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Profiles in Power
Gandhi
Gandhi's is an extraordinary and compelling story. Few individuals in history have made so great a mark upon their times. And yet Gandhi never held high political office, commanded no armies and was not even a compelling orator. His 'power' therefore makes a particularly fascinating subject for investigation. David Arnold explains how and why the shy student and affluent lawyer became one of the most powerful anti-colonial figures Western empires in Asia ever faced and why he aroused such intense affection, loyalty (and at times much bitter hatred) among Indians and Westerners alike. Attaching as much influence to the idea and image of Gandhi as to the man himself, Arnold sees Gandhi not just as a Hindu saint but as a colonial subject, whose attitudes and experiences expressed much that was common to countless others in India and elsewhere who sought to grapple with the overwhelming power and cultural authority of the West.
A vivid and highly readable introducation to Gandhi's life and times, Arnold's book opens up fascinating insights into one of the twentieth century's most remarkable men.
A vivid and highly readable introducation to Gandhi's life and times, Arnold's book opens up fascinating insights into one of the twentieth century's most remarkable men.
284 pages, Paperback
First published August 21, 2001
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About the author
David Arnold
131 books22 followersDavid Arnold is professor emeritus of Asian and global history in the Department of History at the University of Warwick. Among his numerous works are Science, Technology and Medicine in Colonial India; Gandhi; and The Tropics and the Traveling Gaze: India, Landscape, and Science, 1800–1856.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 13, 2011
This book is more a meta-biography of Gandhi as a political figure than a straight-forward account of his life, but a recent-ish viewing of the Attenborough film and a thorough reading of his Wikipedia page should be enough to keep less knowledgeable readers such as myself from feeling too lost in the woods.
Since there are something like 400 biographies of Gandhi to choose from, I would recommend this one to people already reasonably knowledgeable about the arc of his life, and looking for a compact volume of critical analysis about Gandhi.
Since there are something like 400 biographies of Gandhi to choose from, I would recommend this one to people already reasonably knowledgeable about the arc of his life, and looking for a compact volume of critical analysis about Gandhi.
August 23, 2023
I had the pleasure of reading Professor Arnold's Gandhi and Gandhism course at SOAS from 1992-1993. I recalled a lot of the contradictions he spoke about in this wonderful book.
Arnold says that "Gandhi belongs to everyone - and yet to nobody" (13). This is makes it so much easier to understand, confused, enlightened and bemused by the things that he did or said.
Gandhi was a contradiction partly because he had both the ability to make water flow uphill and still have the temerity to learn, reflect, and adapt his thinking and actions.
My experiments with truth and Mien Kampf were published in 1925. Nothing epitomises the uniqueness of his character than these two most contrasting autobiographies.
He understood people, their motivations and emotions better than most. This is a gift for any leader of people. To stand at the helm for so many decades with fresh ideas, campaigns and movement is exhausting to follow yet so uplifting.
This is a superb starting point from which the jump to Ramachandra Guha's excellent two-volume biography of Gandhi. I will get around to finally reading Judith Brown's book as well as fuller history of India's march to independence.
Enjoy!
Arnold says that "Gandhi belongs to everyone - and yet to nobody" (13). This is makes it so much easier to understand, confused, enlightened and bemused by the things that he did or said.
Gandhi was a contradiction partly because he had both the ability to make water flow uphill and still have the temerity to learn, reflect, and adapt his thinking and actions.
My experiments with truth and Mien Kampf were published in 1925. Nothing epitomises the uniqueness of his character than these two most contrasting autobiographies.
He understood people, their motivations and emotions better than most. This is a gift for any leader of people. To stand at the helm for so many decades with fresh ideas, campaigns and movement is exhausting to follow yet so uplifting.
This is a superb starting point from which the jump to Ramachandra Guha's excellent two-volume biography of Gandhi. I will get around to finally reading Judith Brown's book as well as fuller history of India's march to independence.
Enjoy!
December 12, 2019
I would have been content just reading the conclusion at the end as it sums up the whole book in a few pages.
A lot of info without much insight overall.
A lot of info without much insight overall.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews