Includes bibliographical references (p. [533]-539) and index.

On the 50th anniversary of the independence of India and Pakistan comes a riveting account of the end of the Raj, the most romantic of all the great empires. British authors Anthony Read and David Fisher put the events of 1947 into perspective, telling the whole epic story in colorful detail from its beginning more than a century earlier. Their powerful narrative takes a fresh look at many of the events and personalities involved. Photos.