Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

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Babui
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Post by Babui »

Did anybody read this book "Heights of Madness: One Woman's Journey in Pursuit of a Secret War" by Myra MacDonald, published by Rupa. The first full account of the Siachen war to be told from the Indian and Pakistani sides. ? Is it worth buying?
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by vinayd »

To Jasmeet (and others on this thread):

I found a source that stocks books on the history of 3 battalions of Maratha Light Infantry: 4,5, and 12. Here is the link:
http://www.arbinteractive.com/available.htm

A Royal Tribute
A History of the 5th Bn The Maratha Light Infantry; 1800 - 2005

Valour to the Fore
A History of the 4th Bn, The Maratha Light Infantry; 1800 - 2000

Sparkling Silver
Twenty Five years of the 12th Bn, The Maratha Light Infantry; 1981 - 2006.

I will probably order all 3 in the next few months.



Thanks.
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Jagan »

Image

For people with interests in Indian Medals and Orders.

Seen excerpts from it - you cant get it anywhere else.

Another page

Image
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by ramana »

Book Review in Pioneer, 3 Sept 2008
Indian Armed Forces: In need of a Revolution

Indian Army: Vision 2020 comes as a timely reminder for decision makers and the military leadership to wake up and vitalise the Indian Armed Forces which essentially involves changes of mindset and doctrine as well as updating and replacement of weapons and equipment, says Anil Bhat

Indian Army Vision 2020
Author:Gurmeet Kanwal
Publisher: HarperCollins with Observer Research Foundation
Price: Rs 495


The Indian Army over the past six decades has evolved from being an entity put together by the British from armies of various kingdoms in Indian history to a professional fighting force which has experienced conflict in all forms, terrains and temperatures. In fact it has set new records of fighting at altitudes and weather conditions never experienced by other armies in military history, but with one common factor - of "making do" with whatever it has had, which was never enough or new enough, compared to most of its adversaries. Stark examples are the first two wars after India's Independence; the first India-Pakistan war of 1947 and the Chinese Aggression of 1962, both of which were fought with an over half a century old rifle, with clothing far too inadequate for temperatures falling short of minus 50 degrees Celsius and redefined mountain warfare by battling at heights of up to at least 14,000 feet above sea level. Because the Western concept of mountains is limited to 8000 feet or so. Later, in the Siachen Glacier it learnt how to survive at up to 22,000 feet and in the Thar desert, how to move over fine sand with few roads and scant water as the mercury rises up to short of 50 degrees Celsius.

Thanks to a couple of hostile neighbours, the Indian Army has been in a state of some sort of conflict or the other, or long term deployment, at least for all the six decades so far. In addition to the external, it has also been actively involved with internal disturbances owing to the inability of state and central police organisations to tackle insurgencies and major flare-ups or also because some of the internal problems have external roots. Besides these, every year there are floods and other disasters, which the Armed Forces are always involved in reacting to, not only within the country but in neighbouring ones including, ironically, the hostile ones as well as distant countries. In the field of United Nations peacekeeping, India has been one of the most regular and substantial contributors. Since the early 1990s when the Indian Army was probably stretched to the maximum, the only commitments struck off are Sri Lanka, 'Khalistani' terrorism in Punjab and Nagaland, where a tenuous ceasefire has been on for over a decade. The peace process begun with Pakistan since early 2004, only reduced the daily border and Line of Control skirmishes, still often violated by Pakistan, but the terrorists trained or operating from there, are still very active not only in Jammu and Kashmir but spread throughout the country.

Despite the vast infrastructure under the Defence Ministry, including the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), public sector undertakings and Ordnance factories all over the country, all three Services have remained dependent, earlier on Soviet Russia for up to 70 per cent of their requirement of weapons and equipment, and now on other countries.

The further irony is that lack of strategic consciousness of the political leadership coupled with bureaucratic apathy, tight fisted and ever decreasing budgetary allocations, short command tenures of senior commanders along with a "play safe and no risk" attitude as well as the sheer inertia of decision makers have led to a degradation of fighting potential of an otherwise professional army with the best of soldiery.

