- Hardcover: 400 pages
- Publisher: Little, Brown & Company; 1st Edition edition (24 Aug 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0316729817
- ISBN-13: 978-0316729819
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.6 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 201,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
'IN SPITE OF THE GODS is without question the best book yet written on New India: witty, clear and accessible yet minutely researched and confidently authoritative. Edward Luce has proved himself an affectionate and unusually perceptive observer of the Indian scene' William Dalrymple
Professor Amartya Sen, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics
'Not only fun to read, it is also a deeply insightful account of contemporary India . . . A fine introduction'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent overview of contemporary India,
By mrs_chefe "mrs_chefe" (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India (Hardcover)
Edward Luce's style is clear and concise, producing a readable and informative book based on his personal experience of living in India and working as a journalist for the FT. He offers his insight into how modern India has evolved out of the policies of Gandhi and Nehru; its relationship to the rest of the world and its uneasy connection with Pakistan.He describes how British rule introduced a bureaucracy which has developed into one with considerable power within the country; frequently to the disadvantage of the poorest in society who are unable to benefit from government interventions aimed at supporting them as funds are invariably diverted into the pockets of the burra sahibs. He gives an illuminating account of the rise of the BJP and its influence on the Hindu-Muslim relationship. All is not quite as it seems, however, and he also describes the inter relationship of various Muslim groups and the complicated political manoeuvring between the parties that this produces. Whether you agree with everything he writes, it is a great insight into how India is developing into a super power along with China, which will alter the balance of world power in the 21st century. If you have an interest in India and its status in today's world, this is an excellent book to invest time with.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
In spite of the Detail,
By
This review is from: In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India (Hardcover)
Whatever your views on his perspective, this is a well researched and, most of the time, a superbly written book. I add the clause because I felt that sometimes the detail got in the way of the flow of the prose. Some reviews have criticized Luce's use of interviews but these feel truthful; and writing from experience gives a book a depth that 'facts' along cannot.When the book takes off in chapters 4 and 5 it is amongst the most lucid accounts I have read about India. It chimes with my experience and explains some of the progress I have seen in Delhi and how individual politicians can make a difference. If there is any chance of a paperback version perhaps some thought should be given to some judicious editing because I feel that amidst the detail there is an absolute classic, admittedly more personal, account of modern India trying to get out.
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Only Scrapes the Surface,
By Parvati P. (London) - See all my reviews
This review is from: In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India (Hardcover)
Edward Luce has written a very readable uptodate account. He has done his research and sometimes produces some interesting analysis, although he sometimes goes alarmingly far back in history to make some points. However I get the feeling he spent too much time interviewing the political and business elites, and did not really see the rise of the middle class in the towns. Hence he does not understand the true India and what makes it ticks. He makes the point that its not `the economy, stupid' that matters in India, but the politics. Actually, its not `the politics, stupid' it is the society, and he has little insight into this.Luce makes some interesting comparisons with China and has an illuminating chapter on foreign affairs but his shopping-list of recommendations on how to put India on the right track domestically are simply laughable, and even downright arrogant, displaying a complete disregard for how the electorate might perceive any of his recommendations, eg. increasing the price of electricity and water. The now defunct and discredited Enron went bellyup in India under just such a delusion, and he, as a Financial Times journalist should know this.
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