Gandhi Before India

By: Ramachandra Guha

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

Ramachandra Guha - hailed by Time as "Indian democracy's preeminent chronicler" - takes us from Gandhi's birth in 1869 through his upbringing in Gujarat, his two years as a student in London, and his two decades as a lawyer and community organizer in South Africa. Guha has uncovered myriad previously untapped documents, including private papers of Gandhi's contemporaries and coworkers; contemporary newspapers and court documents; the writings of Gandhi's children; and secret files kept by British Empire functionaries.

Using this wealth of material in an exuberant, brilliantly nuanced and detailed narrative, Guha describes the social, political, and personal worlds inside of which Gandhi began the journey that would earn him the honorific Mahatma: "Great Soul". And, more clearly than ever before, he elucidates how Gandhi's work in South Africa - far from being a mere prelude to his accomplishments in India - was profoundly influential in his evolution as a family man, political thinker, social reformer, and, ultimately, beloved leader.

Researched with unequaled depth and breadth, and written with extraordinary grace and clarity, Gandhi Before India will radically alter our understanding and appreciation of 20th-century India's greatest man.

©2013 Ramachandra Guha (P)2018 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

A truly comprehensive work from a specific period

I learned so much from this book about Ghandi’s life and how many struggles he and many others went through in South Africa for many years. I found the narration easy to hear and relaxed.

annoying narration

the narrator hopelessly cannot pronounce Indian names or words. the book needs an Indian narrator and that would have been more appropriate given the subject of the book. It really took me out of the experience to hear all of the butchered Indian names and places by some white guy.

Great book, average narration

I personally prefer books where the author reads the book themselves (I.e, Principles by Ray Dalio, Inglorious Empire by Shashi Tharoor). But I also understand that it is not possible for all books. However, using a non-south Asian narrator for a book featuring several hard-to-pronounce Indian names was not an ideal choice. Some pronunciations were way off.

Coming to the book, it’s a well written piece on how a seemingly average person became a Mahatma. This isn’t the book for you if you want a highlight reel filled with important historical events.

Excellent book @Gandhiji

There’s lot to learn about non violent ways of settling disputes in currently highly violent world!!!

A magisterial work

A painstakingly-researched, well-written, objective and inspiring account of how Mohandas Gandhi became the man who would go to become the Father of our nation.

Well researched book.

There are many things that Gandhi didn't mention in his autobiography. Ramchandra Guha covered many such events.

Somewhat repetitive and lacking

I appreciate the author's commitment to thorough research and trying to stick to the facts and refrain from speculation, to give us a fair and unbiased portrait of Ghandi. However, in the process, he failed to elaborate on Ghandi's spirituality and motivations that shaped his convictions. As a result, at the end of such a long book, I still didn't feel that I got to really know Ghandi any more than when I first began. I now know in way more detail what he did and the events that prepared him for what he would later do in India. Perhaps this is a book better suited for those already familiar with Ghandi's writings and want more background information.