Scientific progress, particularly in information technology on the one hand, fundamentalism and bigotry on the other as well as a global arms race gone "mad" (mutually assured destruction) with nuclear options as "deterrents", when "disarmament" remains but only a fashionable term in the academic and international relations circuit, new terminologies and forms of warfare have emerged with prefixes like cyber, psychological and asymmetric. Nuclear (also often clubbed with biological and chemical warfares), in addition to those already mentioned require for the armed forces of a country like India, facing two neighbours not only hostile as mentioned but nuclear armed too, to adopt new tactics, techniques and procedures.

Chapter 2 of the book, 'Threats, Challenges and Vulnerabilities,' spells out what all these three aspects amount to externally and internally for India. With all three prevailing in ample measure and the kind of responses, or sheer lack of appropriate ones, recent events in Kashmir Valley and Jammu should not come as a surprise, particularly following major changes in Pakistan since early 2008. Such kind of developments are all the more reason that the Indian Armed Forces should be properly and amply equipped as these are the kind of circumstances which increase the possibility of a war erupting. And God forbid, should that happen, no amount of blame-gaming or instituting of inquiry commissions is going to help.

The book comes as yet another timely reminder for decision makers and the military leadership to wake up and vitalise the process which essentially involves changes of mindset and doctrine as well as updating or replacement of weapons and equipment. While at least two decades of fighting increasing asymmetric counter insurgency/terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir and almost six decades in the North East have honed the Indian Army personnel - never found wanting in blood and guts and valour - their capabilitiy as seen in mechanised and mobile operations as in 1965 and 1971 has not been similarly tested again, except in limited forms during Exercise Brass Tacks and the unfought Operation Parakarm.

The political leadership and bureaucracy should be quite clear about the fact that a nation of India's size and diversity not only aspiring to be a regional power, but one which is rising as an economic one also, needs a very sound well-armed modern hi-tech war machine for sheer survival. If India is aiming for the big league, it better have the muscle to do so and with a mind to make good use of that muscle whenever and wherever necessary.

Gurmeet Kanwal has, over the next few chapters, enumerated and elaborated on the changes in various military operations, procedures and other aspects of warfare that have occurred in the past few decades and those which are expected to happen in the next decade or so at least. And having done so, he discusses options that India can and should go in for, provided of course that the necessary measures towards Revolution in Military Affairs have been implemented. The one major change from the mindset of the past six decades recommended for India is for it to adopt the offensive approach, rather than, almost always, defensive. (Examples of political will to exercise the offensive option - and succeeding - in 1971 against Pakistan; in the case of China, forceful retaliation at Nathu La, Sikkim, in 1967 and in Sumdorong Chu, Arunachal Pradesh in 1984 has stood India in good stead. It was only after such a retaliation that India could consider annexation of Sikkim, eventually done in 1975). Kanwal's analyses and recommendations merit serious attention and, better late than never, early implementation.

-- The reviewer is Editor, WordSword Features & Media
Babui
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Babui »

Has anybody read the "Red Eagles" by Steve Davies (you can look it up on Amazon)? It's a non-fiction book. The blurb says that the book is
"This is an engaging combination of an adventure story and a case study in military reform. The Vietnam War showed the U.S. Air Force's neglect of air-to-air combat training in the belief that it was outmoded by nuclear war. Repairing that damage required a training system using Soviet bloc planes as well as air-combat tactics. Davies, a freelance expert on military aviation, explores fresh sources to begin telling how the U.S. acquired the aircraft, put them into flying condition and established a top-secret program that gave generations of young pilots something approaching experience in the realities of dogfighting. Davies eloquently describes the forceful, colorful personalities at the sharp end of this high-risk maverick operation. The book provides a perceptive analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of mid-generation Soviet MiGs that significantly expands understanding of the Arab-Israeli and Indo-Pakistan encounters involving those aircraft. Davies's major achievement is his demonstration of the Red Eagles' role in facilitating the USAF's development into a potent instrument of air supremacy that remains important even in the current era of antiterrorism."
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by sonam_kapadia »

This is a very good book with some great pictures. I am accept that I am a little biased but this is by far the best pictorial regimental book

http://www.nawang.com/book.htm
Surya
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Surya »

hi

sometime back there was request for a title for a new book being written. Was that book published and whats the name?

