The Nehrus are a dynasty
without precedent in the modern world; nowhere else and at no other
time in recent history has a single family wielded such enduring and
pervasive power over the country - and the electorate - they serve. From
Jawaharlal Nehru to his daughter, Indira Gandhi, and from there, via
Sanjay and Rajiv to - most recently - Sonia, this remarkable family have
consistently established both the parameters and rhetoric of India's
political development. In the eighties, Tariq Ali made several trips to
India, meeting a wide range of political and public figures, including
Mrs Gandhi, and leaders of both the Congress and Opposition parties. The
Nehrus and the Gandhis, first published in 1985, was the result. Now
updated to include the most recent chapters in India's political
history, it remains as relevant as ever
