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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Pamela D’Mello’s review of An Extraordinary Life: A Biography of Manohar Parrikar argues that the book is engaging but too admiring and insufficiently attentive to political context. Her criticism is not that the biography lacks stories; it is that the stories do not add up to a searching account of Parrikar’s record.
What book does the review examine?
D’Mello’s Scroll.in review, published August 8, 2020, considers An Extraordinary Life: A Biography of Manohar Parrikar, written by journalists Sadguru Patil and Mayabhushan Nagvenkar and published under Ebury Press. The publisher presents it as an account of Parrikar’s life and political career, drawing on relatives, friends, opponents, bureaucrats and IIT contemporaries. Read D’Mello’s review; the publisher’s book page provides the book description and publication details.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Manohar Parrikar Off the Record (Hindi Edition) | $12.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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An Extraordinary Life: A Biography of Manohar Parrikar | $23.54 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Manohar Parrikar: Brilliant Mind, Simple Life | $10.67 | Buy on Amazon |
The distinction matters: this is a review of a biography, not a neutral historical account of Parrikar’s career. The publisher’s description of its sources explains the intended breadth of the book, but does not by itself establish how critically those perspectives are weighed in the finished narrative.
What does D’Mello praise about the biography?
D’Mello credits the book with pace, personal detail and lively anecdotes. She describes its coverage of Parrikar’s childhood, family, RSS connections, IIT years, business and three decades in politics as useful and readable. She also notes that it brings his years as Defence Minister in Delhi to a wider audience, including his continued involvement in Goa’s affairs.
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Her reservation is about what the narrative does with that material. In her view, episodes are offered without enough political analysis to connect them, and the account lacks opposition, analyst and critic voices that might test its portrayal of Parrikar’s methods and record.
Where does the review say the book falls short?
D’Mello points to several areas where, in her assessment, the biography needs more context. These are the reviewer’s criticisms and questions; the review alone does not independently establish every underlying historical claim.
- Political and communal context: She says the book leaves gaps around the 2006 Curchorem violence and its political aftermath, as well as tensions over Portuguese-style street plaques and street-name changes. She also asks for more context around the BJP’s 2012 outreach to Christian voters.
- Power and investigations: The review raises questions about the relationship between political power, investigations of opponents and Goa’s changing political economy, arguing that the biography does not sufficiently examine these connections.
- Promises and reversals: D’Mello questions how the book handles Parrikar’s pledges concerning mining, casinos and town planning, and whether those promises amounted to campaign rhetoric rather than durable policy.
In support of her reading of Parrikar’s approach to power, D’Mello recounts a statement attributed to Ratnakar Lele, whom she identifies as an RSS leader: “In 2005, he told me the feeling of losing power was as painful as someone trying to rub off one’s skin”. It is a recollection reported in the review, not a direct interview with Lele for this article.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is the review’s overall judgment?
D’Mello’s broader thesis is that the biography’s admiring tone and missing perspectives make it harder to assess the distance between Parrikar’s reputation and his political delivery. She contrasts his image as an anti-corruption crusader, combative opposition leader and work-focused chief minister with what she characterizes as compromises and reversals on mining, casinos and town planning. That is her interpretation of the record, not a settled verdict established by the review alone.
For readers deciding how to use the book, the practical takeaway is to treat its personal anecdotes and narrative detail as one strand of an account, not as a substitute for a fuller examination of contested political episodes and outcomes.
How to assess the biography’s account
D’Mello’s critique suggests useful questions to ask of this book—or any political biography—without implying that she compared it with another biography:
Quick Recap
- Which political perspectives appear, and are opposition and critical voices represented?
- Does the narrative explain the context around controversial episodes, rather than simply recounting them?
- Are anecdotes clearly distinguished from analysis of policy decisions and outcomes?
- Does the book explain the consequences of political promises and reversals?
- When claims are contested, does it show how the evidence supports them?
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