Any other books along the line of Lashkar.

Thanks

Surya
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Aditya G »

An interesting and unqiue book:

http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/Bookde ... ookId=6942
Born to Dare: The Life of Lt Gen. Inderjit Singh Gill
by S. Muthiah

Published by : Penguin Books India
Published : February 2008
Imprint : Viking
Special Price : Rs 495.00
Cover Price : Rs 495.00
ISBN : 0670081884
ISBN13 : 9780670081882
Edition : Hardback
Format : Demy
Extent : 312 pp with 16 pp b/w images
Classification : Non Fiction
Rights : World

This is the story of a soldier’s soldier, Lt. Gen. Inderjit Singh Gill, PVSM, MC; a legend in the Indian Army but little known outside it, he is a revered figure, particularly among the paratroopers and Special Forces.

Serving Britain behind the German and Italian lines during World War II, Inder Gill was part of a campaign to foment resistance against the Axis powers in Greece and to cripple their transport arteries by blowing up key bridges. Leaving Greece, he served with the Royal Engineers on the slog from Cassino to Bologna, where he was injured twice in explosions, shrapnel from which he carried in his body for the rest of his life.

Joining the Indian Army, he served with the J&K Militia in Kashmir in the troubled times just after Independence, and was involved in peacekeeping operations in Korea and Gaza. Commanding the high passes during Sikkim’s travails, he also headed the Directorate of Military Operations during the 1971 War, before retiring as commander of India’s Western Army. But all the while, the things closest to his heart were the Parachute Regiment and training, both as trainer and trainee.

In these pages are seen the two sides of a soldier, the warrior who trained his men to be ever-prepared for action and the patient teacher who helped create thinking officers and gentlemen, while being ever at odds with conventional authority. An outspoken maverick, he was at the same time obsessed with following the straight and narrow of what he thought was right and wrong despite the trouble it got him into even till the last days of his career. But for one born to dare, it was all in a day’s work.

In this inspiring account, S. Muthiah paints a vivid picture of a soldier who deserves to be better known for his invaluable contribution to the military history of India.
http://www.hindu.com/br/2008/06/17/stor ... 111500.htm
A soldier’s soldier

C. UDAY BHASKAR

Biography of a distinguished but a lesser-known General of the Indian Army

BORN TO DARE — The Life of Lt. Gen. Inderjit Singh Gill PVSM, MC: S. Muthiah; Penguin/Viking, 11, Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi-110017. Rs. 495.

Occasionally one comes across an unusual biography which throws light on a forgotten central protagonist and in the process, illuminates a whole period of recent history. Born to Dare is one of those little gems and the author does not hide his enormous admiration and affection for his subject. This book “is by no means a military biography… (it) is the story of Inderjit Singh Gill, a rather uncommon type of person, who might have been born t o dare…” avers S. Muthiah, and there is little doubt that he tells a very absorbing “story” about one of the Indian Army’s more distinguished but little-known Generals.

Inder, as he was referred to, was born in England in 1922 a few years after his father, Gurdial Singh, a medical doctor in Edinburgh married a young local girl — Rena Lister. A year later the senior Gill received the King’s Commission in the Indian Medical Service and the family moved to India and lived in different parts of the country including Bareilly, Dehradun, Vishakapatnam, Vellore and Madras. Given the practice of the times, Inder went to England in 1938 to train as an engineer but his life was overtaken by the turbulence of World War II and the tumultuous events that followed.
Unusual career


I.S. Gill (1922-2001) had a very unusual professional career that straddled three armies for he had the rare distinction of joining the British Army as a private in 1939 and was later commissioned as an officer. His heroic exploits in World War II in Greece as part of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) that undertook the covert Operation Harling is little-known and Muthiah has painstakingly researched this niche. The first part of this book is a detailed account of Captain Norman (Inder) Gill’s participation in the demolition of the critical Gorgoppotamos Bridge which was to have had a strategic impact on the Rommel-Montgomery battle in North Africa that was shaping up and Muthiah is at his dramatic best in recounting this phase of Inder’s life.

