The political events that took place during Lord Wavells Viceroyalty in India set the stage for all that transpired during the Mountbatten era. Wavell was in favour of implementing the Breakdown Plan so the British government could fall back upon a well thought-out course of action when it inevitably departed from India. On the other hand, Wavells assessment of Indias fast-evolving political scenario began to cast a sobering light on the global dilemma of the British, for whom relinquishing control over India meant facing global contraction.

This book analyses the complex undercurrents of Lord Wavells Viceroyalty, a subject not been previously touched upon in comparable depth. It covers nearly all the major events of the Indian political scene during the period of the Second World War and immediately after, when the British grip on India was loosening fast and their departure from India was simply a matter of timing.

This second edition comprises a new chapter on Wavells Breakdown Plan to emphasize its ample significance in the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan and its aftermath.