1962: The War That Wasn't
The Definitive Account of the Clash Between India and China
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1962: The War That Wasn't
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Narrated by:
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Manish Dongardive
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Written by:
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Shiv Kunal Verma
About this listen
On 20 October 1962, high in the Himalayas, on the banks of the fast-flowing Nam Ka Chu, over 400 Indian soldiers were massacred, and the valley was overrun by soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army. Over the course of the next month, nearly 4,000 soldiers were killed on both sides, and the Indian army experienced its worst defeat ever. The conflict (war was never formally declared) ended because China announced a unilateral ceasefire on 21 November and halted its hitherto unhindered advance across NEFA and Ladakh. To add to India's lasting shame, neither Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru nor the Indian army was even aware that the 'war' had ended until they heard the announcement on the radio - despite the Indian embassy having been given the information two days earlier.
This conflict continues to be one of our least understood episodes. Many books have been written on the events of the time, usually by those who were involved in some way, anxious to provide justification for their actions. These accounts have succeeded only in muddying the picture further. What is clear is that 1962 was an unmitigated disaster. The terrain on which most of the battles were fought (or not fought) was remote and inaccessible; the troops were sorely underequipped, lacking even warm clothing; and the men and officers who tried to make a stand were repeatedly let down by their political and military superiors. Time and again, in Nam Ka Chu, Bum-la, Tawang, Se-la, Thembang, Bomdila - all in the Kameng Frontier Division of NEFA in the Eastern Sector - and in Ladakh and Chusul in the Western Sector, our forces were mismanaged, misdirected or left to fend for themselves. If the Chinese army hadn't decided to stop its victorious campaign, the damage would have been far worse.
In this definitive account of the conflict, based on dozens of interviews with soldiers and numerous others who had a firsthand view of what actually happened in 1962, Shiv Kunal Verma takes us on an uncomfortable journey through one of the most disastrous episodes of independent India's history.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2016 Shiv Kunal Verma (P)2016 Audible, Inc.What listeners say about 1962: The War That Wasn't
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Hermes
- 2020-03-08
Politics & personalities more than military data
I am only 1/4 through but already I am dissapointed. I got this book in order to learn answers to questions such as...
- what model of rifles and artillery did India's and China's army each use?
- how many soldiers were in each company?
- what medical, communications and other support works (military and civilian) did each army have? What were the differences in how they operated?
- how were India's and China's officer versus enlisted men arrangement different and did this effect military actions?
- under what circumstances, if any, did India execute prisoners in the field (we do learn of China's)
- Where were Indian armaments manufactured at the time?
And it is not written to engage the reader. I am still waiting for info on how the war affected agriculture, migration and the economies of the border area. Or indeed how the ethnic Chinese of Kolkata were affected by this conflict. Or better yet, nitty gritty on the MILITARY in the field.
I really got tired of the bashing of Nehru and one General, even if deserved. And I am still waiting to hear anything detailed about torture, spies or casualties. I don't expect the author to k ow about China's, but yes, to report about India's.
The take-away thus far into the book is that there was a conflict between the Generals and the Prime Minister (Nehru, the pacifist socialist), and also between various individuals in the Indian military. But, I didn't buy this book for gossip of petty incidents but rather for hard facts. Perhaps this vagueness has something to do with the fact that the definitive enquiry into the facts of the border conflict is still classified, a half century later!
Update: part II is more to my liking with hard geographic and diplomatic facts, but again previous little military figures on the armies of the Himalayan region. If the author reveals in this section some military details I will not return this book.
I see multiple Indian military history books as hard copy, perhaps audio and digital books on this subject just are not marketed in my preferred formats.
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