Price: $19.95 - $10.99
(as of Jan 29, 2025 16:13:49 UTC – Details)
Who was Gandhi? In the midst of resurging interest in the man who freed India, inspired the American Civil Rights Movement, and is revered, respected, and misunderstood all over the world, the time is proper to listen to Gandhi himself — in his own words, his own “confessions,” his Autobiography.
Gandhi made scrupulous truth-telling a religion, and his Autobiography inevitably reminds one of other saints who have suffered and burned for their lapses. He gives a simply narrated account of his boyhood in Gujarat, marriage at age 13, legal studies in England, and a growing desire for purity and reform. He details his gradual conversion to vegetarianism and ahimsa (non-violence) and the state of celibacy (brahmacharya, self-restraint) that became one of his more arduous spiritual trials.
Gandhi was a fascinating, complex man, a brilliant leader and guide, a seeker of truth who died for his beliefs but had no use for martyrdom or sainthood. In the political realm he outlines the beginning of Satyagraha in South Africa and India, with accounts of the first Indian fasts and protests, his initial errors and misgivings, his jailings, and continued cordial dealings with the British overlords.
Mahatma Gandhi writes of this book: “My purpose is to describe experiments in the science of Satyagraha, not to say how good I am.”
Satyagraha, Gandhi’s nonviolent protest movement (satya = true, agraha = firmness), came to stand, like its creator, as a moral principle and a rallying cry; the principle was truth and the cry freedom. The life of Gandhi has given fire and fiber to freedom fighters and to the untouchables of the world: hagiographers and patriots have capitalized on Mahatma myths. Yet Gandhi writes: “Often the title [Mahatma, Great Soul] has deeply pained me. . . . But I should certainly like to narrate my experiments in the spiritual field which are known only to myself, and from which I have derived such power as I possess for working in the political field.”
His story, the path to his vision of Satyagraha and human dignity, is a critical work of the twentieth century, and timeless in its courage and inspiration.
Dover publishes history books featuring autobiographies and biographies of famous figures, great war battles, politics, various eras, and global cultures and history including Tudor England, Ancient Rome, medieval times, the writings of Gandhi, Lenin, Lincoln, and Machiavelli — books for the scholar and general reader, including many reprints of hard-to-find classics.
From the Publisher
The life of Gandhi has given fire and fiber to freedom fighters and to the untouchables of the world
“My purpose,” Mahatma Gandhi writes of this book, “is to describe experiments in the science of Satyagraha, not to say how good I am.” Satyagraha, Gandhi’s nonviolent protest movement (satya = true, agraha = firmness), came to stand, like its creator, as a moral principle and a rallying cry; the principle was truth and the cry freedom. The life of Gandhi has given fire and fiber to freedom fighters and to the untouchables of the world: hagiographers and patriots have capitalized on Mahatma myths. Yet Gandhi writes: “Often the title [Mahatma, Great Soul] has deeply pained me. . . . But I should certainly like to narrate my experiments in the spiritual field which are known only to myself, and from which I have derived such power as I possess for working in the political field.”
Gandhi was a fascinating, complex man, a brilliant leader and guide, a seeker of truth who died for his beliefs but had no use for martyrdom or sainthood. His story, the path to his vision of Satyagraha and human dignity, is a critical work of the twentieth century, and timeless in its courage and inspiration.
Who was Gandhi?
In the midst of resurging interest in the man who freed India, inspired the American Civil Rights Movement, and is revered, respected, and misunderstood all over the world, the time is proper to listen to Gandhi himself — in his own words, his own “confessions,” his autobiography. His simply narrated account of boyhood in Gujarat, marriage at age 13, legal studies in England, and growing desire for purity and reform has the force of a man extreme in all things. He details his gradual conversion to vegetarianism and ahimsa (non-violence) and the state of celibacy (brahmacharya, self-restraint) that became one of his more arduous spiritual trials. In the political realm he outlines the beginning of Satyagraha in South Africa and India, with accounts of the first Indian fasts and protests, his initial errors and misgivings, his jailings, and continued cordial dealings with the British overlords.
Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi (1869 –1948)
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist, revered the world over for his nonviolent philosophy of passive resistance, known as “satyagraha.” He was known to his many followers as Mahatma, or “the great-souled one.” His message of peace and non-violence helped lead the successful campaign for India’s independence from British Rule and in turn inspire movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. His many writings offered inspirational words of wisdom, such as “Be the change that you want to see in the world,” “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes,” and “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”
Publisher : Dover Publications (June 1, 1983)
Language : English
Paperback : 494 pages
ISBN-10 : 0486245934
ISBN-13 : 978-0486245935
Item Weight : 1.16 pounds
Dimensions : 5.25 x 1 x 8.5 inches
Customers say
Customers find the book an interesting read that provides valuable insights into Gandhi’s life and struggles. They appreciate his courage and tenacity, as well as his humility and human frailties. Many find it a good value for money and a gem from a gem. Readers also mention that the narrative length is succinct, with short chapters making it easy to read. However, opinions differ on the writing style, with some finding it honest and straightforward, while others find it hard to follow at times.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
