REVIEW BY DR. HIRO BADLANI THAT APPEARED IN "INDIA JOURNAL" WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, February 18, 2013
This review is from: Airborne to Chairborne: Memoirs of a War Veteran Aviator-Lawyer of the Indian Air Force (Paperback)
This review has been done by one Dr. Hiro Badlani and was published in the weekly newspaper "India Journal" in Los Angles, California, and I am putting it up here because it is a wonderful review which has capsuled every part of the book for the readers who wish to really know what is the book about.
Personal & National History Entwined
A.S. Ahluwalia
From Airborne to Chairborne
By A.S. Ahluwalia
Xlibris Corporation, 700pp
Hardcover; $34.99; Paperback: $23.99
By Dr Hiro Badlani
When I first got this book, From Air-borne to Chair-borne, I was a bit awed by its small print and the number of pages! Soon however as I started to read it, I realized that the book was really very well-written in good simple style and ran gracefully like a smooth river.
Even though it is a biographical volume, it presents a panoramic view of a large chunk of history. From the pre-independence days of India, covering the sharp sketches of World War II, Mahatma Gandhis’s non-violence movement on one side and the various efforts of mutinies by the Indian soldiers on the other, Jinah’s insistence for creation of Pakistan, and the final partition with colossal slaughter of human beings—all these pictures are portrayed with great accuracy and fineness of an accomplished artist.
Side by side is the enormous account of Ahluwalia’s personal story, his many struggles of enrollment in the Air Force, the good events as well as not so good and even the dirty side of life, the politics, the loves and the hates of everyday life—all these are presented in an easy manner without any bitterness and hostility.
The book is indeed a wonderful treat for all book lovers who are fond of reading, both old as well as young; the old will enjoy its nostalgic arrangement, and for the young it is a great history lesson of the recent past of India. More than that the book offers very subtle insights in human nature, the triumphs and tragedies of life—painted with clever hand.
Ahluwalia also displays a great sense of humor along with complete sincerity and truthfulness. He has a child-like attitude toward many aspects of life situations, looking innocently at the wonder and fright of events as they pass by. Above all he displays spirituality and his utter faith in Supreme God freely; the joy and peace emanate through the pages time and again despite all the hardships and challenges of the tough circumstances.
The book is very well written in good English of which author seems to have acquired proficiency since childhood. It is very cleverly edited, and has a mature professional look. The book will surely find its rightful place in time to come.
About The Author
Born in India in 1933, Group Captain A. S. Ahluwalia, has been a navigator in the Indian Air Force for nearly 30 years and has fl own thousands of hours on various types of aircraft including Dakota, Canberra and IL-14, besides Liberator, AN-12, and Vampire Night Fighter. He undertook about eight raids in 1965 Indo-Pak War, including both Peshawar raids and received a gallantry award. He has been trained in the Royal Air Force in the U.K. and in the Soviet Air Force in U.S.S.R. He was a member of the United Nations Force in the Congo. He is an alumnus of the Defense Services Staff College, Wellington. For his law qualifications, which he gained while serving, he became the first active flying branch officer to join the Department of Judge Advocate General, Indian Air Force, and took premature retirement as a Group Captain (Colonel), when he was the Joint Judge Advocate General. Thereafter he successfully practiced law in the Supreme Court of India and the High Court of Delhi for 10 years before moving to America. He does not think of ever retiring-”there is no retirement as long as limbs and mind are functional.” Therefore, since 1993 he is active in a law firm-The Chugh Firm-as a consultant on Indian laws because the law firm has five offices in India! He is also the founder-President of the Society of Indian Veterans in America-an Indian veterans organization, of which the President of India, in the capacity of being the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the Chief Patron.
The book is available at amazon.com.
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