Subsequent chapters trace the transition of this remarkably brave, tactically astute but consistently blunt officer from the British Army to the British Indian Army a little before India’s Independence, and finally his joining the Indian Army in January 1948. A soldier to the core, Inder Gill soon found his natural calling as a paratrooper and became a legend in his lifetime. The 1948 Kashmir operations, peacekeeping in Korea and Gaza, command of a mountain division, Director, Military Training and concurrently officiating Director, Military Operations (DMO) in the Army Head Quarters, and finally Army Commander of the Western Army before it was bifurcated, Gill was an extraordinary soldier, modest to a fault and a very caring human being whose myriad qualities of head and heart Muthiah recounts with rare empathy.

The officiating DMO during the 1971 War for Bangladesh, there are many vignettes that Muthiah alludes to which testify to the pivotal role that Gill appears to have played in that critical period. The one that stands out is Gill — then a Major General — approving the movement of a mountain brigade on December 6, 1971 into East Pakistan and standing his ground with the Army Chief, Sam Manekshaw, who was reported to have been furious with such audacity. As the book adds: “Inder insisted he had ‘in the circumstances taken the correct decision and would do so again if he remained as Officiating DMO.’ Manekshaw later confirmed the order.”

Central role

While not being a military biography in the traditional sense, there are nuances and elliptical references that merit more detailed scrutiny which would highlight the central role played by Gill in the shaping of strategic thinking in the Indian Army. The strategic use of paratroopers — so effectively demonstrated in 1971 — and grooming Sundarji to nurture mechanisation are illustrative. Gill had his shortcomings and these are recorded in some detail but what emerges finally is a luminous portrait of a soldier, who is best remembered in the poignant, evocative lines of Robert Browning (The Lost Leader), rendered by Sukhjit Singh — the Maharaja of Kapurthala — who had served with Gill. Muthiah has rendered yeoman service by putting this biography together and it should be mandatory reading for all those who have more than passing interest in matters pertaining to India’s military security — including the political and bureaucratic constituency — at a time when the Indian “fauj” is facing complex internal challenges.
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Aditya G »

http://ajaishukla.blogspot.com/2008/07/ ... n-its.html
Book review: Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army and the Wars Within


By Ajai Shukla

Crossed Swords: Pakistan, its Army and the Wars Within
By Shuja Nawaz
Oxford University Press, 2008
655 pages
Cost: Rs 695/-

...

Nawaz’s book also draws relevance from dozens of personal interviews with Pakistani decision makers over the years, shining important new light on events that are still current. That Nawaz Sharif is lying when he says Kargil came as a surprise to him becomes evident from the author’s interviews with Sharif’s foreign minister and close confidant, Sartaj Aziz, and with then ISI Director General, Ziauddin --- whom Sharif trusted enough to hand-pick as Musharraf’s successor. Sartaj Aziz admits to attending an army briefing on 12th March 1999 --- two months before the intrusions there discovered --- in which the army told him that groups of “mujahideen” had been sent into Indian territory. It is unlikely that Aziz would not have informed his PM.

And on 17th May, General Ziauddin --- Nawaz Sharif’s chosen man --- describes a detailed briefing at ISI headquarters in which Sharif was shown on a map the locations of all 108 Pakistani bunkers on the Indian side. Ziauddin recounts that, to his surprise, Sharif even asked questions and finally instructed the army that, “there should be no withdrawal, no surrender, because that would greatly embarrass us.”

Shuja Nawaz also debunks the traditional Pakistani version of the 1947 invasion of Kashmir, in which a maverick General Akbar Khan privately organised Pathan tribesmen, who swept past an effete Dogra army and were stopped at the doorstep of Srinagar only by Indian perfidy. Nawaz draws on Pakistani army archives to paint a new account of the deep involvement of Pakistan’s military in managing the invasion, even a tacit nod from Jinnah. And, most interestingly, the British generals in Pakistan were far more sympathetic towards the invasion than was earlier known. The British commander-in-chief in Pakistan, General Sir Frank Messervy favoured sending a Pakistani regular battalion into Srinagar in plainclothes, to capture the airfield and keep out Indian reinforcements; in December 1947 Messervy allocated a million bullets and Pakistani officer volunteers to the “tribal” invasion. Lt Gen Sir Douglas Gracey, who eventually succeeded Messervy, went even further in his support to the invasion of Kashmir.
...
PA Major AH Amin's review can also be found in the comments.
Jagan
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Jagan »

Major Amin's review is waaaaay more interesting than what seems to be in the book :D but that is expected. he never minces any words
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Surya »

Mukul Devas new book "Salim must Die" is out.

