Five Books On The Indian Independence Movement To Add To Your Shelf

The history of a nation is best encapsulated in its literature. As one goes through the pages of books, the struggles, the heroes and the sentiment of the time, all come alive. Books are accounts of lives lived, of battles fought, of the hopes and aspirations people held so dear. For all the book lovers, the upcoming Independence Day might just be another opportunity to delve into the comfort of a book that brings alive the glory, the pain and people of India's long struggle for Independence. Here are five books on India's independence movement that every book lover must read: 

1) India's Struggle for Independence : Written by historian Bipin Chandra, the book is a detailed overview of the Indian independence movement.  From the first war of independence that started with Mangal Pandey' to Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation and the civil disobedience movements, the book includes it all.

2) India Wins Freedom by Maulana Azad: The book takes the form of an autobiographical account of one of the architects of modern India, Maulana Azad. It the events that took place and ultimately led to the partition of India from the writer's perspective.

3) Without Fear: Authored by veteran Indian Journalist Kuldeep Nayar, the book takes a closer look the firebrand freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. The book explores both his sides-a passionate freedom-fighter and an intellectual inspired by the writings of Marx, Lenin, Bertrand Russell.

4) An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India by Shashi Tharoor: The book looks at the many ways in which the colonizers exploited India. The writer also demolishes the arguments of Western and Indian apologists for Empire on the benefits of British rule, including democracy and freedom. 

5) Subhash Chandra Bose by Hugh Toye: Written by British Army intelligence officer who worked in India and Burma during World War, the book, besides detailing the personality of Subhash Chandra Bose also offers important insights into nationalism and Europe-Asia relations.