Eagles Over Bangladesh


Book Description




The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965


Book Description

First In The Series Of Books Detailing Wartime Operations Of The Indian Air Force (Iaf) It Provides A History Of The Air Component Of A War Triggered By Pakistan`S Invasion Of Kashmir In 1965. Based On Interviews With Iaf War Veterans, Squadron Diaries And Never Before Published Photographs Including Gun Camera Photos, The Book Is Very Valuable In Understanding The Deployment Of Air-Power In The Twentieth Century.




The Aftermath of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971


Book Description

This book analyses the human dimension during and after the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. The chapters investigate questions of belonging and being an “alien”, civil rights and ethnic demands, and broader issues of citizenship and statelessness. The analysis centres around the situation of those who crossed into the Indian side of the border during the Liberation War, the Bengali speaking population who chose Pakistan as their country after the birth of Bangladesh, and “stranded Pakistani” or “Bihari Muslims” living in Bangladesh. The book addresses three key questions: how do the modern nation-states of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh categorize citizens based on the narratives of 1971; how the acceptance of certain groups as part of the Indian citizenry affected its concept of belonging; and, after 1971, how do Pakistan and Bangladesh define who is part of their citizenry, and how do so-called “aliens” negotiate their identity in national debates. A timely contribution to the subject of forced migration, citizenship and identities in South Asia, edited by three academics with Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage, this book will be of interest to a variety of academics studying the history, politics and sociology of South Asia.




India's Wars


Book Description

India’s armed forces play a key role in protecting the country and occupy a special place in the Indian people’s hearts, yet standard accounts of contemporary Indian history rarely have a military dimension. In India’s Wars, serving Air Vice Marshal Arjun Subramaniam seeks to rectify that oversight by giving India’s military exploits their rightful place in history. Subramaniam begins India’s Wars with a frank call to reinvigorate the study of military history as part of Indian history more generally. Part II surveys the development of the India’s army, navy, and air force from the early years of the modern era to 1971. In Parts III and IV, Subramaniam considers conflicts from 1947 to 1962 as well as conflicts with China in 1962 and Pakistan in 1965 and 1971. Part V concludes by assessing these conflicts through the lens of India’s ancient strategist, Kautilya, who is revered in India as much as Sun Tzu is in China. Not merely a wide-ranging historical narrative of India’s military performance in battle, India’s Wars also offers a strategic, operational, and human perspective on the wars fought by independent India’s armed forces. Subramaniam highlights possible ways to improve the synergy between the three services, and argues in favor of the declassification of historical material pertaining to national security. The author also examines the overall state of civil-military relations in India, leadership within the Indian armed forces, as well as training, capability building, and other vitally important issues of concern to citizens, the government, and the armed forces. This objective and critical analysis provides policy cues for the reinvigoration of the armed forces as a critical tool of statecraft and diplomacy. Readers will come away from India’s Wars with a greater understanding of the international environment of war and conflict in modern India. Laced with veterans’ intense experiences in combat operations, and deeply researched and passionately written, it unfolds with surprising ease and offers a fresh perspective on independent India’s history.




Anti-Aircraft Artillery in Combat, 1950–1972


Book Description

Anti-aircraft artillery was extensively used in combat in the First World War, though such weapons had made their debut in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, when the besieged French used balloons for observation and communication and the Prussians used the first custom built 1-pounder gun to try and shoot them down. It was, however, not until the Second World War that anti-aircraft artillery came into prominence, shooting down more aircraft than any other weapon and seriously degrading the conduct of air operations. In the battle between the attackers and anti-aircraft artillery, the latter had the upper hand when the war ended. The post-war years saw a decline in anti-aircraft artillery as peace prevailed, and the advent of the jet aircraft seemed to tilt the balance in favour of the aircraft as they flew faster and higher, seemingly beyond the reach of anti-aircraft artillery. It would take all the hi-tech equipment and the guile and cunning that anti-aircraft artillery could muster to try and reclaim pole position. It is that story, of the tug of war between the aircraft and artillery, that forms the narrative of this book – as it traces the history of combat employment of anti-aircraft artillery from the Korean War, in effect the first Jet Age war, to the War of Attrition between Arab states and Israel when the missiles came of age, sending the aircraft scurrying for cover. Anti-Aircraft Artillery in Combat, 1950–1972 is the first attempt to look at the combat performance of ground-based air defences, incorporating the views, analyses and experiences of Soviet, Arab and South Asian Armies. The book looks at the major wars between 1950 and 1972, including the Korean War, Vietnam War, the wars in South Asia in 1965 and 1971, and conflicts in the Middle East, such as the Six Day War.