I got his Lashkar last yr and it was pretty good.

now if only fiction translates to reality in our politicos and babus


http://www.mukuldeva.com/salim.html
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by krishna_j »

For those of who have seen or read the somewhat controversial and incomplete (my view) Rand Project in the early 90's by George Tanham - The Indian Air Force: Trends and Prospects - there is an updated version in the works which promises to be more comprehensive than the former :


U.S.-India Strategic Relations: A New Look
This project seeks to help guide USAF and also DoD leaders as they structure military-to-military interactions with India’s armed forces as part of a broader policy effort to build a long-term strategic partnership between the United States and India. The project will evaluate prospects for U.S.-Indian strategic relations by assessing fundamental questions about the kind of power that India will become, key elements of its decisionmaking processes, its strategic considerations, and its vision for projecting power within and beyond its region. The project also will include a detailed examination of India’s Air Force, including its capabilities, limitations, and prospects. Research is expected to last two years.

Sponsor: AF/A5X
Project Leader: Christine Fair

source : http://www.rand.org/paf/agenda/stratdoc/
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Tilak »

krishna_j wrote:Sponsor: AF/A5X
Project Leader: Christine Fair

source : http://www.rand.org/paf/agenda/stratdoc/
The same lady, who wrote that she visited Indian Consulate in Zahedan(Iran), Afghanistan?, and learnt that Indians were undermining the efforts of Front Line Al Lie/Munna in GOAT. She has quite a fan following.. from Hamid Gul.. Zahid Hamid. :lol:
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Surya »

Finally a long awaited book on the IPKF on least known side of the Indian Army - Signals and Electronic warfare

http://www.ydeva.info/


SKY IS THE LIMIT · SIGNALS IN OPERATION PAWAN

ISBN : 978-81-903719-0-2

Price : Rs.990/-
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Post by MN Kumar »

New book alert.

Sky is the Limit - Signals in Operation Pawan by Maj Gen Yashwant Deva

Extract from the review:
Like the rest of the IPKF the signals too suffered from the ad hoc piece meal buildup. Equipment needed to be chased down. In July 87 when Deva was crying for high and medium power HF sets, radio relay, radio broadcast sets, generators and battery chargers - 1 SWITEL and 40 Tele Field Auto were released. In late August, 1 Siemens 400 W radio set, 15 HB radio sets and 20 HC radio sets were released. it took September for the generators and battery chargers to come (50 in all). By the time the rest of the things came - the Battle of Jaffna was pretty much over. The biggest culprits were the Ordnance Depots - One request took 2 men dispatched to collect it close to 45 days!!!!. In stark contrast the PSUs like Bharat Electronics and Indian Telegraph Industries were able to deliver equipment and modifications within a couple of days. If all the equipment had been in place early, and if the Signals were brought in the planning early on, they could have provided an electronic map of the battlefield and substantially reduced casualties during the initial days.
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by SSridhar »

Policeman par Excellence
This is a book review by R.K.Raghavan (ex-CBI Director) of the book, which is a compilation of the diary entries & articles written by the legendary K.F.Rustamji, founder of BSF
THE BRITISH, THE BANDITS AND THE BORDERMEN — From the Diaries and Articles of K.F. Rustamji: Edited by P.V. Rajgopal;
Wisdom Tree, 4779/23, Ansari Road, New Delhi-110002. Rs. 495.
This is not an autobiography in the traditional sense. Rustomji left behind 3,500 pages of the diaries he maintained between 1938 and 1970. To have produced a cogent account of all the endeavours of an all-time great policeman from out of those diaries is a remarkable feat. P.V. Rajgopal, again a policeman from M.P., who went on to head the National Police Academy, Hyderabad, deserves all kudos for some painstaking and imaginative editing.
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by chackojoseph »

Assam Rifles book review by the ex-commandant himself

Ethos of the Welcome-Warriors of The Assam Rifles
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Sharma »

Surya wrote:Mukul Devas new book "Salim must Die" is out.

