The War That Made R&AW Paperback – 12 April 2021

Anusha Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket’s debut novel reads like a fast-paced thriller set in a world of fiction espionage and intrigue.Only, every bit about this book is set in reality.A fascinating narration of how one of the premier spy agencies took shape and had an indelible impact on the history of South Asia. The book is just the right length, neither too long to dull the reader nor too short to miss out on vital chapters in the history of R&AW. It also manages to shed a light on the formative years of the nation and how it took small baby steps towards asserting itself on the world stage.Anusha and Sandeep spent over two years researching the book and it shows in the narration and the unfolding of the events depicted in the book.While giving a good insight into the workings of R&AW, it doesn’t drag the narrative anywhere and various episodes in the book flow by quickly.It stands there amongst the best book written on India’s spy agency but unlike most of them, thankfully isn’t preachy and doesn’t go on a self-righteous monologue, or statements on India’s politics, a bane of most spy books that have come out over the years.If you’ve read works by Humphrey Hawksley, this book would resonate with you.But even if your interest isn’t in the world of espionage, this book will surely satisfy you as an intriguing thriller.This is one of the better works to have come out of India in recent times on the subject.Definitely recommended reading.

This well-written & fast paced book by two authors with film industry background ( a full disclosure : Anusha is my wife's niece ) proved to be riveting reading about the origin & growth of India's premier spying outfit , popularly known as RAW .The authors trace the raison d'etre of the outfit to the disillusionment with the main intelligence agency then , the Intelligence Bureau , which had lost its credibility in the debacle of the war with China in 1962. The book outlines the step-by-step growth of the fledgling organization under the tutelage of the then premier , Mrs. Gandhi & the able stewardship of its founder-chief , the legendary R.N. Kao , against the background of the simmering tension with Pakistan over the status of East Bengal . The authors succeed in bringing out ,in a credible fashion , the role played by the Indian govt , mainly through RAW ,in orchestrating the confrontation with Pakistani govt , headed by a sybaritic President like Yahya Khan , which ends with the dismemberment of Pakistan & the birth of the new state of Bangladesh . The narrative holds the attention of the reader well & sticks to well-known facts in public domain , but at the same time , the main personalities are fleshed out with their own character traits & many an interesting anecdote & details , especially the behind-the scenes activities of the Bangladesh war , emerge enlivening the reading . All in all , a worthy attempt by the authors at telling the story behind one of India's premier security agencies.

I liked this book. People who are interested in establishment of national intelligence agency and bangladesh war history will most probably be interested in reading this book.Readers can gain knowledge of what it was like to develope a nations intelligence agency in 1971. It is an important event in history to remember.This book was very well written. This book is suitable for any one who is enthusiastic about the word SPY.I give this book 5 stars

The authors tell the story of formation of R&AW through anecdotes and snippets from history…This is the story of how India created one of the most elite and feared intelligence agencies on the planet and the brains behind the same…how they executed one of the most complex tasks of carving out a new nation called Bangladesh…a balanced narrative which discusses various facets and explores events from multiple lenses…this is absolutely a must read for anyone with an inkling for geopolitics and/or the enigmatic world of spycraft!…

Learnt a lot about the heroics of Indian intelligence and their effective stealthy activities to rightfully liberate Bangladesh form Pakistan. Great Book and a must read one for those who are history enthusiasts