A Soldier's Life in War and Peace

"This book chronicles the life and times of Major General A.S. Naravane, both in peace and war. He joined the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun in 1936 and was commissioned in 1938. He was amongst the first few who were accepted for the Indian Artillery, which, till 1934 was offered exclusively by the British. His early days in the regiment were one of very hard work and training. The profession of arms was a very highly prized occupation and all was done to make the young officers worthy of being in it. The training methods then are described with much pride and nostalgia. Naravane went to war as a captain and his artillery regiment, the 2nd Field, soon saw action against the then invincible Germans under Rommel. At Bir Hachiem he was taken prisoner. The trials and tribulations as a prisoner are worth reading, especially for the young officer, as they show that whatever the conditions, the first duty of every prisoner of war is to try and escape. Liberty may be lost, but courage and pride in one's regiment, never. The transition from the British Indian Army to a national army is brought out frankly but with restraint. His career and rise to the post of Director of Artillery is, in a way, the conflict of the old and the new that every pre-war officer had to face"--Dust jacket.