I got his Lashkar last yr and it was pretty good.

now if only fiction translates to reality in our politicos and babus


http://www.mukuldeva.com/salim.html
@Surya.... Lashkar was the book for which we asked for help to choose title. "Salim Must Die" was its sequel and was followed by "Blowback". Next month 4th book of the series will be released. Title is "Tanzeem".
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Sharma »

Forthcoming Book - The Siege of Warwan - Maj Gen Gagan Deep Bakshi, JAK Rif
Publisher - HarperCollins Publishers India
ISBN - 9788172239800
Size - 198 X 129 mm
Pages - 290 pp
Release date - 10th Jan, 2010
MRP - Rs 299

Book will be launched on 7th Jan in Delhi near Dhaula Kuan by Army Chief. Please write to amit (at the rate) oldermonk (dot) com for invites those who want to attend the book launch

Image

As a child I use to go to libraries to search post WW2 military fictions and always returned with Eric Helms, Macleans, Pattersons, Hawksleys and sometimes if no other choice Tom Clancy also. I am addicted to reading military fictions and an attack in progress inside the book gives me kick like nothing. After reading these for many years I started thinking why there is nothing about Indian military though we have seen them in enough action, 4 major wars, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Siachin, Afghanistan, Tibet, NE, Kashmir, Op Brasstacks, Sumdorong Chu Valley incident with China, and many more.

Problem with other Indian military books were many and annoying. They always shown Indian faujis as Bhagwans with no flaws/faults, can kill 100s single handedly, can not be defeated and Indian Military as zero flaw establishment, I mean a very idealistic view which is just not digestible. And stories were always Bollywood types. There are some difficult questions and situation vis-à-vis observing human rights, following orders, standard operating procedures, cause and effect of battle fatigue and personal losses, fear of death for kins future and many more, which all men in action faces. Those authors always ignored to answer these and made the characters immune to all this. Simply Bullshit!!

Then I found 2 books of Ravi Rikhye and 1 book of Gen Sunderji about my favorite topic. I still keep them with me and never give it to anyone. They are the best. Better then all firangi writers for not only because they wrote about my Army but they wrote it with perfect balance of patriotism and reality.

But these 3 books were written some 20 years books. Though still a good read but much water has flown under the bridge since then. Much happened in these 20 years. World’s order of battle has taken an entirely new vision and India is playing very important and different role now as compare to 1980’ and 90’.

I saw many more books and authors in these 20 years. Some were little better then others, some were again carrying some agenda, and most of them were as usual just laughable and sad. After Kargil and Op Parakaram I thought we would see some thing great in Indian military fiction but……

And then this weekend I got “The Siege of Warwan”. What a wonderful book it is? Honestly, I never expected such a good book from a high ranking Officer. This book is a true picture of what and how exactly Army and its men deals with internal security situations. It is reflection of army’s evolution with changing scenarios.

As far as the story is concerned it is a perfect plot to start with. Very nice and fast build up of situations and characters for climax which is just awesome. Though introduction of Ayesha and Javed takes little longer and author starts loosing grip on the story mid way. But very soon the story picks up the pace and makes reader hold its breath till end. Insight of Army working, structure and culture is just appropriate. Not heavy and not leaving it as a mystery for normal readers. Also the deterrence, hindrance and inhibitions faced by Army’s Junior and Senior command at both strategic and tactical level have been explained perfectly. Even being a superior force to terrorists in all aspects sometimes small things like weather can test all your abilities to perform and excel.

Also 2 officers behaving differently in similar situation (Maj Suhag and Maj Dushyant) will make people understand that faujis are no Superman and react to same situations differently in spite of similar training, goals and purpose.

