Hello,
Interested in chit chat? then read the next para or you can read the review from the 4th paragraph.
I bought this book few months back but this was on the waiting list of my reads for about two months. After reading "From Cricket to Cancer and back" by Yuvraj Singh; "Old paths white clouds" by Thich Nhat Hanh and "Men of Steel" by Vir Sanghvi, putting my hands on this book was a refreshment for me. I finished the book day before yesterday and followed that I have this review to be written here.
I love to write reviews because, this shows my understanding of the book and the Author. Understanding keeps growing with time and after sometimes when I come back here, again I read these reviews and I would clearly know that old review that I wrote, needs up-gradation.
I am very small person as compare to the people who wrote these books, so when I write an review this is my personal thoughts about the book, you have 100% liberty to agree or not to agree.
Book Title: Race of my Life: An Autobiography
Author: Milkha Singh and Sonia Sanwalka
Publisher: Rupa Publications
ISBN: 978812912909
God! I love the story.
This book is filled with so much emotions and a fast moving inspiring real life story of the only Indian Athlete to have a gold medal in the commonwealth games.
Here is the brief story of his life that I was able to fetch from this book:
According to this book, Milkha Singh was born on November 20, 1935 (only official, exact not known to him too) at Gobindpura(Now in Pakistan), in un-divided India. This was a Sikh village who got burned and destroyed due to partition of India. Milkha lost his whole family except his brother Makhan Singh(Or Malkhan Singh as written at some other places) and a sister Ishyer (or Ishvar).
He witnessed the horrible killing of his family and many others, he was able to run for his life after he hearing "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" as the final words from the mouth of his father.
He reached India and soon found his sister and brother who was in Indian Army. He was ill treated along with his sister at the new house and got indulged in bad company.
Fortune was on his side because soon on the recommendations of his brother he got recruited in the Indian Army. His life was hard in the initial days but when he followed the final words of his father and started running as his profession, everything changed.
After a constant hard work of his own and his coaches at the Army unit he was able to fetch the following:
Milkha Singh sold the rights to this movie for only 1 Rupee but imposed the condition that the profits must be shared with the Milkha Singh Charitable Trust which he founded in the year 2003 to help the needy Sportsperson in the country.
At the end of the book he claims that he is not a man of words but still he has poured his heart in this book, which sounds very much true. Once you start to read this book you have to finish.
Such a marvelous book. This book has so much to offer for such a low price.
I think the Govt. should read the words at the last of the book with total seriousness, this might lead to a big numbers of medals for our athletes and country. There are about 40,000 coaches in India, Government has spent a lot, there are enough stadiums and grounds but, missing thing is the hard and dedication of the coaches and athletes, that is what he says.
He suggested that coaches should be deputed for short periods like of 4 to 5 years and their services should be prolonged only on the basis of their performance. If they perform well they get the service and rewards if, not then they should be replaced.
He also suggest that the sportsperson should be given enough incentives to live their life in a prosperous way. After getting retired sportsperson must be deputed in the Government at the important posts so as to serve for the sports future of this country.
If you are interested in sports, please go for this book, even if you are not, go for the inspiration that you might have from his story.
This book is a complete pack of courage, guts and glory! So, finally when you have made your mind to purchase this book please go to the direct link provided to the online book store at Amazon. You will get the best deal here:
Thank you!
Interested in chit chat? then read the next para or you can read the review from the 4th paragraph.
I bought this book few months back but this was on the waiting list of my reads for about two months. After reading "From Cricket to Cancer and back" by Yuvraj Singh; "Old paths white clouds" by Thich Nhat Hanh and "Men of Steel" by Vir Sanghvi, putting my hands on this book was a refreshment for me. I finished the book day before yesterday and followed that I have this review to be written here.
 |
| MilkhaSingh, Source: Wikipedia |
I love to write reviews because, this shows my understanding of the book and the Author. Understanding keeps growing with time and after sometimes when I come back here, again I read these reviews and I would clearly know that old review that I wrote, needs up-gradation.
I am very small person as compare to the people who wrote these books, so when I write an review this is my personal thoughts about the book, you have 100% liberty to agree or not to agree.
Book Title: Race of my Life: An Autobiography
Author: Milkha Singh and Sonia Sanwalka
Publisher: Rupa Publications
ISBN: 978812912909
God! I love the story.
This book is filled with so much emotions and a fast moving inspiring real life story of the only Indian Athlete to have a gold medal in the commonwealth games.
Here is the brief story of his life that I was able to fetch from this book:
According to this book, Milkha Singh was born on November 20, 1935 (only official, exact not known to him too) at Gobindpura(Now in Pakistan), in un-divided India. This was a Sikh village who got burned and destroyed due to partition of India. Milkha lost his whole family except his brother Makhan Singh(Or Malkhan Singh as written at some other places) and a sister Ishyer (or Ishvar).
He witnessed the horrible killing of his family and many others, he was able to run for his life after he hearing "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" as the final words from the mouth of his father.
He reached India and soon found his sister and brother who was in Indian Army. He was ill treated along with his sister at the new house and got indulged in bad company.
Fortune was on his side because soon on the recommendations of his brother he got recruited in the Indian Army. His life was hard in the initial days but when he followed the final words of his father and started running as his profession, everything changed.
After a constant hard work of his own and his coaches at the Army unit he was able to fetch the following:
- Gold Medal - 1958 Commonwealth Games - 400 m
- Gold Medal - 1958 Asian Games - 200 m and 400 m
- Gold Medal - 1962 Asian Games
- Padma Shri - 1958
He refused to take the Arjuna Award in the year 2001 and argued that this award has been devalued because award was supposed to be given to the young sportsmen. He also claimed that this award must be given to the deserving candidates only and should not be distributed under the political pressure when the candidates don't deserve it in real.
He married Nirmal Kaur in 1962 when both were recruited at Chandigarh and got blessed with four children, 3 daughters and 1 son. His son Chiranjeev Milkha Singh is a well known Golfer which Milkha is very much proud of.
He was quite sad about the ignorance of the sports activities in the country and specifically about the corruption scandals in 2012 commonwealth games held at Delhi. He has stated his views about the political links with the sports very clearly in the ending chapter of this book in a quite blunt manner and seems sad about the whole situation of the Indian sports.
Milkha Singh is also known as the flying Sikh of India, and is the main character in the bollywood movie "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", which is played by our very much known Farhan Akhtar. The movie was inspired by the story of his life scripted in this autobiography.
At the end of the book he claims that he is not a man of words but still he has poured his heart in this book, which sounds very much true. Once you start to read this book you have to finish.
Such a marvelous book. This book has so much to offer for such a low price.
I think the Govt. should read the words at the last of the book with total seriousness, this might lead to a big numbers of medals for our athletes and country. There are about 40,000 coaches in India, Government has spent a lot, there are enough stadiums and grounds but, missing thing is the hard and dedication of the coaches and athletes, that is what he says.
He suggested that coaches should be deputed for short periods like of 4 to 5 years and their services should be prolonged only on the basis of their performance. If they perform well they get the service and rewards if, not then they should be replaced.
He also suggest that the sportsperson should be given enough incentives to live their life in a prosperous way. After getting retired sportsperson must be deputed in the Government at the important posts so as to serve for the sports future of this country.
If you are interested in sports, please go for this book, even if you are not, go for the inspiration that you might have from his story.
This book is a complete pack of courage, guts and glory! So, finally when you have made your mind to purchase this book please go to the direct link provided to the online book store at Amazon. You will get the best deal here:
Thank you!
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