In his unusual and extraordinary life, Pran Nevile has donned several hats - journalist, researcher, diplomat, Soviet bloc expert, United Nations adviser and writer. On short notice, he even turned pandit to perform the wedding ceremony of a close friend's daughter. Carefree Days is the story of his multifaceted life, beginning in pre-Partition Lahore, where he completed his education. It was a time of happy camaraderie between Hindus and Muslims in college that gave way all too soon to th...

Lahore, first published in 1993, is Pran Nevile’s tribute to the land of his birth. Grounded in memory and redolent with nostalgia, Nevile’s reminiscences transport the reader into the heart of Lahore as it was in the 1930s and 40s—a city bustling with activity where people coexisted harmoniously, unfettered by considerations of religion, region or caste. From the riotous seasonal festivities of kite-flying to clandestine love- affairs upon rooftops, from matinee shows at the cinema to twi...

The British came to India in search of wealth and power. But it was a man's world and women, especially English women, were few. An English bride for long remained an expensive proposition, costing a small fortune to bring to Calcutta, and was quite out of the reach of young career-minded officers and civil servants. Driven by loneliness, lust or just plain longing, many looked foe companionship among Indian women, or where the more rakish among them were concerned, the bored wives of fell...