This is a compelling biography of one of India's most controversial and consequential public figures. V.K. Krishna Menon continues to command our attention not just because he was Jawaharlal Nehru's confidant and soulmate but also for many of his own political and literary accomplishments. A relentless crusader for Indian independence in the UK in the 1930s and 1940s, he was a global star at the United Nations in the 1950s before he was forced to resign as defence minister in the wake of the India-China war of 1962. Meticulously researched and based entirely on new archival material, this book reveals Krishna Menon in all his capabilities and contradictions. It is also a rich history of the tumultuous times in which he lived and which he did so much to shape.
Jairam Ramesh is a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, representing Karnataka. As a member of the Indian National Congress, Ramesh held several Ministerial portfolios during the United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA) decade-long government — leading the ministries for Rural Development (2011-2014), Drinking Water and Sanitation (2011-2013), Environment and Forests (2009-2011, Union Minister of State — Independent Charge), Commerce and Power (2008-09, Union Minister of State), and Commerce (2006-2009, Union Minister of State). Besides this, in his capacity as an economist and policy expert, he was the advisor to the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister on several issues. He has also served in the Planning Commission of India, Ministry of Industry, and the Advisory Board on Energy, Cabinet Secretariat.
Gautam Chikermane, Vice-President, Observer Research Foundation
Jairam Ramesh, Member of Parliament, India
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