The Blood Telegram - India's Secret War in East Pakistan  (English, Hardcover, Bass Gary J)

Flipkart Official Review

A lot of wars have been fought. A lot of wars also get talked about, and then there are some whose mention escapes people’s memory, because not enough has been spoken or written about them. The 1971 war is one such period of history. The Pakistani army launched a devastating attack on East Pakistan then (Bangladesh today), which ultimately resulted in killing of thousands of people, and refugees being sent in to India.

This of course led to the 1971 India-Pakistan War, with America playing a major role in the events, pre and post. Gary Bass’s book is about what happened – the chain of events which no one is aware of. How did Mrs Gandhi deal with the situation? What were the repercussions of each decision made? Bass takes an unbiased look at what happened, why it happened and what were the long term consequences. “The Blood Telegram” is definitely the book for you, if you love to know more about the country and its history.

A narrative set in the 1970s, The Blood Telegram: India's Secret War In East Pakistan gives a detailed and informative account of a series of events in South Asia in 1971, primarily Pakistan’s break up and India’s role in it, and the subsequent Indo-Pakistan war.

Summary Of The Book

The year of 1971 saw Pakistan launch an unprecedented attack on the erstwhile East Pakistan, today known as Bangladesh. Back then, India was allies with the Soviet Union, and the United States and China were Pakistan’s allies. Hundreds of thousands of people died and millions fled to India for refuge. This act set into motion a series of events that reshaped South Asia’s history. The Blood Telegram: India's Secret War In East Pakistan is a meticulously researched chronicle up to the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, India’s real motives, and the decisions made by Indira Gandhi.

The Blood Telegram: India's Secret War In East Pakistan also delves into the role the United States of America played in these cataclysmic effects, especially the roles Nixon and Kissinger played. Mr. Kissinger, in 1971, planned to open American relations with China, using West Pakistan as his entry point. The book also focuses on policy-making in Washington, researched by the author as he spent hours reviewing tapes and recordings of the conversations between President Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger in the Oval Office. Through these resources, the author asserts that the United States of America was an active part of the catastrophic events occurring in East Pakistan.

Providing a fascinating account of this crucial aspect of the Cold War, The Blood Telegram: India's Secret War In East Pakistan is a also considered to be a documentation of the birth of Bangladesh, this narration is a must-read for all history enthusiasts.

About Gary J. Bass

Gary J. Bass is an American author and professor.

He has authored Freedom's Battle: The Origins of Humanitarian Intervention and Stay the Hand of Vengeance: The Politics of War Crimes Tribunals.

Bass procured his doctorate from Harvard University and is currently employed as a professor of international affairs and politics at Princeton University. Having worked as a reported for The Economist, he also writes for publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, The Los Angeles Times, and Foreign Affairs. He was a fellow at Harvard University’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, a visiting professor of law and government at Harvard Law School and a visiting fellow at Stanford University as well.