A new concept of “kill” targets crept in to army after prolonged use of it in CI ops or internal security duties. Slowly budgets started depending largely upon it. And in absence of external wars Gallantry awards were coming thin and slow. So Army HQ started pushing Commands, Command started pressing Cores, Core to Div HQs, Divs to Brigades, Brigade to Battalions, Battalion to Companies and thus to all rank and files. Everybody was scoring “kills” to achieve targets. This book does not shy away from it and do not defend Army but practically explains how this “kills” can be achieved with patience, meticulous planning and after observing all human rights. Human intelligence is very important in any CI ops and can be achieved only by winning heart and minds of people. Again Army has all kind of people in it. Maj Suhag used brute force to get intelligence and thus increases the “kill” but eventually done in by being trapped by his own “informers”. Maj Dushyant used the way of winning people and got heavy dividends (read “kills”). In fact his informer braves a snow storm and got killed but not before telling Maj Dushyant about impending attack on his post. Do you still want to debate these 2 approaches?

Army often complains that no body cares or vouches for their Human rights and so their troops are always under tremendous pressure. Therefore somehow Army approves use of heavy hand on civilians. In the book Maj Dushyant explains it to his soldiers how important it is for a fauji to observe its dharma of defending own people and respecting them. He tells them that observing this dharma gives them a bulletproof jacket from God which can thwart any harm in their way. It is a special favour to soldiers only from God but the moment they deviate from dharma God takes it away. I do not think it is filmy or just bookish at all. And the slogan of Brigadier Sibal told to Maj Dushyant upon his taking charge of Warwan outpost, ““Be nice to the people. Be nasty to the terrorists.”
I am proud of my Army!!!!!!!!!

Story of Ayesha and her son Javed is heart rendering and tells the reader how difficult it is for women and children to live through a civil insurgency. They are the only one who looses in all this. Taking leaf out of Kashmiri poets and poems is a forgotten perspective of Kashmir which this book has revived. Views of aam Kashmiris and their problems have also been dealt with rationality. Like how it takes 3 days to reach Warwan through land. It still actually happens in Kathua, Rajouri, Poonch, Kargil districts of J&K.

Climax of the book is very well written and gives it a perfect ending. Fighting terrorists is like playing chess and you have to often take preemptive actions to thwart adversary’s next moves and also trapping him in. How beautifully Brigadier Sibal and Maj Dushyant execute the whole operation Shatruvinash in which they trap the terrorists with misleading signals and demolish their command and control structure.

Use of attack helicopters is long standing demand of army in CI ops which Govt has always rejected for various reasons like attrition, alienation of world view, local politics etc. This books build a very good case against Govt’s all reasons and proves it can actually helps eradicating terrorism faster and with less attrition. And it will actually help boosting troop’s moral and easing the stress levels. And you can definitely see drop in human right violations and moving of army to back to its primary role of defending borders.

I remember Op Sarpvinash in 2003 where for the first time helicopters were used as force multiplier in CI ops in India. There was also an Ashok Chakra awarded (Our Maj Dushyant also gets AC). It was given to Trooper Sanjog Chetri of 9 Para (SF) Special Force posthumously. Op Shatruvinash is similar to Op Sarp Vinash in terms of tactics and set in almost same area (Romeo Sector I mean Rajouri and Poonch). Also total militants killed in both Operations are 60. So we actually have a story which is quite similar to realty. Gen Bakshi himself was Romeo Sector commander and he has used the insights very well to tell us a fabulous story.

With Maj Dushyant joining Special Forces (as Colonel) in the end and Ayesha’s son Javed about to join Indian Army I am expecting a sequel and in fact I am expecting Gen Bakshi to make it a series of stories which will be a true dedication to Indian Armed Forces. They have shed enough blood and sacrificed themselves for the call of duty. Somebody needs to tell the nation the real stories and I am confident no body is better than Gen Bakshi. I thank him for giving readers like me a good boost and fresh air. I wish we get to see many more soon from him.
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by merlin »

Any ideas where I can get/see Ravi Rikhye's books?
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Surya »

Thanks Sharma

a little confused

is the book fiction or non fiction

I am guessing fiction based on some facts?
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Sharma »

@Surya...it is a fictiona based on true rumours

@Merlin...I do not think Ravi's book now available any where.
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by rohitvats »

Sharma wrote:@Surya...it is a fictiona based on true rumours

@Merlin...I do not think Ravi's book now available any where.
Sharmaji, which books of RR do you have?
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Sharma »

@rohitvats

Pandit Ji...I have following RR books

The Fourth Round: Indo-Pak war in 1984

The War That Never Was
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by rohitvats »

Sharma wrote:@rohitvats

Pandit Ji...I have following RR books

The Fourth Round: Indo-Pak war in 1984

The War That Never Was
Sharmaji, I know that you've already made it clear that you do not share these books but I'm still going to ask you this: Can I borrow these books? I intend to make copies of them for meself. Pick and drop will ofcourse, be my headache.

