Life In Shadow: The Secret Story Of Acn Nambiar

Deputy of Subhas Chandra Bose. An aide to Jawaharlal Nehru. A friend to Indira Gandhi. A left-wing contributor to the Hindu. The first Indian ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany. And if recent reports are to be believed - a soviet spy! A.C.N Nambiar, Nanu to friends and colleagues, was a man who led many lives, each more intriguing than the other. And yet, not many know his story and unfortunately, the average history book finds little mention of his extraordinary life. Thoroughly researched and written by Vappala Balachandran who stood by Nanu in his twilight years, the book recounts the life and times of this extraordinary man. With inputs and insights from Nambiar's diaries and many interviews, the book is set to be the definitive guide not only to his life, but also to the lives of the Indians living in Europe between the two world wars and how they contributed to the Indian freedom struggle.

About the Author

Vappala Balachandran is a columnist and author who was Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India. In 1987 the Indian Government deputed him as the leader of a two-man team to help reorganizing the security of an important Indian Ocean country, which feared a second coup attempt. In 1993 and 1994 he led our interagency groups for annual dialogue with US agencies on terrorism. In 2008-09 he was appointed by Government of Maharashtra as member of their ‘High Level Committee’ to inquire into the police response during Mumbai 26 November 2008 terror attacks. Balachandran has also published National Security and Intelligence Management: A New Paradigm (2014).