Gandhi: A Life

The aim of Gandhi: A Life as described by writer Yogesh Chadha is "[Reclaiming Gandhi] as a human being out of the many myths surrounding him." Chadha's method seems to consist mainly of a "frank" detailing of the Indian revolutionary leader's personal flaws. But the sheer amount of biographical data in this book is impressive. And the details of Gandhi's assassination in 1948 and the subsequent prosecution of his killers are extremely well researched.

In his introduction to the book, Chadha fleetingly suggests that Gandhi's significance to the liberation of India is overemphasized at the expense of his broader contributions to humanism, although the evidence presented later in the biography might indicate that the two are profoundly interconnected.

Making copious use of Gandhi's collected writings, Chadha presents a highly detailed portrait that lends new insight into one of the 20th century's most profound spiritual leaders.