Freedom at Midnight

The electrifying, definitive account of India's struggle for independence and the birth of Pakistan. Freedom at Midnight is a masterpiece of journalistic reconstruction, chronicling the final, tumultuous year of the British Raj - from the appointment of Lord Mountbatten as the last Viceroy to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Based on hundreds of interviews with nearly all the surviving participants, this is history brought vividly to life.

What is Freedom at Midnight about?
On 14 August 1947, one-fifth of humanity claimed their independence from the greatest empire history has ever seen. But 400 million people were to find that the immediate price of freedom was partition and war, riot and murder. In this superb reconstruction, Collins and Lapierre recount the eclipse of the fabled British Raj and examine the roles enacted by the giants of the era - Mahatma Gandhi, Lord Mountbatten, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The book provides a gripping, hour-by-hour account of the transfer of power, the colourful and extravagant lifestyles of the Indian princes, the bloodshed that followed partition, and the events leading to Gandhi's assassination. It reveals the heartbreak of Nehru, torn by the tragedy of division; the enigma of Jinnah, a Muslim who drank, ate pork, and rarely entered a mosque, yet led 45 million Muslims to nationhood; and the last Viceroy, Mountbatten, beseeched by the leaders of an independent India to take back the powers he'd just passed to them.

Why this book is unforgettable:

• Meticulously researched with $300,000 spent on investigation, including tracking down the only surviving killer of Gandhi
• Hundreds of exclusive interviews with Mountbatten, Nehru, Jinnah's associates, and Gandhi's assassins
• A sweeping narrative that reads like a thriller, capturing the drama, tragedy, and hope of a nation's birth
• Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the roots of modern India and Pakistan
• A timeless classic that has remained in print for nearly five decades

Who should read this book?
This is essential reading for anyone interested in South Asian history, the legacy of colonialism, and the human stories behind one of the 20th century's most defining moments. Whether you are a student of history, a passionate reader, or someone seeking to understand the deep connections between India and Pakistan, Freedom at Midnight is an indispensable and unforgettable account.

Author Bio:
Larry Collins (1929–2005) was an American writer and journalist born in West Hartford, Connecticut. He graduated from Yale University in 1951 and served in the US Army at SHAPE headquarters outside Paris, where he met his lifelong collaborator, Dominique Lapierre. He became a journalist with United Press International and later Newsweek, serving as Paris bureau chief. Together, Collins and Lapierre wrote five major international bestsellers, including Is Paris Burning?, O Jerusalem!, and Freedom at Midnight. Their books were renowned for their exhaustive research and gripping narrative style. Collins also wrote several solo works, including Fall From Grace and Black Eagles. He won the Mannesman Talley literary prize in 1989. He and his wife divided their time between London, France, and the US.

Dominique Lapierre (born 1931) is a French author and journalist. He worked for Paris Match and collaborated with Collins on numerous international bestsellers. Together, they pioneered a new form of narrative journalism that combined rigorous historical research with the storytelling techniques of a novel.