The Forgotten Army: India's Armed Struggle for Independence

The Forgotten Army examines the Indian National Army (INA) and its role in India's fight for independence during World War II. The book traces the formation of this force, comprised of Indian prisoners of war who switched allegiance from British command to join the independence movement under Subhas Chandra Bose. Peter Ward Fay reconstructs the complex military and political circumstances that led to the INA's creation and campaigns. His research draws from extensive interviews with former INA soldiers and officers, along with archival materials from multiple countries. The narrative follows key figures and ordinary soldiers as they navigate conflicting loyalties between British military service and the independence cause. The book documents the INA's military operations in Burma and India, as well as the subsequent trials of INA officers by British authorities. This account contributes to understanding a crucial but often overlooked aspect of India's independence movement, raising questions about patriotism, colonial resistance, and the role of military force in liberation struggles.

Readers consider this a comprehensive account of the Indian National Army (INA) and Subhas Chandra Bose's role in India's independence movement. Most reviews note the detailed research and documentation. Liked: - Clear narrative style that makes complex military history accessible - Coverage of previously undocumented events and personal accounts - Balanced perspective on both INA achievements and failures - Inclusion of Japanese sources and viewpoints Disliked: - Some readers found the military details too technical - Several note the book could use more maps and photos - A few reviewers wanted more coverage of the INA trials Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (52 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (18 ratings) "Finally a thorough account of the INA that goes beyond just Bose" - Goodreads reviewer "Sometimes gets bogged down in military minutiae but overall fills an important gap in Indian independence history" - Amazon reviewer

The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple This narrative chronicles the Indian Rebellion of 1857 through extensive archival research and first-hand accounts from both British and Indian perspectives.

Indian War of Independence 1857 by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar This account presents the Indian perspective of the 1857 rebellion and its significance as a nationalist movement against British rule.

The British Raj: From Rise to Fall by Lawrence James The book examines the mechanisms of British control in India and the indigenous resistance movements that developed across two centuries.

Brothers Against the Raj by Leonard A. Gordon This dual biography of Subhas and Sarat Chandra Bose illuminates the revolutionary movement against British rule through the lives of two key independence fighters.

Army of Empire by George Morton-Jack The book details the role of Indian soldiers in World War I and their evolving relationship with British imperial power.

🔸 The author Peter Ward Fay spent over 20 years researching and writing this book, conducting extensive interviews with surviving members of the Indian National Army (INA) and their families across multiple continents. 🔸 The "Forgotten Army" refers to the Indian National Army led by Subhas Chandra Bose, which fought alongside Japanese forces during World War II in an attempt to liberate India from British rule. 🔸 Despite the INA's ultimate military defeat, their trials in 1945-46 became a rallying point for Indian independence and sparked mutinies in the British Indian Navy and Air Force. 🔸 The book reveals how many INA soldiers were actually former British Indian Army troops who had been captured by the Japanese in Singapore and chose to switch allegiance to fight for India's freedom. 🔸 Peter Ward Fay was not Indian or British, but an American historian teaching at California Institute of Technology, which gave him a unique outsider's perspective on this controversial chapter of Indian independence history.