Must read books for a UPSC aspirant

There are many intellectually stimulating/enlightening/illuminating/motivating/ books that we come across and there are many more that we are oblivious to. Here is a list of amazing books which will help an aspirant in his preparation

1- Imagining India offers a visionary outlook about India and its burgeoning future through the eyes of its author Nandan Nilekani, who is an accomplished business leader. An original and balanced perspective on India’s past, present, and future is presented in an engaging manner. The central ideas that have shaped India’s growth are reviewed strongly in Imagining India. India’s earlier socialist policies, which stunted its growth, is looked at critically. The book traces the policies and efforts of the past and present leaders, wherein they tried to develop new frameworks to suit India’s challenges.                                                          

2- Walking with Lions: Tales from a Diplomatic past - There are few leaders that K. Natwar Singh, in a diplomatic career spanning more than three decades, has not known -and fewer still about whom he has no story to tell. In Walking with Lions: Tales from a Diplomatic Past, Singh puts together fifty episodes that entertain, inform and illuminate.

3- Pax Indica: India And The World In The 21st Century looks at India’s relationship with its neighbours and with the larger world outside its immediate neighbourhood thoroughly. The book is divided into eleven chapters and begins with a chapter on Pakistan and India’s troubled relationship with this volatile neighbour. It also discusses the country’s relationship with another emerging Asian power, China.

4- The Idea of India-This long essay makes an eloquent and persuasive argument for Nehru's idea of nationhood in India. At a time when the relevance of Nehru's vision is under scrutiny, this book assumes a special significance.

5- Himalayan Blunder: The Angry Truth About India’s Most Crushing Military Disaster is Brigadier J. P. Dalvi’s retelling of the Sino-Indian war that took place in 1962 - a war that India lost. Dalvi fought the war as the Commander of the 7th Infantry Brigade in NEFA (North-East Frontier Agency).His account of the war is graphic and telling. He was captured by the Chinese forces and held for seven months. As a participant of the war, he was privy to all that went on at the battlefield as well as behind the scenes. Based on his firsthand experiences, he recounts the events that occurred between September 8, 1962 and October 20, 1962.


6- The Story of India is a vibrant and interesting coverage of the 10,000 years history of the Indian subcontinent. It traces the story of India from the time of the first human settlement to the time of India's emergence as an independent nation.The content of this book is rich, with photographs and illustrations that convey the vibrancy and the culture of the country. This aptly complements the text that paints a vivid portrait of India through all times, past, present, and future.