An NPR Book of the Year A Seattle Times Book of the Year William E. Colby Award Winner “A beautifully written, deeply intelligent book about [a] crucial moment.” — Fareed Zakaria, CNN Nobody expected the liberation of India and birth of Pakistan to be so violent—it was supposed to be an answer to the dreams of Muslims and Hindus who had been ruled by the British for more than a century. But as the summer of 1947 approached, Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs were heavily armed and on edge after a year of riots and gang fighting, and the British rushed to leave. Hell broke loose. Trains carried Muslims west and Hindus east to their slaughter. Some of the most brutal and widespread ethnic cleansing in modern history erupted on both sides of the new border, searing a divide between India and Pakistan that remains a root cause of many of today’s most menacing security threats, from jihadi terrorism to nuclear proliferation. Based on major new sources, Nisid Hajari’s revelatory Midnight’s Furies lays out the searing truth about one of the world’s most momentous and least understood tragedies. “Fast-moving and highly readable . . . The story of what happens when a composite society comes apart.” — New York Times Book Review “Makes the complex and tragic story of the great divide into a page-turner.” — Guardian “Engaging and incisive . . . Hajari writes with grace, precision, and an unerring eye for detail. Midnight’s Furies is the best of recent offerings.” — Wall Street Journal

Midnight's Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India's Partition

History

Hajari, Nisid

Asia

Mariner Books

Named one of the best books of 2015 by NPR, Amazon, Seattle Times, and Shelf Awareness A few bloody months in South Asia during the summer of 1947 explain the world that troubles us today. Nobody expected the liberation of India and birth of Pakistan to be so bloody — it was supposed to be an answer to the dreams of Muslims and Hindus who had been ruled by the British for centuries. Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi’s protégé and the political leader of India, believed Indians were an inherently nonviolent, peaceful people. Pakistan’s founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was a secular lawyer, not a firebrand. But in August 1946, exactly a year before Independence, Calcutta erupted in street-gang fighting. A cycle of riots — targeting Hindus, then Muslims, then Sikhs — spiraled out of control. As the summer of 1947 approached, all three groups were heavily armed and on edge, and the British rushed to leave. Hell let loose. Trains carried Muslims west and Hindus east to their slaughter. Some of the most brutal and widespread ethnic cleansing in modern history erupted on both sides of the new border, searing a divide between India and Pakistan that remains a root cause of many evils. From jihadi terrorism to nuclear proliferation, the searing tale told in Midnight’s Furies explains all too many of the headlines we read today.

Houghton, mifflin, harcourt

midnight's furies: the deadly legacy of india's partition by hajari, nisid

midnight's furies: the deadly legacy of india's partition

Viking Penguin Random House USA

Amberley

Nobody expected the liberation of India and birth of Pakistan to be so bloody-it was supposed to be an answer to the dreams of Muslims and Hindus who had been ruled by the British for centuries. Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi's protege and the political leader of India, believed that Indians were an inherently nonviolent, peaceful people. Pakistan's founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was a secular lawyer, not a firebrand. But in August 1946, exactly a year before Independence, Calcutta erupted in street-gang fighting. A cycle of riots-targeting Hindus, then Muslims, then Sikhs-spiraled out of control. As the summer of 1947 approached, all three groups were heavily armed and on edge, and the British rushed to leave. Hell let loose. Trains carried Muslims west and Hindus east to their slaughter. Some of the most brutal and widespread ethnic cleansing in modern history erupted on both sides of the new border, searing a divide between India and Pakistan that remains a root cause of many evils. From jihadi terrorism to nuclear proliferation, the searing tale told in Midnight's Furies explains all too many of the headlines we read today.

Americas

Tantor Audio

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Hajari, Nisid. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Hajari, Nisid

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Hajari, Nisid. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Midnight's Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India's Partition

Midnight's Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India's Partition

midnight's furies: the deadly legacy of india's partition

Midnight's Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India's Partition

Midnight's Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India's Partition