Khushwant Singh in the Name of the Father

Contents: On a personal note. 1. From Hadali to Delhi. 2. School and college. 3. Westward bound and an engagement. 4. Life in Lahore. 5. A stint in the foreign service. 6. A literary and cultural journey. 7. The historian and the editor. 8. The emergency and a firing. 9. Return to Delhi. 10. Tryst with politics. 11. My mother. 12. Khushwant Singh--Il Santo Grande. 13. Through the eyes of others.

"In the Name of the Father is Rahul Singh\'s biography of the \'Sex, Scotch and Scholarship\' icon of India--his father, Khushwant Singh. From school through college, the \'not a nice man to know\' distinguished himself more as a prankster and a tennis pro than as a student. A turbulent courtship with the beautiful Kaval Malik culminated in marriage. The Lahore High Court plagued with \'touts\' was traded for diplomatic postings in England and Canada. A stint at the UNESCO in Paris followed. Much to the disappointment of his father, Sir Sobha Singh, he cut short a diplomatic career for an assignment with All India Radio.

An outstanding journalist and columnist, Khushwant Singh has earned respect and \'malice\' in equal measure. An accomplished historian and novelist, he returned the Padma Bhushan in protest against Operation Blue Star. He was a Member of Parliament from 1980 to 1986.

In the Name of the Father is also a tribute to a father who helped out with love, and \'an occasional bottle of rum." (jacket)