The Life of Mahatma Gandhi

Rating:
Summary: A Great Book
Review: Louis Fischer does his subject justice with a fine account of Gandhi's life. Despite the long duration of the Mahatma's struggle, the author keeps the book interesting pretty much throughout. Fischer's two first hand accounts of his meetings with Gandhi serve as a plesent break in the course of the book, giving it greater life, as well as providing a more personal insight into Gandhi. Thankfully the author remains well clear of blind adoration for the man, highlighting both his flaws and weaknesses. The only short coming is that the book was written before the rise of M.L. King and Nelson Mandela, thus fails to address the full influence Gandhi had and will have beyond India. Overall, I whole heartedly recommend this book of such an important subject, which was also the inspiration for the film.

Rating:
Summary: If you want to learn Gandhi, this is how
Review: This particular biography of the Mahatama is insightful and powerfully written. Fischer analyses Gandhi in a way that allows you to discover Gandhi for yourself and see connections between the world in which Gandhi lived and the man he became. It provides numerous insights that Gandhi's own humility may not have allowed him in his own autobiography. It does start out kind of slow, but Fischer's analysis of Gandhi picks up momentum after the first few chapters and becomes a page turner. Highly inspiring for those who want to further understand Gandhi's views and see them in relation to the world. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Gandhi close-up
Review: This, by any standards, is a remarkable story of a remarkable man, and of course part of the history of India's struggle for independence. All this makes it a compelling read. Fischer details Gandhi's struggle against the South African government, and then the fight against British rule in India. But as important was the problem of Indian national identity - was there any such thing, and was the road to Partition inevitable?

I couldn't help but reflect that Britain was very fortunate in facing an adversary like Gandhi - the end of British rule might have been even more messy and bloody than it was had it not been for his influence. Could any other culture have produced a figure such as Gandhi, who recognised the damage that imperialism did both to India and to the British.

Fischer's biography was published originally in 1951, only three years after the death of Gandhi. This adds value to the work, not least because the author met Gandhi on a few occasions and was able to add accounts of these meetings enliven his book. To be fair, this is a much more balanced view of Gandhi than I expected. Although Fischer's writing comes close to the hagiographic at times, he manages largely successfully to avoid going over-the-top.

Perhaps what is lacking is a sense of distance and context. I was not looking for a biography which either attacked Gandhi or tried to debunk his reputation, but as he said himself, he was no saint. Perhaps a different biographer would have been able to assess Gandhi's role and influence (both in India and South Africa) more dispassionately.

But that is to quibble. This book is still well worth the read.

G Rodgers