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{{Short description|Book by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins}} | |||
{{For|the album by David Benoit|Freedom at Midnight (album)}} | {{For|the album by David Benoit|Freedom at Midnight (album)}} | ||
{{Infobox book | {{Infobox book | ||
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'''''Freedom at Midnight''''' (1975) is a | '''''Freedom at Midnight''''' (1975) is a book by [[Larry Collins (writer)|Larry Collins]] and [[Dominique Lapierre]] about the events surrounding the [[Indian independence movement]] and [[Partition of India|partition]]. It details the last year of the [[British Raj]], from 1947 to 1948, beginning with the appointment of [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma|Lord Mountbatten of Burma]] as the last [[viceroy]] of British India, and ending with [[Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi|the death]] and funeral of [[Mahatma Gandhi]]. | ||
==Content== | ==Content== | ||
The book provides a detailed account of the last year of the [[British Raj]]; the reactions of [[Princely states of India|princely states]] towards independence, including descriptions of the colourful and extravagant lifestyles of the Indian princes; the [[Partition of India|partition]] of British India (into [[India]] and [[Pakistan]]) on religious grounds; and the bloodshed that followed.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Gray |first=Paul |date=27 October 1975 |title=Books: The Long Goodbye |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,913599,00.html |magazine=Time}}</ref> | The book provides a detailed account of the last year of the [[British Raj]]; the reactions of [[Princely states of India|princely states]] towards independence, including descriptions of the colourful and extravagant lifestyles of the Indian princes; the [[Partition of India|partition]] of British India (into [[India]] and [[Pakistan]]) on religious grounds; and the bloodshed that followed.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Gray |first=Paul |date=27 October 1975 |title=Books: The Long Goodbye |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,913599,00.html |magazine=Time }}{{Dead link|date=March 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> | ||
There is a description of [[Shimla]], the British [[Summer capital|summertime capital]] in the [[Himalayas]], and how supplies were carried up steep mountains by porters each year. Also covered in detail are the events leading to the [[assassination of Mahatma Gandhi]], as well as the life and motives of [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] and [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]]. | There is a description of [[Shimla]], the British [[Summer capital|summertime capital]] in the [[Himalayas]], and how supplies were carried up steep mountains by porters each year. Also covered in detail are the events leading to the [[assassination of Mahatma Gandhi]], as well as the life and motives of [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] and [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]]. | ||
Regarding partition, the book—providing maps of [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]], and [[Kashmir]]—relates that the crucial maps setting the [[Radcliffe Line|boundary separating India and Pakistan]] were drawn that year by [[Cyril Radcliffe]], who had not visited India before being appointed as the chairman of the [[Boundary Commissions (United Kingdom)|Boundary Commission]]. The book depicts the fury of both [[Hindus]] and [[Muslims in India|Muslims]], misled by their communal leaders, during the partition; and the biggest [[Mass murder|mass slaughter]] in the history of India, as millions of people were uprooted by the partition and tried to migrate by [[train]], oxcart, and on foot to new places designated for their particular religious group. Many migrants fell victim to bandits and religious extremists of both dominant religions. One incident quoted describes a canal in [[Lahore]] that ran with blood and floating bodies. | Regarding partition, the book—providing maps of [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]], and [[Kashmir]]—relates that the crucial maps setting the [[Radcliffe Line|boundary separating India and Pakistan]] were drawn that year by [[Cyril Radcliffe]], who had not visited India before being appointed as the chairman of the [[Boundary Commissions (United Kingdom)|Boundary Commission]]. The book depicts the fury of both [[Hindus]] and [[Muslims in India|Muslims]], misled by their communal leaders, during the partition; and the biggest [[Mass murder|mass slaughter]] in the history of India, as millions of people were uprooted by the partition and tried to migrate by [[train]], oxcart, and on foot to new places designated for their particular religious group. Many migrants fell victim to bandits and religious extremists of both dominant religions. One incident quoted describes a canal in [[Lahore]] that ran with blood and floating bodies. | ||
The book is told casually, similar to the authors' previous works, ''[[Is Paris Burning? (book)|Is Paris Burning?]]'' and ''[[O Jerusalem!]]''. | |||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
