1962: The War That Wasn’t

Shiv Kunal Verma’s book ‘1962: The War That Wasn’t’ is an unrivalled attempt at unravelling the mystery that surrounds India’s most shameful defeat at the hands of the People’s Liberation Army of China. This was a conflict between India and China across India’s Himalayan frontiers in the north and the East. It was a conflict that was never formally declared and several accounts have been written dedicated to this matter; however, none is as deterrent as the account given by Shiv Kunal Verma. He talks of the plight of the Indian solders across the northern border, all the way from Nam ka Chu in the eastern sector to Ladakh on the Western front. He talks about the horror that would have happened had the Chinese army not decided unilaterally to cease fire and stop its vicious campaign on the Indian soil. This was a conflict that saw massacre on both lands injuring over four thousand soldiers.

The book is based on several accounts from soldiers who were present in the line of fire and were able enough to give a vivid first person account on what actually took place in that unfortunate year of 1962. ‘1962: The War That Wasn’t’ is an account of India’s horrific escape from disaster in young Independent existence. The book is un-nerving to the extent of sending chills down your spine by citing riveting intricacies of shocking developments. The book is a result of over two decades worth of research and interviews by the author. He personally sat down with officers and soldiers from the war. The book features a deep analysis on India’s border issues with China at the time.