Rating: 
Summary: Insightful
Review: I read Nehru's treatise once when I was in 10th grade and appreciated little of it. I chanced upon the book again recently and decided to hash out the book from the first page to last. I was very impressed with his deep and insightful interpretation of various historical events in the 5 millenia long history of my country, and of his objective portrayal of the same. He was not overtly parochial as I suspected he would be, but was critical of my countrymen and of our culture and their actions when necessary, and lauded their actions when they were justified. Particularly interesting to me were his writings on the social evolution of our caste system, which is said to be a great problem, and is constantly criticized (particularly by the you-know-who's of the western world). However, Nehru showed that, the system in it's ancient and present forms are dogma-induced perversions of it's intended goal, which was to provide checks and balances to racial and class-based divisions that plagued other "more civilized" Hellenic and Saxonic/Nordic societies in Europe (he also pointed out that the caste system enabled ancient Indians to avoid the sick barbarity of the mass slavery of other human beings with minds and thoughts like our own, something which all civilizations other than India and those in the Far East have practiced on a nauseatingly copious scale). Also, I was impressed by his organized portrayal of the British Raj which, by all accounts other than those of the Europeans, was a savage massacre and rape of our land and people to satisfy the Anglo-Saxon bloodlust (while it did have a small number of benefits, it did not justify the claim of "Pax Brittanica"). If I were to paraphrase the British occupation based on his writings, I would have to say that his contention was that, while the British enslaved our people in order to "civilize" us, we wound up civilizing them, as, in the final analysis, they were amenable to reason and dialogue and consequently we were able to sue for our freedon through civil disobedience rather than wage bloody wars for it like other countries like the United States were forced to do.
However, one criticism for this work is that Nehru has often been a tad shaky on his facts. One might argue, of course, that his main intention was not to provide a litany of names and dates, but explanations and interpretations. But one must remember that history is a science as much as it is an art, and the scientific method entails detailed records of all the facts before providing an interpretation of them. Nehru is a little deficient on this. For example, he summarizes the spectacular rise of the Mauryan Empire in just 1 paragraph, without describing the palace intrigues that lead Kautilya to engineer the rather dramatic fall of the Nanda Dynasty and crown Sandracottus/Chandragupta Maurya as the Emperor after driving out the Celucid Greeks. He only touches the interesting bits about the invasions of Demetrius and the Scythians and Huns (though he does mention Mihiragula the Horrible), the mistreatment of the Buddhist monks by the Sunga Kings, and the grand achievements of the Gupta Empire that entail all that is finest about our people even to this day. Also, his portrayal of Muslim rule in India is somewhat biased, and he only describes the bad bits, such as the jizya and the pagan tyranny of Aurangzeb while glossing over the good bits during the reigns Emperors Akbar, Jehangir and all those chaps who tried to build bridges between Hindus and Muslims. He did not write about the reletavily progressive outlook of Indian Muslims (relative to the Persians and Afghans of that time) that laid to the establishment of the Ghulami (Slave) Dynasty in the Sultanate, when Iltutmish, a poor slave, rose in the ranks to become an Emperor, or of our first Empress, Razia al-Din (although the incompetence of the Tughlaq dynasty negated much of that later).
All in all, though, I'm glad I read this book as I know more about my roots than I did before.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing and Uplifting
Review: Written by Jawaharlal Nehru for his daughter Indira, this book is an introduction to the history of India as well as an insight into Nehru's political vision during the fight for Independance.
The narrative framework is that of Nehru's stay in prison, which gives him time to write and look back on the history of the sub-continent, and on the Nationalist movement.
I find this work simply amazing. Nehru doesn't just tackle a few centuries of "Indian" (he actually speaks about a lot more than the present days India) history, he tries to offer a panorama through the ages, from the Indus Civilization (just discovered a decade or so ago at the time) to his entry in history. This history of India is eminently political, as the title proves it, since Nehru invites us to discover India, an entity that did not formaly exist yet. His presentation of the sub-continent's history aims at : doing justice to the incredible richness of the indian past and culture that was overlooked by the British (see MacCauley for instance), creating a history of the subcontinent as a "unified whole" (from Asoka to the Mughals and the British), and finally, summing up the nationalist movement's history.
