MGR, the Man and the Myth

Author: K. Mohandas

Genre: Politics, History

Rating: 4/5

Verdict: A good summary of MGR's political life and the then state of TN politics

I got this book during my recent trip to Chennai. I have always been fascinated by MGR and Jayalalitha's administration and their role in shaping TN politics. My mother is a big fan of both MGR and Jayalalitha and all my knowledge about them is through her. She has shared many stories about their political and personal life during many of our conversations. Naturally I got curious about this topic and picked up this book to read further. 

The book provides an excellent insight into MGR's political personality and how he handled multiple issues during his tenure as chief minister of Tamilnadu. Written by who was considered as the right hand of MGR, the author talks about how MGR was a man with so much power and freedom but how he kept to himself for the most part. I also liked the author's unbiased recount of certain incidents where he felt the right decisions were not made and MGR's lack of trust on certain occasions. I felt MGR was full of charisma, intuition and clever minded when it came to appealing to the public and decision making during challenging times. Although I am not familiar with many of the key events in TN politics, this book was a good peek into all those incidents.

A good book which makes you wanting to know more about the man! 

The Last Empire: The Final Days of the Soviet Union

 Author: Serhii Plokhy

Genre:History, Politics

Rating: 3/5

Verdict: An insightful book into the history of Soviet Union, but a bit dense for newbies in this area. 

A well researched book on the collapse of Soviet Union. For a newbie to this area like me, it can get a bit dry and boring at times, so it is definitely a slow read. I liked reading about the key men involved and their characters - Yeltsin, Bush and Gorbachev. It was interesting to understand and see each man's perspectives and particularly Bush's role in the whole thing. 

For anyone who is more interested in history and has more knowledge on the Crimean war and the US/Russia relationship, this would make for a delightful read.