Darkness Everywhere: The Assassination of Mohandas Gandhi

Doeden, Matt

ISBN 10: 0761354832 ISBN 13: 9780761354833

Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books, 2013

Synopsis

On January 30, 1948, Mohandas Gandhi, the world's most revered champion of nonviolent civil disobedience, was murdered in cold blood by a man he'd never met. Gandhi was legendary―in his native India and around the globe―as the Mahatma, a "great soul." So why did Nathuram Godse, an ardent Hindu nationalist, murder him?

Darkness Everywhere traces the remarkable journey of one of the twentieth century's most unconventional warriors―and his assassins―to their fateful encounter in Delhi. This is a story of Gandhi's great achievements, the enemies who brought him down, and the legacy that continues to inspire the fight for freedom and justice around the world.

About this title

About the Author

Matt Doeden began his career as a sports writer. Since then, he's spent more than a decade writing and editing children's nonfiction. Matt lives in Minnesota with his family.

Review

"The assassination of Mohandas Gandhi, India's spiritual leader and the world's most famous pacifist, shocked the world. Doeden chronicles Gandhi's life, accomplishments, assassination and legacy in this compact biography.

The first half of the biography describes Gandhi's religious beliefs and moral convictions, his personal experiences with discrimination in South Africa and his leadership in a civil rights movement for Indians. Doeden provides background information about India under British colonial rule, India's caste system and the tensions between Hindus and Muslims, offering valuable contexts to readers unfamiliar with the region's history. The second half of the book thoroughly explores the circumstances of Gandhi's assassination, the motives of the conspirators, the background of assassin Natharum Godse, and the trial and executions of Godse and a co-conspirator. The book concludes with a discussion of the influence of Gandhi's nonviolent resistance on leaders of social-justice movements such as Martin Luther King Jr., Lech Walesa and Cesar Chavez. The design uses orange as a highlighting color, a decision that makes photo captions rather difficult to read.

Though brief, this informative and insightful overview of Gandhi's life, assassination and legacy is a solid introduction to the subject." ―Kirkus Reviews

(Journal)

"Though the subtitle indicates this as a book about the Mahatma's assassination, this book is much more exhaustive. It examines Gandhi's life and works, the complicated interplay of competing forces in twentieth-century India, and his social and political legacy. It also includes a cursory discussion of India's caste system and Gandhi's contributions to civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance. The book draws heavily on primary source material and includes some fascinating photographs of Gandhi's time in college in London, as well as with his wife and four sons. It is also replete with quotes from the leader himself, from witnesses to his assassination, and from the assassin and coconspirators during their trials. Doeden treats the cruel irony of Gandhi's murder in a frank and factual way, delving into the polarizing politics at play at the time of his murder, including the movement for an independent India and the mutual distrust between Muslims and Hindus. Though remarkably dense in facts, it is an engaging story and high-interest read." ―Booklist

(Journal)

Edition details

• Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0761354832
• ISBN 13: 9780761354833
• Binding: Library Binding
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 80