Vaibhav Purandare Livres

"Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the legendary seventeenth-century Maratha warrior who audaciously took on the Mughal empire at the height of its powers under Emperor Aurangzeb, and became a beacon of inspiration well after his death for those fighting for Indian independence, is one of the most compelling figures of early modern India. This is his definitive biography, relying on a vast variety of Marathi language sources overlooked in standard English works and enriched by author Vaibhav Purandare’s deep knowledge of the rugged terrain and culture of the region. With a wealth of evocative detail, it charts the dizzying story of this self-made military hero who started out as a teenage rebel of great precocity and daring, and ended up crowning himself king of an independent Maratha state after changing the political map of his native Deccan.Especially relevant for our times is Purandare’s erudite and insightful exploration of whether Shivaji was a Hindu icon, as many have labelled him, or a secular figure, as others have chosen to call him, or something altogether more complex and thought-provoking. This biography corrects many falsities and myths, and it is the only book you need to read about one of India’s greatest heroes.

This is neither a scorebook, nor the accumulation of facts or the extension of a globally recognised brand. This is the first in-depth and comprehensive biography of Sachin Tendulkar, and it puts Sachin the cricketer and the human being in perspective. Tendulkar's story is told grippingly, with a wealth of rare, unpublished anecdotes that throw fresh light on a remarkable career. This book probes the psychological birth and growth of the world's leading batsman, examines the historical forces that shaped his personal and cricketing character, analyses his cricket planning and actions and evaluates the history the man has created, whether by making his Test debut at sixteen or by breaking records with a stunning regularity. It just as carefully chronicles and discusses his disappointments, failures and the controversies that have cropped up around his name, and provides an insight into Tendulkar the man, who has for so long kept from public view. Above all, the book places Tendulkar in the context of the international cricket tradition and determines his exact place in world cricket history. Capacious and yet crisp, Sachin Tendulkar: A Definitive Biography is Tendulkar in totality.