Role of Indian Air Force in 1971 War


Book Description

The Indian Air Force which was initially created as an independent military force proved to be an independent and versatile component of India’s military power in 1971 War. This book provides insightful essays and material to critically review and revalidate some of the continuing concepts and approaches to the planning and execution of military operations. This edited version delves into the national interest protection and legitimate compulsions for India to go into war. The compilation also lays out the canvass for a comparison study with the one in 1965. The analyses on military strategy of Pakistan and avenues of shortcoming in joint planning bring out important lessons in force employment. The aggressive dimensions of offensive actions by all the three Services have been well documented. The 1971 War proved the heroism, steadfastness and courage of junior leadership that, incidentally, has also been the hallmark during Kargil in 1999. Despite frequent criticisms on jointness, instances of combined resoluteness and mutual trust during 1971 War contributed immensely to the victory. Valuable lessons can be inferred from instances where objectivity in political decisions brought about judicious outcomes through demonstrable use of military power. The book also provides a few analytical horizons on the background framework of Simla Agreement and certain events in the past that could have developed a different template for history. Air power may be difficult to understand but an evaluation of the purpose, cost and expected gains as evident from various instances of history including 1971 War would bring an end to many irreconcilable and inchoate debates. This book makes for a compelling read for those in quest of understanding the competence of air power and its dominant influences to shape victory.




The Forgotten Few; The Indian Air Force in World War II


Book Description

The Forgotten Few is the first contemporary attempt to produce a historical narrative of the nation's contribution, specifically to the Air Force component, of World War II, which was an important part of our journey to Independence and national identity. Close to three million Indians served in uniform during the War. And yet, the Indian chapter of this globe-straddling story, reverberations of which still echo today, are barely known - a symptom of which was the recent controversy over the absence of Indians in the Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk. This book brings to light some of the lost stories of Indian aviators who built the very foundations of human and physical infrastructure for what is now the world's fourth largest air force. It benefits from several first-person interviews with some of the last Indian survivors of World War II, enabling a level of fidelity that is quite rare among Indian histories.




Phantoms of Chittagong


Book Description

"BEST OF 2011. Innovative ... intensely memorable ... drama and intelligence ... fascinating ... a gripping read." - Perry Crowe, Kirkus Reviews "I'm fascinated by the world building in Clark Carlton's Prophets of the Ghost Ants." - Annalee Newitz, i09.com "One of the most engrossing, original and powerful novels I have read in years. A monumental cross-genre book, an allegory like Animal Farm as well as a thrilling adventure into a whole new world. Exciting, visionary, a tour de force." - Lawrence Bender, Oscar winning producer of Inglorious Basterds, Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, An Inconvenient Truth "An engaging piece of fiction built upon an imaginative idea. Even though everything takes place on a very small scale, the scope of the conflict remains epic and the nature of the conflict remains quintessentially human. The book has so much packed into it - from an exploration of class divisions, to the religious hypocrisy of the ruling and priestly classes, to the causes of religiously driven wars, to a coming-of-age story for Anand - that any reader will almost certainly find multiple levels of material in it to interest them." - Aaron Pounds, Dreaming of Other Worlds "An incredibly compelling novel ... highly original ... I am eager to see where the author goes with this series, a rewarding novel that is as remarkable for it's intensity as it's easy grace." - Antony Jones, SF Book Review Prophets of the Ghost Ants is in development as a film trilogy with Lawrence Bender Productions. The setting is Earth of the far-flung future, when all traces of our civilization have long vanished. The catastrophes of distant ages -- natural and man-made -- have passed into legend and mysticism. And yet ... the world is no utopia. Technology is unknown. The animal kingdom as we know it is extinct. Birds, reptiles, mammals -- all lost to endless, unforgiving cycles of planetary death and rebirth. Humankind has clung stubbornly to existence -- thanks to a perverse turn of Evolution. For as the weary planet became inexorably depleted, our species adapted by growing smaller with every passing eon, until at last we stood in parity with the only other "higher" species to survive -- insects. And just as our current society has domesticated animals to sustain ourselves, the human societies of this future have yoked insects to their service. Food, weapons, clothing, art -- even the most sacred religious beliefs -- are derived from Humankind's profound intertwining with the once-lowly insect world. In this savage landscape, men cannot hope to dominate. Ceaselessly and viciously, humans are stalked by Night Wasps, Lair Spiders, and Grass Roaches. And men are still men. Corrupt elites ruthlessly enforce a rigid caste system over a debased and ignorant populace. Duplicitous clergymen and power-mongering Royalty wage pointless wars for their own glory. Fantasies of a better life, a better world, serve only to torment those who dare to dream. One so cursed is a half-breed slave named Anand, a dung-collector of the midden caste who, against all possibility, rises above hopelessness to lead his people against a genocidal army of men who fight atop fearsome, translucent Ghost Ants. And to his horror, Anand finds that this merciless enemy is led by someone from his own family ... a religious zealot bent on the conversion of all non-believers ... or their extermination. For more info and concept art visit our web site: http://www.prophetsoftheghostants.com




The Aeroplane and the Making of Modern India


Book Description

Tracing the Indian state's engagement with aviation, both civil and military, from the Second World War to the nationalization of airlines in 1953, this book argues that aviation played a critical role in state formation in modern South Asia.