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INTRODUCTION

1. Thimayya Of India: A Soldier’s Life, written by Humphrey Evans is a non-

fiction providing a good insight into the General Thimayya’s life history.

2. The book is very well divided into different chapters narrating the live
incidents that took place in the General’s life starting from his birth place, then his
school days, college days till his career in the Indian army.

3. Actually the book highlights the time period through which not only
General Thimayya passed but also the entire nation faced during the British
monopoly. The cataclysmic changes that did not left millions of people
unscathed, either physically or spiritually were unable to move Thimayya.

4. There were very few people who were strengthened by the forced
adjustment in the half-century when the British impact on the subcontinent
reached its zenith. These were the people who acquired this unique ability to
take the best from the old world and the new, to live equally at ease with both the
East and the West. General Thimayya was one amongst them.

5. The author really worked hard along with his wife for about four months to
project the story of one person who lived dramatically through all changes,
understood them, adapted to them, and, on his way, helped to bring them about,
and that was the General.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

1. Humphrey Evans, a merionethshire shepherd-poet of World War I. He was

born in 1887 in Meirionydd, Wales. Evans spent the majority of his life on a hill
farm near Trawsfynydd.

2. Evans was the eldest of eleven children and grew up on a farm, where he
later worked as a sheep-farmer with his father, after leaving school.

3. Humphrey Evans has been editor and commissioning editor for a range of
publications. He freelances for several magazines and newspapers, both as a
writer and sub-editor, and teaches writing for periodicals at Middlesex University.

4. Evans visited India during the British rule represent ting New York’s
Harcourt, Brace and Company. He was a professional writer and helped General
Thimayya in compiling the manuscript regarding his Korean experiences.
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CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK

The book is divided into twenty chapters: -

1. Chapter 1 – This chapter gives out the origin of the great intellectual and
military leader from a tiny hill district of Coorg in South India near Mysore. It also
describes about Thimayya’s family background, the days of his schooling at St.
Joseph’s College in Coonoor and finally accomplishing it at Bishop Cotton’s in
Bangalore.

2. Chapter 2 – Thimayya’s next step was the journey from Mercara to

Dehradun that gave him his frist glimpse of India. The Prince of Wales Royal
Military College at Dehradun warmly welcomed Thimayya. Thimayya came
across a diversified group ranging from different place of origin, different in
customs and traditions, and of different age group too. His attitude towards the
British entered a new phase stimulating him to strive to equal the best that they
could produce collectively instead of individually.

3. Chapter 3 – It describes the period of Thimayya when he left his mother

nation for the first time and feeling that made him realized that his life had really
begun. The Royal Military College at Sandhurst, in England presented him with
injustice as well as snubbed to recognize his capabilities at sports and other
outdoor activities. Thimayya faced a sea change in the culture and values in
England.

4. Chapter 4 – Thimayya’s tenure with Highland Infantry at Bangalore, when

he came across the problem of language with his Scottish troops. He managed
them effectively and earned appreciation for his efforts in setting up high
standards in behavior and values.
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5. Chapter 5 – It describes the tenure of General Thimayya at Baghdad with

4/19 Hyderabad Regiment that started in March of 1927. He succeeded in his job
where a British officer had failed.

6. Chapter 6 – The battalion to which General was posted moved to

Allahabad in north-central India. This chapter deals with the influence of freedom
struggle and pioneers of that phase working for the same on Thimayya.

7. Chapter 7 – A really tough tenure for Thimayya as his battalion was the
only mixed one when the battalion shifted from peacetime to the field area at Fort
Sandeman. Thimayya’s effective leadership and guidance made his troops to
outdo Sikhs in a magnificent hockey match.

8. Chapter 8 – The Battalion moved to Quetta from Fort Sandeman. The life
offered here was though pleasant but not for long. Thimayya finally decided and
got married to Nina, Cariappa’s daughter.

9. Chapter 9 – Thimayya left his battalion and joined as Adjutant of 5 th

Madras Battalion University Training Corps. His wife Nina was expecting a
baby at that time.

10. Chapter 10 – Singapore posting made the battalion learn the art of jungle
warfare. The battalion went through a tough phase.

