The Bengalis: A Portrait of a Community
Sudeep Chakravarti
Portraits of a people are difficult to pull off, unless attempted with love, irony, and aplomb. Sudeep Chakravarti does not fall short on these counts in his whirlwind cultural, social and political history of the Bengalis, a community as notorious for its factiousness, chauvinism, and obstinate perseverance in self-harm as for its tolerance, cosmopolitanism, creativity and intellectual brilliance.
No Room for Small Dreams
Shimon Peres
In November 1993, a group of men crossed the Allenby Bridge from Israel to Jordan in disguise. Among them, foreign minister Shimon Peres, a distinguished statesman who had already served as prime minister, and worked with practically every Israeli prime minister since the nation was born. Yet, Peres had no qualms in putting on a fake moustache and a hat, as he travelled the distance, short in length, but very long in the making on the road to peace with Jordan.
You Cannot Miss This Flight: Essays on Emerging India
G.R. Gopinath
He chose R.K. Laxman’s ‘Common Man’ as his airline’s brand ambassador (there’s a delightful essay on this), while the common man remembers him still as a pioneer in the no-frills airline business. Air Deccan, his dream come true, may now be a part of aviation history, but the low-cost aviation dream continues to live on in India.
A Ringside Affair: Boxing’s Last Golden Age
James Lawton
Veteran sportswriter James Lawton was fortunate to cover nearly every significant bout in the final three decades of the 20th century. A Ringside Affair is Lawton’s record of boxing’s most enthralling era. The late 1970s to the early 2000s was dominated by heavyweights and welterweights. Both divisions were packed with quality fighters and charismatic personalities. This made for intense contests, and plenty of bizarre, memorable happenings both in and outside the ring.