Peter N. Herndon
Attenborough, Richard. In Search of Gandhi. London: The Bodley Head Ltd., 1982
Well-illustrated book by the director of the Academy-award winning film, Gandhi. Many personal anecdotes, as well as a brief summary of events covered in the film. Readable for students as well as teachers.
Cummer, Joan Whittaker. A Book of Spinning Wheels. Peter E. Randall, Publisher, 1993. Contains full-page illustrations of over 100 spinning wheels, including several from India. An excellent source of photographs for slides.
Datta, Dhirendra Mohan. The Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1953.
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Written by a disciple of Gandhi who lived on one of his ashrams in India; has taken Gandhi’s ideas and systematized them, tracing some of them back to ancient sources. Many appealing topics for student discussion and debate.
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Erikson, Erik H. Gandhi’s Truth: On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence. Norton, 1970.
A principally psycho-biographical work that examines Gandhi the person and applies his principles to present-day situations, including the American civil rights movement.
Fischer, Louis. The Essential Gandhi. An Anthology. Random House, New York, 1962.
Firsthand quotations on a number of subjects, including “The Power of the Mind” and “Gandhi’s Advice to Negroes.”
Fischer, Louis. The Life of Mahatma Gandhi. Harper, 1950.
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Based on personal interviews with Gandhi.
Gandhi, Mohandas K. Non-Violence in Peace and War. Ahmedabad, India: Navajivan Publishing House, 1948.
Contains an especially helpful section on spinning and spinning wheels. Over 160 topics written in diary form. Excellent 20-page index of topics covered.
_______________. Economics of Khadi. Ahmedabad, India: Navajihan Press, 1941.
This book is the result of twenty-five years of research done by Gandhi on the use of the charkha wheel as a means to produce better yarn (khadi) and make spinning and weaving a profitable occupation. A valuable history lesson of the economics and early success of the spinning movement in India in the 1920’s through the early 1940’s. 609 pages of text, plus a seventeen-page index, plus an excellent fourteen-page Forward by R. Prasad.
_______________. Bharatan Kumarappa, ed. Khadi (Hand-Spun Cloth) Why and How. Ahmedabad, India: Navajivan Publishing House, 1955.
A collection of readings from various works of Gandhi. Sections include “Why Spinning?” “Why not Industrialism?” “Spinning for Self” “Spinning for Hire” “The Government and Khadi” and “Handlooms”. Concludes with Gandhi’s belief that “We have got enough artisans and indigenous skill in our country to produce all the cloth that we require for ourselves.” (page 266)
_______________. The Wheel of Fortune. Madras: Ganesh and Co., 1922.
This rare little book is covered in khadar, a product of India’s hand spinning industry. It includes a working diagram of Gandhi’s modified charkha wheel and operator’s instructions. Contains a wonderful chapter called “The Music of the Spinning Wheel.” Two quotes: “We are living in a spiritual war. . . . We must concentrate upon our goal to the exclusion of everything else.” (page 11) “If you want to see the cessation of our slavery in which we are living for close upon two centuries, it requires from you a peaceful battlethe battle of the Charka.” (page 86)
_______________. The Hindu-Muslim Unity. Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Publishers, 1965.
Gandhi comments on 85 topics from the necessity of Hindu-Muslim unity to “God is One” to “Is Islam Inspired?” to “Treatment of Minorities.” Recommended as a primary source. (Part of the 10-part “Pocket Gandhi Series”)
Huttenback, Robert A. Gandhi in South Africa. British Imperialism and the Indian Question, 1860-1914. Cornell University Press, 1971.
The story of Gandhi’s 21 years in South Africa and the beginnings of his nonviolent resistance philosophy of revolution (satyagraha)
Mehta, Ved. Mahatma Gandhi and His Apostles. Viking Press, New York, 1976
A clear account of Gandhi’s embodiment of his principles, written by an Indian educated in England and the United States, who interviewed many of Gandhi’s followers and admirers. Gandhi’s humor and personal lifestyle come to life.
Merton, Thomas, ed. Gandhi on Nonviolence. New Directions Paperback.
Excerpts from “Nonviolence in Peace and War.” Gandhi’s ideas in his own words.
Moon, Sir Penderel. Gandhi and Modern India. Norton, 1969.
Gandhi’s influence on the reorganization of the Congress Party, Hindu-Muslim relations, and the theory and practice of nonviolence.
Schechter. Betty. The Peaceable Revolution. Houghton, 1963.
How Thoreau’s ideas of nonviolence influenced Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Severance, John B. Gandhi. Great Soul. Clarion Books, New York, 1997.
Written at a high school level, I plan to quote extensively from this very readable book.
Shirer, William S. Gandhi, A Memoir. Simon and Shuster, New York, 1979.
Written by a reporter-historian who became a friend of Gandhi. Writes about Gandhi’s human weaknesses as well as accomplishments (1930-1947)
Sheean, Vincent. Mahatma Gandhi. Knopf, 1955. Personal reminiscences of Gandhi.
