Gandhi's life is a fascinating study of the transformation of an ordinary, timid young man into a crusader who stood against a mighty empire and prompted millions of poor, illiterate Indians -- as well as the intelligentsia and the rich -- into a sustained, nonviolent movement for independence.

This definitive biography follows Gandhi from childhood through his years as a law student in England, his practice of law and exposure to the civil fights struggles in South Africa, and his triumphant achievements back home in India. Finally, it reveals for the first time the extraordinary events surrounding Gandhi's assassination -- its planning, execution, and the trial that followed.

Picking up the strands of Gandhi's childhood and adolescence, Yogesh Chadha explores the key events in Gandhi's life that became touchstones in his intellectual, spiritual, and political development. Writing with total frankness, Chadha exposes the weaknesses and controversial features of Gandhi's public and personal life, including his struggles with sexuality and celibacy. The man that emerges is one whose distinctive quality -- tenacity of purpose -- overrode his weaknesses and made him the compelling historical figure that he remains today.