The authors interviewed | The authors interviewed some people related to the events, including a focus on [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma|Lord Mountbatten of Burma]].<ref name="JAS">{{cite journal |last=Gordon |first=Leonard A. | authorlink =Leonard A. Gordon|date=August 1976 |title=Book review: Freedom at Midnight |journal=[[The Journal of Asian Studies]] |publisher=University of Cambridge Press |volume=35 |issue=4 |doi=10.2307/2053703|jstor=2053703 }}</ref> They subsequently wrote a book based on their research on the British officer, titled ''[[Mountbatten and the Partition of India]]'', containing interviews with Mountbatten and a selection of papers in his possession.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Krishan |first=Y |date=February 1983 |title=Mountbatten and the Partition of India |journal=[[History (journal)|History]] |publisher=[[Historical Association]] |volume=68 |issue=222 |pages=22–38 |doi=10.1111/j.1468-229X.1983.tb01396.x}}</ref> | ||
==Reception== | |||
''Freedom at Midnight'' aroused controversy for portraying the British [[expatriate]]s, the native rulers of India, and members of India's first cabinet.<ref name="JAS" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Brasted |first1=H. V. |last2=Bridge |first2=Carl |date=1994 |title=The transfer of power in South Asia: An historiographical review |journal=South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=93–114 |doi=10.1080/00856409408723200}}</ref> [[James Cameron (journalist)|James Cameron]] described it as the result of deep research into events often neglected by other historians.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Cameron|first1=James|date=October 26, 1975|title=Book Review: Freedom at Midnight|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C07E5D61630E23ABC4E51DFB667838E669EDE|magazine=New York Times Book Review|accessdate=22 November 2014}}</ref> | |||
The book was criticised as "misleading," "biased," and "yellow journalism."<ref name="b713">{{cite book | title=Parlance | publisher=O.P. Shah | issue=v. 9, no. 4 | year=1985 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=km5DAAAAYAAJ | access-date=2024-07-30 | page=26}}</ref><ref name="t236">{{cite book | title=The Concept | publisher=Raja Afsar Khan | issue=v. 2 | year=1982 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fp9tAAAAMAAJ | page=20|quote=Freedom at Midnight " . It is no doubt a biased one - sided book}}</ref> Earl Drake found the book's illustration of [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy]] "totally biased."<ref name="y698">{{cite book | title=A Stubble-jumper in Striped Pants: Memoirs of a Prairie Diplomat | publisher=University of Toronto Press | year=1999 | isbn=978-0-8020-4464-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N_ihLMivwyMC&pg=PA56 | page=56}}</ref> Journalist Shyam Ratna Gupta remarked, "One might ask, did the authors intend to provide us with fictional documentation, politico-historical gossip, or pop journalism on events and personalities of that time?"<ref name="k246">{{cite book | title=Indian and Foreign Review | publisher=Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India | issue=v. 13 | year=1975 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DGpDAAAAYAAJ | page=26}}</ref> | |||
Gopal Godse demanded a ban on the book for claiming that [[Vinayak Damodar Savarkar]] and [[Nathuram Godse]] had a homosexual relationship. Gopal Godse had challenged Collins and Lapierre to "produce any evidence" to substantiate their version.<ref name="p215">{{cite web | title=March 19, 1976, Forty Years Ago: Book Ban Sought | website=The Indian Express | date=2016-03-19 | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/forty-years-ago-book-ban-sought-mahatma-gandhi-nathuram-godse/}}</ref> | |||
This book was one of the inspirations for the | ==Adaptations== | ||
This book was one of the inspirations for the 2017 film ''[[Viceroy's House (film)|Viceroy's House]]''.<ref name="SMH">Maddox, Garry. 17 May 2017. "[http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/how-prince-charles-steered-filmmaker-gurinder-chadha-to-make-viceroys-house-20170511-gw2sv1.html How Prince Charles steered filmmaker Gurinder Chadha to make Viceroy's House]." ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]''.</ref> [[Freedom at Midnight (web series)|''Freedom at Midnight'']], the 2024 Hindi-language historical drama [[web series]] directed by [[Nikkhil Advani]] and produced by [[SonyLIV]], is adapted from the book.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-01-30 |title='Freedom at Midnight': Nikkhil Advani begins shooting for SonyLIV series |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/freedom-at-midnight-nikkhil-advani-begins-shooting-for-sonyliv-series/article67792436.ece |access-date=2024-07-31 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
{{Authority control}} | |||
[[Category:1975 non-fiction books]] | [[Category:1975 non-fiction books]] | ||
[[Category:History books about India]] | [[Category:History books about India]] | ||
[[Category:Books about British India]] | [[Category:Books about British India]] | ||
[[Category:Books about foreign relations of the United Kingdom]] | [[Category:Books about foreign relations of the United Kingdom]] | ||
[[Category:William Collins, Sons books]] | [[Category:William Collins, Sons books]] | ||
Latest revision as of 20:52, 3 March 2026
 First edition | |
| Author | Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Frederick Davidson (1993) |
| Language | English |
| Subjects | British India, partition, colonialism, Mahatma Gandhi |
| Published | 1975 |
| Publisher | William Collins (UK) Simon & Schuster (US) |
| ISBN | 9780706904062 |
| OCLC | 813178801 |
Freedom at Midnight (1975) is a book by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre about the events surrounding the Indian independence movement and partition. It details the last year of the British Raj, from 1947 to 1948, beginning with the appointment of Lord Mountbatten of Burma as the last viceroy of British India, and ending with the death and funeral of Mahatma Gandhi.