I've read them many-many moons ago and have not been able to get me hands on them. I still remember the opening scene from Fourth round about JCO(NCO?) from Mahar (converted to Mech. Inf.) reloading his ATGM to take on the PA Armor. As for 'The War That Never Was', that book is a primer and must have for anyone wanting to understand the Military geography and how it impacts the two nations as well as their military disposition.

Please to consider this humble abduls request.
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by VinodTK »

Jagan
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Jagan »

Fellas, reg Ravi Rikhye's books. He is accessible via OrBat.com why not drop him an email ? Maybe he has e-copies or can get some done via POD..
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by chackojoseph »

Siachen Glacier: The Battle of the Roses
Image

Tomorrow, another book on siachen.
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by VinodTK »

1857: The Real Story of the Great Uprising
Near the Mhow military camp in Indore, Bhatt heard about the impending mutiny. He was told that the British had rejected the pleas of the Indian sepoys not to force them to load the new Enfield rifle with the new cartridges greased with cow fat and lard of the pigs. Instead, the Governor General invoked a conclave of the rulers of princely states and asked them to follow a set of 84 new and inviolable rules. These, among others, stipulated that if one brother became a Christian, he would not be denied share in the family property; he would also be free to reside in his ancestral house; a Hindu widow would be free to remarry; she and her children would not be denied share in ancestral property, etc.

The rulers returned to their respective capitals, unhappy. The sepoys, on their part, resolved that Hindus and Muslims would never convert to another religion. “Letters have been surreptitiously circulated to the effect that, on the 10th of June, when the commanders summon us, starting with the camp at Meerut, all the soldier brothers will say thrice to their commanding officers: ‘We won’t accept the cartridges, we won’t, we won’t’. And if the White men do not relent, they shall be thrown out bodily and all their ammunition, guns and monies will be confiscated by the native soldiers and their army camps will then be set on fire,” Bhatt was told by an Indian soldier.
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Nisarga »

just came across this page on wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_military_fiction
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by chackojoseph »

Was reading this

'Indian Aircraft Industry' full of unknown gems

About the political pushes and pulls, the frustration of our scientists, the fight to get adequate funding.

I almost cried when I read about the HF-24, also called the Marut. In 1960, fifty years before today's Light Combat Aircraft or Tejas, India built and flew a supersonic multi role combat aircraft through our skies. A visionary German engineer Dr Kurt Tank helped us.

When it was ready, it was one of the best fighter jets in the world at that time. The west couldn't believe a third world country could pull off a stunt like that. The Marut fought in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war and performed gloriously.

Yet, around 1984, almost all the Marut's we built were discarded. The reason - its engines were called too weak for modern warfare. Of the 140 planes we threw away, at least forty had not even flown for twenty hours each. The five hundred plus strong team of scientists who worked on the project were disbanded. And we bought modern aircraft off the shelf from abroad.
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Aditya G »

3 part volume on IN by GM Hiranandini is an excellent series with a lot of gems:
  • Transition to triumph: history of the Indian Navy, 1965-1975
  • Transition to eminence: the Indian Navy 1976-1990
  • Transition to Guardianship: Indian Navy 1991-2000
The coverage is comprehensive across all spheres like operations, equipment, organisation and what not.
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by Sharma »

Official History of Ladakh Scouts. Not for sale.
Just printed.

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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by rohitvats »

Sharma wrote:Official History of Ladakh Scouts. Not for sale.
:(( :(( :((
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Re: Books that cover Indian Armed Forces and its History

Post by manjgu »

well just read the two books on siachen a) battle of roses by kapadia b) siachen Why? . I quite liked the kapadia book. not so impressed with Siachen Why? book. I dont understand why cant books on siachen give better pics? so that one better appreciates the place. The bana peak pic in Kapadias book is truly inspiring !!! am waiting for the 3rd book "Height of madness" :-)
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