However biased Nehru's view may be, his presentation of the facts is incredibly compelling and classifies this text as an uplifting testimony of his political views. No matter how much one knows about the more objective history of India, it is impossible to resist partaking in his dream of a unified country. This view might be criticized as imperialistic or just unrealistic since he thought of India as India + Pakistan + Bangladesh, nevertheless when reading this book it is possible to forget everything about history and share a bit of the fiever that animated Indian Nationalists of the Congress.
I find this book extremely informative as much in terms of Nehru's views as in terms of history. However you will need another source on the history to balance Nehru's unifying enthusiasm, for instance India a History by Keay is a very good read as well as an information packed volume (with nice photos).
As a final word I'd say that Nehru's take on the history of Islam in India is very intelligent in its attempts to minimize and expalin the gap that was starting to increase dramatically between the Congress and the Muslim League and is useful when trying to understand the origins of the Muslim/Hindu clash (here again, other sources are needed, but it's still worth taking in consideration).
Rating:
Summary: A Father's Gift
Review: A number of reviewers have noted that Discovery of India and Glimpses of World History were written during the years Nehru languished in British custody for sedition and civil disobedience. What none of them, nor the publisher, have pointed out is that these books were culled from hundreds of letters that Nehru wrote to his daughter, Indira (Gandhi), then in her teens and early twenties. As a forcibly absentee father, Nehru wanted both to explain his absences and play a role in her life and upbringing. The letters were his gift to her - an indication of his love and caring and a way to educate her in his world view. If the books seem romanticized, that is why. If they seem personal, that is why. And if they seem subjective, that is also why. They were not intended for publication. These were love letters from a father to his daughter to explain the world to her and her place in it, as he saw it. They imparted to the future Prime Minister of India a sense of nationalism, love for country and a belief in democracy, as well as an intimate understanding of politics and working the levers of power. These books are far more than an intellectual exploration of Indian and world history; they were the seeds from which modern Indian history grew. A precious gift, indeed.
Rating:
Summary: History as a great gift to children
Review: Henry Ford should have read this book. He might not have said "History is bunk!" Nehru narrates the history of the world in this gripping story of India from ancient times of the Vedas to the on-going second world war at the time this book was written. Nehru's pragmatism brings home the relevance of history without ever letting the reader take refuge in it to blame the shortcomings of the present. Nehru's scholarly view of the world is a pleasure to read because they are always interspersed with his fascinating experiences of the real world of politics. How many men can write about why he declined an invitation "from Signor Mussolini" and discuss the Upanishads in the same book? Quoting extensively, from Plato to Emerson, Nehru comes across as a brilliant friend from India who has dropped in for a chat in your living room. Reading this book makes you wish for such scholars to succeed in the world of politics. It is especially relevant to us in America where the level of public discussion has reached an all time low with talk-radio and TV. Reading Nehru is a great exercise in understanding how not be boring when discussing esoteric subjects like the Persian civilization, or how the Greeks managed to hold on to thier tradition and at the same time embrace Christianity. Reading 'The Discovery Of India' is sure to make you a very wise person, and at the same time very interesting.
