'...it is well written, balanced and comprehensive. It splendidly incorporates the new work of the last twenty years as no one else has and it will be the starting point for everyone doing any work, from sixth forms upwards, on modern India.' D.A.Low

This work explores some of the constitutive elements in the life and mind of Bengal in the twentieth century. The author addresses some frequently unasked questions about the history of modern Bengal. In what way was twentieth-century Bengal different from 'Renaissance' Bengal of the late-nineteenth century? How was a regional identity consciousness redefined? Did the lineaments of politics in Bengal differ from the pattern in the rest of India? What social experiences drove the Muslim community's identity perception? How did Bengal cope with such crises as the impact of World War II, the famine of 1943 and the communal clashes that climaxed with the Calcutta riots of 1946? The author has chosen a significant period in the history of the region and draws on a wealth of sources archival and published documents, mainstream dailies, a host of rare Bengali magazines, memoirs and the literature of the time to tell his story. Looking closely at the momentous changes taking place in the region's economy, politics and socio-cultural milieu in the historically transformative years 1920-47, this book highlights myriad issues that cast a shadow on the decades that followed, arguably till our times.

Subhas Chandra Bose and his brother Sarat were among the most important leaders of the Indian struggle for independence. Brothers Against the Raj is the definitive biography of the Bose brothers, placing them in the context of the Indian freedom struggle and the turbulent international politics of the period. Leonard A. Gordon uses material gathered from archives, records and over 150 interviews he conducted with the brothers' political contemporaries and family members, as well as hundreds of unpublished letters, to bring to life once more two of India's most controversial leaders during one of the most significant epochs in Indian history. "[A] distinguished book... Mr. Gordon is a thorough scholar..." "one of the books of the year for 1990." "Gordon has done full justice to the Bose brothers, giving them their due and recounting their story in the context of the turbulent times in which they lived." "Professor Gordon has... conducted exhaustive and painstaking research and put its fruits into an eminently readable book. Besides, he has skilfully put the story of their lives into the context of the complex politics of India and Bengal of their times." "The author is a New Yorker but knows Calcutta well... The entire distinguished family seems to come alive as he writes, but he is careful to paint them with their warts intact." "[An] extraordinary, informative, and insightful study of Subhas and Sarat Bose." " I have found the book informative and absorbing. [ Gordon has] managed to combine empathy with objectivity- not an easy feat."

The Book Chronicles the stories of many of these inspiring women who rose to prominence during the daunting struggle against the biggest empire of the world, but never went astray from the path of non violence.