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Taj Mahal Foxtrot-The Story of Bombay's Jazz Age
In 1935, a violinist from Minnesota named Leon Abbey brought the first 'all negro' jazz band to Bombay, leaving behind a legacy that would last three decades. In a decade, swing found its way onto the streets of India. It influenced Hindi film music: the very soundtrack of Indian life. The optimism of jazz became an important element in the tunes that echoed the hopes of newly independent India. This book tells a story of India, especially of the city of Bombay, through the lives of a menagerie of geniuses, strivers, and eccentrics, both Indian and American, who helped jazz find a home in the sweaty subcontinent. They include the burly African-American pianist Teddy Weatherford; the Goan trumpet player Frank Fernand, whose epiphanic encounter with Mahatma Gandhi drove him to try to give jazz an Indian voice; Chic Chocolate, who was known as' the Louis Armstrong of India'; Anthony Gonsalves, who lent his name to one of the most popular Bollywood tunes ever; and many more. Taj Mahal Foxtrot, at its heart, is a history of Bombay in swing time.
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The Red Sari
In the year 1965, Sonia Maino, a 19-year-old Italian student met a young Indian boy, Rajiv Gandhi, while they were both studying in Cambridge. She was born into a modest family in suburban Turin, where her father was a strict man who kept a close eye on his three daughters. Much to his chagrin, his painfully-shy middle daughter, of whom he was especially protective, fell in love with a man belonging the most powerful family in India. This marked the beginning of a story unlike any other-of a carefree Italian girl who was compelled to take on the murky world of rajneeti. With information sourced from close friends and colleagues, this book examines how Sonias courage, honesty and dedication have made her a leader in the eyes of one-sixth of humanity. From her idyllic childhood to her passionate love affair and from her days as a docile daughter-in-law to her current status of being the only Indian politician to have refused prime ministership - 'The Red Sari' tells the story of an extraordinary woman whose dreams of home, hearth and anonymous living were struck down by the hands of fate. This book examines the lives of the famous Nehru - Gandhi family set against the backdrop of the Bangladesh War, the Emergency, Operation Blue Star and other events that have shaped modern Indian history. Author Javier Moro, a tireless investigator, writes the true story of a naive young woman, confronted by the complicated and dangerous world of Indian politics and surrounded by the intrigues of a family that is both reviled and admired. About the Author Javier Moro is a Spanish author known for his best-selling books like Pasio?n India, which has been translated into seventeen languages. He has co-produced and written the screenplay for various films and has been awarded the Premio Planeta award for his novel El imperio eres tu (The Empire, Its You).
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Bal Thackeray & the Rise of the Shiv Sena
How did a quiet, unassuming cartoonist at one of Indias leading newspapers transform into the fire-breathing chief of a militant political outfit? How did his essentially sons-of-the-soil movement take Mumbai by storm in the 1960s with its demands for the Marathi peoples employment rights and attacks on South Indians and the Communists? How did he make the shift from an aggressive Maharashtrianism to strident Hindutva to become one of the major players in Indian politics? What explains his control over Indias financial capital, his capture of power in Indias industrial powerhouse, Maharashtra, and his ability to win over the minds of millions and to strike fear in so many hearts? How did he and his Shiv Sena establish sway over the multi-crore film industry and, with its longstanding alliance with the BJP, become a subject of intense curiosity all over India and even in Pakistan? This book tells the complete story of Bal Thackeray and the rise, fall and split of the Shiv Sena. It examines Thackeray the person and his intriguing political personality, his partys militaristic methods of operation, its controversial role at major junctures, the fight between Thackerays nephew Raj and son Uddhav, the end of an era in Maharashtra politics after his death in November 2012 and the future of the Shiv Sena without his imposing presence. A must-read for an understanding of contemporary Indian politics and the rise of the Hindu nationalist phenomenon.
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Beyond the Lines: An Autobiography
As a young law graduate in Sialkot (now in Pakistan), Kuldip Nayar witnessed at first hand the collapse of trust between Hindus and Muslims who were living together for generations, and like multitude of population he was forced to migrate to Delhi across the blood-stained plains of Punjab. From his perilous journey to a new country and to his first job as a young journalist in an Urdu daily, Nayars account is also the story of India. From his days as a young journalist in Anjam to heading Indias foremost news agency, UNI and from mainstream journalism to starting his now immensely popular syndicated column, Between the Lines, Nayar has always stood for the freedom of press and journalism of courage. Widely respected for his columns, his autobiography opens on the day Pakistan Resolution was passed in Lahore in 1940 and takes us on a journey through Indias story of a nation working on its foreign policy, development plans, relations with neighbouring countries, and dealing with coalition politics among others. From events of historical and political relevance like Tashkent Declaration and the 1971 war and the liberation of Bangladesh, to interviewing Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Mujibur Rahman and from meeting Pakistans father of nuclear bomb, Dr A.Q. Khan, to his close association with Lal Bahadur Shastri and Jayaprakash Narayan, Nayars narrative is a detailed inside view of our nations past and present.
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Added Value : The Life Stories Of Indian Business
This inspirational book combines invaluable advice with remarkable and candid inside stories of thirty Indian business leaders. Uncompromising vision, a willingness to take risks and exceptional business acumen enabled these leaders to add value to the business fabric of India. Through a series of interviews Peter Church details the paths they travelled, the obstacles they overcame and the important lessons they learnt along the way. Not only do these stories provide guidance to young entrepreneurs trying to decide whether and how to embark upon a business career, but they also provide valuable insights to those looking for tie-ups and investment in India. Enlightening and fascinating, Added Value celebrates larger-than-life-ambition, inspired leadership, hard work and the twists and turns of fate.
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Dongri To Dubai
Dongri to Dubai is the first ever attempt to chronicle the history of the Mumbai mafia. It is the story of notorious gangsters like Haji Mastan, Karim Lala, Varadarajan Mudaliar, Chhota Rajan, Abu Salem, but above all, it is the story of a young man who went astray despite having a father in the police force. Dawood Ibrahim was initiated into crime as a pawn in the hands of the Mumbai police and went on to wipe out the competition and eventually became the Mumbai police’s own nemesis. The narrative encompasses several milestones in the history of crime in India, from the rise of the Pathans, formation of the Dawood gang, the first ever supari, mafia’s nefarious role in Bollywood, Dawood’s move to Karachi, and Pakistan’s subsequent alleged role in sheltering one of the most wanted persons in the world. This story is primarily about how a boy from Dongri became a don in Dubai, and captures his bravado, cunningness, focus, ambition, and lust for power in a gripping narrative. The meticulously researched book provides an in-depth and comprehensive account of the mafia’s games of supremacy and internecine warfare.
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Men Of Steel.
These are in-depth profiles of India's biggest business barons. These are the men who are powering the new India's leap into the 21st Century; the faces behind the great Indian success story. You'll find them all here. The traditional big names of Indian insutry; Ratan Tata and Kumar Mangalam Birla. The new gurus of information technology; Nandan Nilekani and Azim Premji. The wizards of the sunrise entertainment and telephony sector: Sunil Bharati Mittal, Sunhash Chandra and Rajeev Chadrasekhan... And many more.