Content[edit | edit source]
The book provides a detailed account of the last year of the British Raj; the reactions of princely states towards independence, including descriptions of the colourful and extravagant lifestyles of the Indian princes; the partition of British India (into India and Pakistan) on religious grounds; and the bloodshed that followed.[1]
There is a description of Shimla, the British summertime capital in the Himalayas, and how supplies were carried up steep mountains by porters each year. Also covered in detail are the events leading to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, as well as the life and motives of Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Regarding partition, the book—providing maps of Punjab, Bengal, and Kashmir—relates that the crucial maps setting the boundary separating India and Pakistan were drawn that year by Cyril Radcliffe, who had not visited India before being appointed as the chairman of the Boundary Commission. The book depicts the fury of both Hindus and Muslims, misled by their communal leaders, during the partition; and the biggest mass slaughter in the history of India, as millions of people were uprooted by the partition and tried to migrate by train, oxcart, and on foot to new places designated for their particular religious group. Many migrants fell victim to bandits and religious extremists of both dominant religions. One incident quoted describes a canal in Lahore that ran with blood and floating bodies.
The book is told casually, similar to the authors' previous works, Is Paris Burning? and O Jerusalem!.
Background[edit | edit source]
The authors interviewed some people related to the events, including a focus on Lord Mountbatten of Burma.[2] They subsequently wrote a book based on their research on the British officer, titled Mountbatten and the Partition of India, containing interviews with Mountbatten and a selection of papers in his possession.[3]
Reception[edit | edit source]
Freedom at Midnight aroused controversy for portraying the British expatriates, the native rulers of India, and members of India's first cabinet.[2][4] James Cameron described it as the result of deep research into events often neglected by other historians.[5]
The book was criticised as "misleading," "biased," and "yellow journalism."[6][7] Earl Drake found the book's illustration of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy "totally biased."[8] Journalist Shyam Ratna Gupta remarked, "One might ask, did the authors intend to provide us with fictional documentation, politico-historical gossip, or pop journalism on events and personalities of that time?"[9]
Gopal Godse demanded a ban on the book for claiming that Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Nathuram Godse had a homosexual relationship. Gopal Godse had challenged Collins and Lapierre to "produce any evidence" to substantiate their version.[10]
Adaptations[edit | edit source]
This book was one of the inspirations for the 2017 film Viceroy's House.[11] Freedom at Midnight, the 2024 Hindi-language historical drama web series directed by Nikkhil Advani and produced by SonyLIV, is adapted from the book.[12]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Gray, Paul (27 October 1975). "Books: The Long Goodbye". Time.[dead link]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gordon, Leonard A. (August 1976). "Book review: Freedom at Midnight". The Journal of Asian Studies. 35 (4). University of Cambridge Press. doi:10.2307/2053703. JSTOR 2053703.
- ↑ Krishan, Y (February 1983). "Mountbatten and the Partition of India". History. 68 (222). Historical Association: 22–38. doi:10.1111/j.1468-229X.1983.tb01396.x.
- ↑ Brasted, H. V.; Bridge, Carl (1994). "The transfer of power in South Asia: An historiographical review". South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies. 17 (1): 93–114. doi:10.1080/00856409408723200.
- ↑ Cameron, James (October 26, 1975). "Book Review: Freedom at Midnight". New York Times Book Review. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ↑ Parlance. O.P. Shah. 1985. p. 26. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ↑ The Concept. Raja Afsar Khan. 1982. p. 20.
Freedom at Midnight " . It is no doubt a biased one - sided book
- ↑ A Stubble-jumper in Striped Pants: Memoirs of a Prairie Diplomat. University of Toronto Press. 1999. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-8020-4464-8.
- ↑ Indian and Foreign Review. Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. 1975. p. 26.
- ↑ "March 19, 1976, Forty Years Ago: Book Ban Sought". The Indian Express. 2016-03-19.
- ↑ Maddox, Garry. 17 May 2017. "How Prince Charles steered filmmaker Gurinder Chadha to make Viceroy's House." The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ↑ "'Freedom at Midnight': Nikkhil Advani begins shooting for SonyLIV series". The Hindu. 2024-01-30. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-07-31.