amazing story of the independence of India and the romance behind it!

This epic story gives insight into the key characters of the independence of India - the largest democracy in the world - and the legendary men and women behind the peaceful revolution- Lord and Lady Mountbatten, Gandhi and Nehru. It does not sugar coat their vices, failings and fears but it also clearly defines their contributions and passions. I loved the personal insights into the diaries and love letters. The speaker was a great choice because her feminine voice helps listeners to enjoy the interpersonal dynamics instead of just looking at this as a political documentary. Well done! poignant!