At the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the British Empire withdrew from India, inviting in all the exhilaration and turmoil of a newly free society. In this vivid, atmospheric popular history, Alex von Tunzelmann chronicles these times through the most prominent figures: Dickie Mountbatten, Britain’s dashing, inept last viceroy;?Dickie's savvy, glamorous wife, Edwina, who found the love of her life in Jawaharlal Nehru, India's new prime minister; Muslim leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and Mohandas Gandhi. Tunzelman's thrilling chronicle 'removes the veil from the colorful personalities and events behind Inida's independence and partition with Pakistan' (The Washington Post).

A Tryst with Destiny !

Part One: Empire

　1. In Their Gratitude Our Best Reward

　2. Mohan and Jawahar

　3. Civis Britannicus Sum

　4. Dreaming of the East

　5. Private Lives

　6. We Want No Caesars

　7. Power without Responsibility

　8. A New Theater

　9. Now or Never

Part　 Two: Tbe Eno

　10. Operation Madhouse

　11. A Barrel of Gunpowder

　12. Lightning Speed Is Much Too Slow

　13. A Full Basket of Apples

　14. A Rainbow in the Sky

Part Tbree: Tbe Beginning

　15. Paradise on Earth

　16. The Battle for Delhi

　17. Kashmir

　18. Maybe Not Today,Maybe Not Tomorrow

Part Four: Afterwaro

　19. A Kiss Good-bye

　20. Echoes

A Note on Names

Glossary

Notes

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

Index