The Indian Contingent: The Forgotten Muslim Soldiers of the Battle of Dunkirk
Author: Ghee Bowman
Publisher: PanMacmillan
Pages: 310
Price: Rs 699
The endpapers of Peter Clarke’s monumental book The Last Thousand Days of the British Empire (Penguin, 2007) reproduce a colourful British propaganda poster. The artwork resembles that uniquely juvenile, muscular style immortalised by Soviet art and the text employs bracing language: “The British Commonwealth TOGETHER”. It portrays soldiers representing various nationalities of Empire, ramrod straight and iron-jawed, marching in lockstep for a common cause.
It’s a travesty. White soldiers — British and from the Dominions— occupy the first two rows. The last row is