My Country My Life

My Country My Life chronicles L.K. Advani's journey from his early years in Sindh through his rise to becoming India's Deputy Prime Minister. The 1,040-page autobiography captures major political events in India from 1900 onwards, becoming a bestseller in the non-fiction category with over one million copies sold. The book details Advani's experiences during India's partition, his migration from Pakistan to India, and his association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from age fourteen. The narrative spans five distinct phases of his life, documenting his transformation from a young RSS volunteer to a prominent national leader. At its core, My Country My Life presents a firsthand account of India's political evolution through the eyes of one of its key participants. The work serves as both a personal memoir and a historical document of India's journey through independence, partition, and emergence as a modern nation-state.

Readers describe the book as a detailed first-hand account of Indian politics from 1947-2008, focusing on the rise of the BJP party and Advani's role in major events. Readers appreciated: - Detailed coverage of the Emergency period - Behind-the-scenes insights into political decisions - Clear chronological structure - Personal anecdotes about other political leaders Common criticisms: - Too much self-justification of controversial actions - Selective memory on certain historical events - Length and occasional repetition - Limited coverage of personal life Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (500+ ratings) Amazon India: 4.4/5 (300+ ratings) Reader quote: "Provides unique perspective on watershed moments in Indian politics, though clearly written from BJP viewpoint" - Goodreads reviewer Critical quote: "Sometimes reads like a defense of his actions rather than an objective memoir" - Amazon reviewer

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🔹 The book was first published in 2008 by Rupa Publications and quickly became a bestseller, selling over 100,000 copies in its first print run. 🔹 L.K. Advani wrote much of the book during his time as Leader of Opposition (2004-2009), drawing from detailed personal diaries he maintained throughout his political career. 🔹 The autobiography covers Advani's role in two of India's most significant political movements - the anti-Emergency campaign of 1975-77 and the Ram Janmabhoomi movement of the late 1980s. 🔹 Beyond politics, the book reveals Advani's passion for cinema and his early aspirations to become a film critic, before his life took a different path into public service. 🔹 Prior to writing this memoir, Advani had served as India's Deputy Prime Minister (2002-2004) and was one of the longest-serving presidents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).