Freedom At Midnight Paperback – Unabridged, January 1, 2006

First a couple of negative things. I read the Kindle version and there is a large number of typos. The kind of things spell check can't see. Wrong words and misplaced periods the most common.Second, and keep in mind this is a look at history, it gets very depressing. It's very clear reading through the break up of India that it went poorly. So many lost lives.The book details the events leading up to the freedom of India and the creation of Pakistan. Being in America and reading about events that happened before I was born in a foreign land it was sad to see how badly damaged India became during the celebration of freedom. Neighbors became enemies over night.I believe this book portrays Gandhi and Montblanc in a positive light. That said there were time I was impressed with Gandhi but for the most part he had me shaking my head. The authors were able to interweave stories outside of the principles that helped give weight to how the splitting of a nation affected the common citizen.It's value for showing a piece of history make this a worthwhile read.

Collins and Lapierre's "Freedom At Midnight" is the classic history of the 1947 Partition of India into India and Pakistan, the plight of its refugees, the plotting of, and the fact of Gandhi's 1948 assassination. The storyline is chronological, non judgmental, heroic in parts, bordering as fictive; the descriptive detail can exhaust. To deny its accuracy makes little sense as the history is so compelling, engraved, and sad. Their sources are clearly based on the Mountbatten archives, so any criticism of the monumental decision making on the geographical lines for the Partition is muted. The Kindle format can be trying at times; photographs are few and there is only one map. Online searches can bring up most of the famous images and maps of this historic event.

This book is a fascinating and deeply moving account of one of the seminal events in world history, the emergence of India and Pakistan as sovereign nations. Collins and LaPierre, in their infinitely researched, nuanced account of the independence of the Indian subcontinent, relate their story in prose that approaches the lyrical rhythm of poetry. Some may take issue with the point of view of the account, insisting that it is written primarily from the British line of sight, but regardless of any bias, it so beautifully and successfully relates the stories of those in the highest seats of power and the impact of their often wrenching decisions on the common person.I have always held that in order for history to teach us, it must be delivered in a form that seduces us into understanding it. By developing the characters whom most of us already know - Gandhi, Nehru, Mountbatten, Jinnah, Churchill - we find ourselves in the venues of the account as quiet observers as the die is cast to deliver India to its destiny. The book underscores the power of language, with excerpts from the inimitable speeches delivered extemporaneously by Nehru, in quick succession, upon the birth of the nation, and ultimately the death of its father.It is also a cautionary tale for the present, by showing so clearly how false distinctions between people, riven by such things as religion, wealth, and power, can so readily cause diverse communities living in harmony for centuries to shatter the peacefulness of their coexistence and turn on each other in abhorrent communal violence at a moment's notice, leaving us stunned and questioning our humanity. Perhaps this understanding can encourage us not to repeat this insanity.A marvelous book - highly recommended.

My dear friend Shekhar Dasgupta alluded to this book when we were discussing something else, and what a GEM he revealed. I read and underlined and bookmarked throughout, gleaning shocking and riveting details of those years.A narrative not to be missed for anyone who cares for history.Thanks LC & DLP 👍👌

The book Freedom at Midnight is a classic. It is beautifully written and meticulously researched. The information, the insights, the humanity it portrays of one of history's most important events are impeccable. BUT.....I have never in all my Kindle-reading years encountered such an unmitigated mess of terrible editing and typos. There are periods in the middles of sentences, quotation marks without their partners, question marks just because. I cannot fathom how such butchery happened to the digital version of this incredible book, why nobody caught the problems and errors, or how the person responsible could possibly still be employed in the digital book business. Please note: The 4 star rating is due SOLELY to the editing nightmare. Simply a MESS.

When it comes to writing about the Independence of India and the partitioning of the country that happened with it, it is hard to find a neutral source of information. Luckily 'Freedom at Midnight' is one such source. Unfortunately, with neutrality comes the perspective of someone outside looking in, which is also what happens in this book.That being said, this book is a MUST read for all fans of history and people interested in understanding Pakistan-India dynamics and the culture of the sub-continent. The one issue I have with the book is the glorification of the role that Mountbatten and Gandhi played in the aforementioned events. There is in some sense, a simplification of their actions and intent. The reality (at least as perceived by citizens of the two countries) is much more complicated. Gandhi's own auto-biography is more revealing, nuanced and provides a better insight into the thoughts (many naive or unsavory) of India's great leader.The final aspect, which should make this a fun read for everyone (including people who are not fans of history) is the colorful and detailed description of the (often futile and vain) life of Indian nobility. If you ever wondered what (unimaginably crazy) life the Indian princes enjoyed, make sure you read the book.

Wonderful reconstruction of an epic history moment. Complete and full of marvellous little stories about all of his characters.

Well-documented and highly enjoyable. It is however a shame and extremely annoying that the Kindle edition has various typos per page! The reading is hindered and the natural flow stopped. Such poor quality edition is inadmissible.

It is written from a westerners point of view and it glorify British. Some pages were bound wrongly and have to read by flipping pages in the opposite direction.

古い本になってしまったが、細部までこだわったノンフィクションとしての価値は微動だにしない。英語も読みやすいし、写真も多い。歴史事実に加えて、インドのハチャメチャなマハラジャ達のエピソードは実に楽しめるなあ。勿論、分割に端を発する大規模な民族移動、殺戮、混乱、そしてガンジー暗殺が描かれている。一団が80万にも及んだという難民集団とその悲惨な逃避行は想像を絶する。ヒンズー教徒、イスラム教徒、シーク教徒間の殺し合いの詳細な記述には圧倒された。　本書を読めば、現在でも何故インドとパキスタンの間でカシミール国境付近で軍事衝突が続いているのか、何故イギリスの街にはパキスタン人が目立つのか、雑貨屋（コンビニ）経営者は何故パキスタン人の親父さんばかりなのか、なんとなく分かってきます。この二人の著者の本は他の著作同様、決して読者の期待を裏切りません。ちょっと本は厚いけど、英語は行儀良いので、英書を楽しむよいトレーニングにもなります。

Excellent ce livre ! Mais un peu cher vu que ce n'est pas un livre récent. J'achèterai plus des mêmes auteurs si prix réduit.