A Ringside Seat to History ; An Autobiography by Pascal Alan Nazareth; Published by Konark Publishers ; Pages 256 ; Price Rs.800/- *************************** It is a matter of common knowledge that Indians are not famous for recording history and we can boast of few biographies and autobiographies. Happily post Independence we have a number of books of this genre. Retired ICS Officers wrote memoirs and these included the works of K.P.S.Menon.B.K.Nehru,Chintaman Deshmukh. Nazareth’s autobiography is a valuable addition. The ancient Chinese have a wonderful form of blessing—An elder person would say-- “May you live in interesting times.” Surely the author of the book under review has lived in interesting times, met interesting people and experienced extraordinary events in several countries. Two important people who were close to him are Mother Teresa and Zubin Mehta. At the end of this review I give two valuable anecdotes about them. The book is the riveting autobiography an ordinary young man, whose father earnestly wanted him to be a part of the coveted Indian Administrative Service , but the son got selected for the Indian Foreign Service . This in fact ,enabled him to witnesses historic events at close proximity in several parts of the globe and what is more also play a role in some of them. He was holding a Masters Degree in Economics from Madras University, when he cleared IFS. He learns of the Dalai Lama's crossing the Tibetan border into India, in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's office; witnesses a Japanese politician being assassinated in Tokyo; handles the aftermath of military coups and bloody executions of Heads of State in Ghana and Liberia; relentlessly pursues a fraudulent and well-connected NRI shipping magnate, Jayanti Dharma Teja, in the US and Costa Rica and ensures he is repatriated to India; crosses swords with nefarious arms dealers in London; makes major economic gains for India in West Africa and Latin America and makes a vital contribution in projecting India as a 'Cultural Superpower. He and his wife Isobel played an excellent role in the aftermath of the devastating Peruvian earthquake. They also coaxed Mother Teresa to open a MoC home in Lima. His post-retirement years have been dedicated to reviving Gandhian ideals, promoting friendship and peace with Pakistan and lecturing on 'Blue Waters'. Struck with two major personal tragedies he sublimates them into socially impactful projects and spiritual self-transformation. This is the autobiography of Shri.P.A.Nazareth who in his 35-year IFS career has served in a number of India's diplomatic missions . Diplomacy is the conduct of relations between countries through negotiations and discussions, especially in an age when national interest is secured no longer through isolation but interaction. Diplomats, therefore, are a vital part of this arm of the nation-state, reaching out across the globe to further cooperation for their countries and salvaging the situation when the ties are in choppy waters. The writer, an accomplished diplomat, was part of an era in the Indian Foreign Service when the country carved a niche for itself in the global arena. He has served in India's diplomatic and consular missions in Tokyo, Rangoon, Lima, London, Chicago and New York and as India's High Commissioner to Ghana and Ambassador to Liberia, Upper Volta, Togo, Egypt, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador A Belize. Since retirement in May 1994, he has lectured at many prestigious institutions such as Universities of Bengaluru, Banaras, Delhi, Stanford, Yale, Columbia, Heidelberg, Uppsala and Peking. His book “Gandhi's Outstanding Leadership” has appeared in 12 Indian and 23 foreign languages, including Arabic, French, Mandarin, Russian and Spanish. Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev has written the Foreword for 12 of its foreign language editions. In 2007, Nazareth was presented the U Thant Peace Award for his 'Life Time of World Service'. Earlier distinguished recipients are Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Nazareth has delivered International Day of Non-Violence keynote addresses at the UN in New York in 2012 and UN Library in Geneva in 2017. His second book “Gandhi: The Soul Force Warrior” was published in 2018. Nazareth recalls how his batch of the IFS was taken to meet P.M.Jawaharlal Nehru .At that precise moment the PM was informed that the Dalai Lama had crossed over into the country from Tibet that morning. “These young officers will be dealing with today’s consequences,” was Nehru’s decision. History was being made and Nazreth was introduced to diplomacy. Delightful personal memories are shared of how his father did not allow him to get married before leaving for his first posting in Japan, but sent his mother instead for company.The reader is captivated by Nazareth’s utterly honest account of his partnership with Isobel,the sense of tragic loss when his daughter Seema died as also the great relief and joy at the recovery from cancer of his son Andy. During the 1982-85 period, when Mr. Nazareth was ICCR Director General, multifaceted Indian cultural festivals were held in Britain, USA and France, and international conferences on 'Buddhism and National Cultures' and 'India and World Literature', and a World Poetry Festival at New Delhi. An India-Greece Symposium organized during this period at Delphi resulted in the scholarly publication India and Greece'. Subsequently when Mr. Nazareth was Ambassador to Egypt and Mexico 'India and Egypt' and 'India and Mexico' were published, following similar symposia held in Cairo and Mexico City. He successfully handled the presentation in India of the Bolshoi Ballet,Paris Opera and NYPO. Mr. Nazareth retired in May 1994 and since then has been guest lecturer at National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and National Defence College, New Delhi. He has also lectured at or participated in seminars in several prestigious Universities all over the world. Nazareth is a founder and Managing Trustee of Sarvodaya International Trust which is dedicated to promoting the Gandhian ideals of Truth, nonviolence, communal harmony, humanitarian service and peace. Nazareth is the Chief of Gandhi Centre of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bengaluru. He has conducted international conferences on India and World Literature in New Delhi and organised events where many scholars presented papers on how India has been projected in world literature and India’s contribution to world literature. This is a chronicle which is at once graceful and compelling and opens for the reader a new world of experience and enlightenment. It is difficult to disagree with Ambassador Rasgotra when he declares in his Foreword, “...There is much more in the book that will delight, inform,intrigue and enlighten readers about the ways in which Indian diplomacy engages with the world”. Two Anecdotes: Mother Teresa Andy, the author’s son has undergone a surgery for cancer in New York’s Sloan Kettering Hospital. Providentially Mother Teresa arrives there and goes to see Andy, pats him on his cheeks, prays over him intensely with her eyes closed for about three minutes, then makes him recite a short prayer to Infant Jesus and tells him, “You will soon be well.” Andy recovered very fast after that. According to Doctors,a very speedy recovery. Zubin Mehta On a visit to Jerusalem by car.Nazareth and Isobel arrived at the Erez border post and faced a problem.The Immigration Officers were friendly but after examining their passports courteously pointed Israeli visas, that though they had Israeli visas,their passports had been stamped “valid for all countries except Israel and South Africa.”. One of the Immigration Officers asked, “Ambasador Nazareth,Do you know Zubin Mehta?”. The author confirmed “I know him very well”.They established contact with Zubin who talked to the Israeli Foreign Minister who cleared the proposal and the author and his wife could enter Israel. Next evening they attended Zubin’s programme at the Mann auditorium and watched the show from Zubin’s box. P.P.Ramachandran 4/10/2020.