11. Chapter 11 – Thimayya returned to battalion headquarter after finishing

his job. He was posted as a major and was made second-in-command of one of
the new infantry battalions at Agra. He plunged into the work of turning recruits
into soldiers. His wife Nina and daughter Mireille joined him and made his life
more pleasant.
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12. Chapter 12 – By the end of Exercise Malabar, Thimayya became more

close to General and went in with the 25 th Division that was replacing 5th Indian
Division at Maungdaw in Burma.

13. Chapter 13 – Thimayya’s battalion were assigned the task of capturing a

hill called “Poland” at Buthiadaung. This endeavor was a great success with
minimal casualties. This victory made Thimayya earn word of praise from Lord
Louis Mountbatten.

14. Chapter 14 – This chapter deals with Thimayya and his battalion’s first
experience with the navy. The troops enjoyed the treat from the naval sailors.

15. Chapter 15 – Chapter narrates the phase with British Commonwealth

Force for the occupation of Japan.

16. Chapter 16 – Thimayya now reached to the post of Brigadier and joined
the Indian Armed Forces Nationalization Committee in Delhi in January 1947.
Chapter entirely describes about the conflict developed between British and
Indian viewpoints. Thimayya-Key Agreement was signed up to help solve border
disputes.

17. Chapter 17 – Indo-Pakistani conflict over Jammu And Kashmir State was
overheard for the first time by Thimayya. The chapter also deals with the various
military operations that occurred just after India’s partition.

18. Chapter 18 – This chapter tells the story of Indian Army after the British
had left India. The changes that came in the Indian Army.

19. Chapter 19 – Thimayya was appointed chairman of the Neutral Nations

Repatriation Commission. His splendid job in repatriation of the prisoners of wars
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during Korean War that took place after World War II. For this he was awarded
with Padma Bushan medal and Prime Minister Nehru commended him.

20. Chapter 20 –Thimayya’s return to India from his exhaustive trip in Korea.
On May 8, 1957, Thimayya was promoted to full general and he took over as
Chief of the Army Staff.
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QUALITY OF PRESENTATION

1. The book is very well presented containing a total of 307 pages. The
pages are of good quality and also include the images of the most important
phase and achievement of General Thimayya’s career.

2. The book was published by Harcourt, Brace and Company a very well
known publication of New York. The book was published in 1960 and priced just
$20 US dollars.

3. The entire biography of General Thimayya is covered very minutely by

covering it under 20 chapters.
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RELEVANCE IN OUR CONTEXT

1. Thimayya displayed classic qualities of head and heart desired in a great

commander. Physically and mentally he was extremely robust and possessed a
commanding personality.

2. He had enormous physical and moral courage that he displayed

throughout his career. Persistence and determination coupled with decisiveness
brought him success in his endeavours.

3. Despite having a strong drive and the desire to succeed, Thimayya was
patient, tactful and cooperated with his peers, juniors and other unit/formation
commanders.

4. Thimayya had great organizing ability and administrative ability. He had

great faith in the value of training and ensured that it was done at all levels of his
command.

5. A charismatic personality, Thimayya’s man management abilities were

legendary.

6. Thimayya’s major weakness was his inability to understand and manage

change at macro level in India after 1947. A lack of recognition of his views and
recommendations by politicians and bureaucrats resulted in acrimony, which also
made him hyper sensitive. His display of a rigid attitude while dealing with
politicians was extremely naïve.
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CONCLUSION

1. In the annals of India’s military history it is unlikely that we would find

another military leader as charismatic as Thimayya. Certainly there is none that
had as much experience of fighting in wars as Thimayya.

2. Although a first generation soldier, the foundations of Thimayya’s sterling

character and positive personality traits were laid by the high sense of values
cherished in his family.

3. A secular outlook, humility and integrity to do a thing well for its own sake
and not for seeking approbation of others prepared him to be a leader in war and
in peace.

4. Thimayya was truly inspirational leader. Since his concern for the men
was palpable he could get them to perform astonishing feats and courage as for
example the action of 1 Grenadiers in Op Eraze. Op Behram bears the stamp of
his vision and ability to manage with fewer resources.

5. Thimayya’s achievements as a CO in Burma bear testimony to his daring.

By capturing objectives time and again during the operations he was honoured
with a DSO.

6. For his singular work as Chairman of NNRC in Korea, Thimayya was

honoured with a Padma Bhushan. Thimayya will however be remembered as a
soldiers general who while thinking big in war had his feet firmly on ground. He
came as a quintessential warrior in the beginning and so he remained till the end.