The history of India's struggle for freedom is usually told from the perspective of the non-violent movement. Yet, the story of armed resistance to colonial occupation is just as important. Names such as Vinayak Savarkar, Aurobindo Ghosh, Rashbehari Bose, Bagha Jatin, Sachindra Nath Sanyal, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and Subhas Chandra Bose are still widely remembered. Their story is almost always presented as acts of individual heroism and not as part of a wider movement that had any overarching strategy or significant impact on the overall struggle for Independence. In reality, the revolutionaries were part of a large network that sustained armed resistance against the British Empire for half a century. They not only created a wide network inside India but also established nodes in Britain, France, Thailand, Germany, Persia, Russia, Italy, Ireland, the United States, Japan and Singapore. At various points, they received official support and recognition from the governments of some of these countries. Even the internal dynamics of the Indian National Congress of the time cannot be understood without the revolutionaries, who enjoyed widespread support within the organization. This was no small-scale movement of naive individual heroism but one that involved a large number of extraordinary young men and women who were connected in multiple ways to each other and to the evolving events of their times.
Revolutionaries tells their story, one that is replete with swashbuckling adventure, intrigue, espionage, incredible bravery, diabolical treachery and shockingly unpredictable twists of fate.
- 'This landmark work by Sanjeev Sanyal is an important milestone in both revisiting and course-correcting the history of our freedom movement. Well-researched yet accessible, this thrilling book by Sanyal is a must-read for every Indian who wants to know the real truth behind our country's attainment of freedom and the heroes who contributed to this-many times with their own lives.'
-Vikram Sampath, historian, author and fellow at the Royal Historical Society
- 'There was another stream of our struggle for Independence: the revolutionary movement. This stream has been ignored completely in our official narrative. Sanjeev Sanyal's Revolutionaries is a superbly researched account of how our great ancestors sacrificed their all so that we may breathe free.'
-Amish Tripathi, India's highest-selling author and television documentary host
- 'It is said that until the lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter. Thankfully, India's lions have Sanjeev Sanyal. Painstakingly researched and compellingly told, this book is a valiant effort at reviving the forgotten-and oft-suppressed-narrative of the struggle for India's Independence.'
-Ashwin Sanghi, bestselling author
