Shashi Tharoor has covered the ground with these 2 brutally

frank lines that indict the british; Jaswant Singh far more
detailed, as he examined in scholarly detail the divide and rule
policy and the eyewash of governance; Versaikar detailed the
1857 reprisals in Jhansi by the british in an eyewitness account;
Bipin Chandra covered some of it in his book on independence;
Nehru gave in vivid detail the systematic destuction of the Indian
People.... All the above are Indian writers; nearly all are great
thinkers and patriots (Versaikar was a simple citizen who wrote
an eyewitness account). None has covered the brutal destruction
that charactarised colonial rule in vivid detail... this is where the
current book - The Case For India written by a famed American
Historian, Will Durant scores

Jaswant Singh
India's partition can be classified as one of the most scarring events
of the twentieth century. It has deeply affected the psyche of more
than four generations in the nation. Jinnah: India - Partition
Independence talks about the possible reasons for the partition,
though a single and definite answer ceases to exist. The author,
Jaswant Singh, starts off by talking about Jinnah's political
journey. Jinnah was a strong proponent of unity among Hindus and
Muslims but eventually he was the sole voice of the Muslim
community in the country. Jinnah is regarded as Pakistan's creator
and Singh tries to explain the reason behind such a transformation.
No Pakistani or Indian politician or member of parliament has tried
to present a political and analytical biography of Jinnah. The
author questions the origin of the idea of Muslims as a separate
nation and talks about where it has led India. It then talks about the
future of both nations. Jinnah: India - Partition Independence is a
special piece of literature that is written by an innovator and
practitioner of policy, in search of truth. Singh concludes by telling
readers that for lasting peace to return, in southern Asia, it is vital
for people to comprehend the reason for its sudden abandonment.
Through the course of his book, he also examines the possible
roles played by the Congress party and the British, in the partition.
This edition of Jinnah: India - Partition Independence was
published by Rupa and Co., in 2009.

In the second chapter he takes a leap through time to tracing

Jinnah’s emergence as a successful barrister and nationalist in pre-
partition India of the 1920s. Chapters 3-10 relate a chronological
account of the events leading up to 1947 and a little beyond, the
Hindu-Muslim relation being a recurring theme alongside Jinnah’s
political evolution
(full pdf available)
Versaikar detailed the 1857 reprisals in Jhansi by the british
in an eyewitness account:

Book: 1857: The Real Story Of The Great

Uprising
Around the middle of the nineteenth century, when the East India
Company had consolidated its hold over the Indian subcontinent, a
Chitpavan Brahmin by the name of Vishnu Bhatt
GodsheVersaikar decided to cross the Vindhya mountains with
his aged uncle to earn some money. What he had not foreseen was
how his trip would coincide with the historic Sepoy Mutiny and
play havoc with their travel plans. This is a unique first-person,
eyewitness account of their picaresque journey, recorded several
years after their return home. This is also perhaps the only
documentation of a momentous event in the history of India by an
impoverished but learned young beggar-priest. In this gripping yet
sensitive translation, Mrinal Pande brings to life for today's reader
the account of Vishnu Bhatt's adventures, and the fascinating
history of its publication.
The book was originally written in Marathi around 1883 AD,
and chronicles the travels of Vishnu Bhatt Varsaikar from
1857 - 1859 during the time of the uprising. The translation
is by Mrinal Pande. This is what makes it a very different
book, and very entertaining. It is an eyewitness account
of the events of 1857 from the perspective of a normal
citizen. It is this approach that feels like a breath of fresh
air. It was first printed in 1903 in Marathi. The characters
of the Rani of Jhansi, Nana Phadnavis etc all come
through as real human beings rather than as caricatures
on a page of history. Their emotions, motives, actions,
interactions with other major players and with their people
provide a motion-picture like effect, a realism to the
narrative and keep you spell - bound and enthralled.

(no pdf available but available for purchase at amazon)

India’s struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra is an in-

depth and detailed overview on Indian independence movement .
Indian freedom struggle is one of the most important parts of its
history. A lot has been written and said about it, but there still
remains a gap. Rarely do we get to hear accounts of the
independence from the entire country and not just one region at
one place. This book fits in perfectly in this gap and also provides
a narration on the impact this movement had on the people. Bipin
Chandra’s book is a well-documented history of India's freedom
struggle against the British rule. It maps the first war of
independence that started with Mangal Pandey’s mutiny and
witnessed the gallant effort of Sri Rani Laxmi Bai. Many of the
pages of this book are dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi’s non-
cooperation and the civil disobedience movements. It contains
detailed description of Subash Chandra Bose’s weapon heavy
tactics and his charisma. This book includes all the independence
movements and fights, irrespective of their size and impact,
covering India in its entirety. Although these movements varied in
means and ideas, but they shared a common goal of independence.
This book contains oral and written narratives from different parts
of the country, making this book historically rich and diverse. The
book captures the evolution of Indian independence struggle in full
detail and leaves no chapter of this story untouched.
Chapter 1 covers revolt of 1857
(full pdf available)