How did Jawaharlal Nehru come to lead the Indian nationalist movement, and how did he sustain his leadership as the first Prime Minister of independent India? Nehru's vision of India, its roots in Indian politics, society and religion, as well as its viability have been central to historical and present-day views of India. This engaging and sophisticated new biography dispels many myths surrounding Nehru, and distinguishes between the icon he has come to be and the politician he actually was.

Benjamin Zachariah discusses the central issues of the Nehruvian period, such as foreign policy, non-alignment and the Cold War, the Indian nationalist movement and Independence, the Kashmir problem, economic pressures, and Nehru's political legacy. The introductory chapters look at Nehru's personal and family background and his time as Gandhi's disciple. Zachariah provides a balanced and critical account of Nehru's thought and actions, drawing on a wealth of primary and secondary sources.