Gandhi Before India

A New York Times Notable Book and a San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year

A revelatory work of biography, Gandhi Before India is an illuminating portrait of the life, the work, and the historical context of one of the most abidingly influential—and controversial—men in modern history. From Gandhi’s birth in 1869, through his upbringing in Gujarat and his years as a student in London, to his two decades as a lawyer and community organizer in South Africa, acclaimed author Ramachandra Guha brings the past to light with extraordinary grace and clarity. Drawing on a wealth of newly uncovered materials, Gandhi Before India strips away the myths that have sprung up around the Mahatma to uncover the remarkable story of how Gandhi came of age abroad, and how he set the stage for his return to India.

• Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World, 1914-1948
• India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy
• Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment
• The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
• Mohandas K. Gandhi, Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth
• These Truths: A History of the United States
• Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom
• World War II at Sea: A Global History
• My Struggle: Book Six
• Presidents of War