Fifty years in a nation's life is a small period of time. However, it is quite likely that collective memory will have faded about several events...and so it is with the 1965 war that India was dragged into by Pakistan's chronic insecurities and territorial ambitions. This time in the form of a forcible attempt to annex Kashmir. Today, the details of the war that came between the tragedy of 1962 and the triumph of 1971 are hazy in the memory of the country. But it is a story that needs to be retold. Caught by surprise at the Pakistani offensive, India, then struggling as a nation, responded with extraordinary zeal and turned the tide in a war Pakistan thought it would win because of its superior weapons and tactics. But as the outcome of the 1965 war tells us, Pakistan not only failed to achieve any of its strategic objectives but had to suffer a massive setback, thanks to a combination of resolute political leadership, the brave Indian soldiers and determined citizens. This then is the account of the war that India has largely forgotten. In this meticulously researched and fast paced book, journalist and national security analyst Nitin A. Gokhale, has produced a formidable and comprehensive evaluation of the events and aftermath of the ferocious Indo-Pak war of 1965.

Nitin A. Gokhale is one of South Asia's leading Strategic Analysts. He is the founder of the defence-related website BharatShakti.in. and Strategic News International (sniwire.com). Now a media entrepreneur, Gokhale has worked across print, web and broadcast mediums since 1983. He has reported on India's North-East, the 1999 Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan and the Sri Lankan Eelam War IV. Author of six books on national security affairs, Gokhale is an alumni of the Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii. He teaches and lectures at premier Indian defence training institutions like the National Defence College, the Army, Air Force and Naval War Colleges, the College of Defence Management and the Defence Services Staff College, besides being a popular speaker at various seminars and symposiums on civil-military relations, insurgency/terrorism, Asian Security Affairs and military-media relations.

Preface
Acknowledgements

The Context: The Indian Sub-continent in 1965
The Opening Gambit: The Kutch Conflict
The Battle that Changed the Momentum: Moral Booster in Kargil
A Devious Campaign to Capture Kashmir: Thwarting Pakistan's Design
Haji Pir: Taking the Battle to the Enemy: Capturing a Vital Height
A Daring Thrust that Fell Short: Blundering Pakistan Leadership
Catching Pakistan by Surprise: Threatening Lahore
Tale of Missed Opportunities: A Knockout Punch that Wasn't
Peace Moves: International Mediation
Straining at the Leash: A Role Denied
All Round Support: A National Effort
Victory against All Odds: An Assertive India
Appendices
Appendix 1: Kutch Agreement
Appendix 2: Rise to Meet the Challenge
Appendix 3: We Must not Slacken
Appendix 4: Approximate Military Strength of India and Pakistan on 1 September 1965
Appendix 5: Tashkent DeclarationBibliography