Rating:
Summary: History as a great gift to children
Review: Henry Ford should have read this book. He might not have said "History is bunk!" Nehru narrates the history of the world in this gripping story of India from ancient times of the Vedas to the on-going second world war at the time this book was written. Nehru's pragmatism brings home the relevance of history without ever letting the reader take refuge in it to blame the shortcomings of the present. Nehru's scholarly view of the world is a pleasure to read because they are always interspersed with his fascinating experiences of the real world of politics. How many men can write about why he declined an invitation "from Signor Mussolini" and discuss the Upanishads in the same book? Quoting extensively, from Plato to Emerson, Nehru comes across as a brilliant friend from India who has dropped in for a chat in your living room. Reading this book makes you wish for such scholars to succeed in the world of politics. It is especially relevant to us in America where the level of public discussion has reached an all time low with talk-radio and TV. Reading Nehru is a great exercise in understanding how not be boring when discussing esoteric subjects like the Persian civilization, or how the Greeks managed to hold on to thier tradition and at the same time embrace Christianity. Reading 'The Discovery Of India' is sure to make you a very wise person, and at the same time very interesting.
Rating:
Summary: the best book I ever read.Simply superb.
Review: I bought the book 30 years ago.Hower I read this book just recently, when I happened to glance other reviews while I was browsing thru.Amazon.com for something else.I did not realise all these years, how simple it is to learn about India's past until I read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: I had heard quite a bit about this book, but never had a chance to read it until very recently. I must say I was highly impressed by it. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India was a thorough intellectual. His narration of history and knowledge about India is excellent. Since he was a nationalist, and also because this book was written while he was in prison, the author's intense dislike for the British do come out oftentimes in his narration of history. However the author himself is aware of it and acknowledges it. Though western educated, Jawaharlal Nehru had an intense love and hope for India. An extremely well read man, this book while giving a very good outline of India's history and past, also serves to provide the readers with Nehru's own philosophy of life and is thus autobiographical at times. This lends it an unique flavour and makes its reading even more enjoyable. While Nehru took intense pride in India's rich heritage, he always emphasised that we cannot live in the past. His dreams and hopes for India as a forward looking, modern and tolerant nation fostering peace and co operation in the world are pretty well brought out in the book. Intensely nationalistic, he was always careful that nationalism does not degenerate into the narrow variety, the type which inevitably does more harm than good. Whether one agrees with his views or not, one can't help admiring the man and developing a respect for him. Overall this book is in many ways a very enjoyable, informative and profound read. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about India.
Rating:
Summary: History as a great gift to children
Review: I wrote this review a couple of days ago. I noticed a grammatical error. I have corrected it in this version. If you can, please re-post this. Review: Henry Ford should have read this book. He might not have said "History is bunk!" Nehru narrates the history of the world in this gripping story of India from ancient times of the Vedas to the on-going second world war at the time this book was written. Nehru's pragmatism brings home the relevance of history without ever letting the reader take refuge in it to blame the shortcomings of the present. Nehru's scholarly views of the world are a pleasure to read because they are always interspersed with his fascinating experiences of the real world of politics. How many men can write about why he declined an invitation "from Signor Mussolini" and discuss the Upanishads in the same book? Quoting extensively, from Plato to Emerson, Nehru comes across as a brilliant friend from India who has dropped in for a chat in your living room. Reading this book makes you wish for such scholars to succeed in the world of politics. It is especially relevant to us in America where the level of public discussion has reached an all time low with talk-radio and TV. Reading Nehru is a great exercise in understanding how not be boring when discussing esoteric subjects like the Persian civilization, or how the Greeks managed to hold on to thier tradition and at the same time embrace Christianity. Reading 'The Discovery Of India' is sure to make you a very wise person, and at the same time very interesting.
Rating:
Summary: A personal, gentle introduction to the history of India
Review: India has changed a lot since this book was written in the mid 1940s. But for an informative, entertaining narrative of Indian history from 5000 BC - 1947 AD, read this book. Mostly completed during his long stays in the prison (while working with Gandhi to free India from British rule), this book is a brilliant masterpiece. Period. The narration tneds to be sometimes personal and sometimes subjective. The writing is excellent when you think about the author who was a lawyer and a politician. I would recommend this book to anybody trying to "figure" out India or Indians or the Indian pysche.
Rating:
Summary: This book is just wonderful
Review: Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India has provided a wonderful review of pre-independent India. I would gift this book to my son on his 10th birthday
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