MY TOP 5 PICKS ‘My all time favourite’
Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar lists out his top five favourite books.
“Hundreds of books have impacted me, and at different times, different books come to my mind. As a police officer, the best skill we require is to handle crises and unforeseen situations. Our mind naturally gets attracted towards situations like this,” he says as he lists out his favourite five books.
THEARTOFWAR BY SUN TZU
I’ve
read this book many times when I was Head of the Greyhounds. It’s an ancient Chinese military treatise dating from the Late Spring and Autumn periods. The work, which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, is composed of thirteen chapters,” he says. “It talks about strategy and tactics of unconventional war. The situation can be applied to many occasions.”
BHAGAVADGITA
The
Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as the Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic Mahabharata.
“No book can describe life and human behaviour better than this does. One has to read it 100 times to understand it in its completeness,” he says.
THESTORYOFMY EXPERIMENTSWITHTRUTH, MAHATMA GANDHI BY
The autobiography of Mohandas K. Gandhi, covering his life from early childhood through to 1921. It was written in weekly instalments and published in his journal Navjivan from 1925 to 1929.
“Our Father of the Nation tells how despite many challenges he worked hard all through his life. I read the book when I was in Class 8,” adds.
THECRAFTOFINTELLIGENCE ALLEN DULLES
This classic of spy-craft is based on Dulles’ incomparable experience as a diplomat, an international lawyer, and America’s premier intelligence officer. Dulles was the first civilian director of central intelligence.
“This book I read when I was working in the Counter Intelligence Cell. It is a very fascinating narration,” says the police commissioner.
WARANDPEACE BY LEO TOLSTOY
BY
This book is regarded as one of Tolstoy’s finest literary achievements and remains a classic in the world of literature.
“It narrates the Russian struggles with Napoleon and its impact on society,” adds Anjani Kumar.