1965: Stories from the Second Indo-Pak War

The book begins with Pakistan's invasion of Chamb in Jammu and Kashmir on 1 September 1965, which triggered a wider conflict involving intense tank battles, infantry operations and counter-offensives.

Drawing on Army records, war diaries and interviews with veterans and survivors, Rachna Bisht Rawat reconstructs five major battles fought by different Indian Army regiments. The narrative covers battlefields ranging from the Haji Pir Pass to the fields of Punjab and provides a human perspective on the war.

Rachna Bisht Rawat is an author and journalist whose work focuses extensively on India's armed forces and military history. Her books include The Brave: Param Vir Chakra Stories and 1965: Stories from the Second Indo-Pak War. She has worked with publications including The Statesman, Indian Express and Deccan Herald.

Manohar Parrikar, who provides the foreword, was a former Defence Minister of India and former Chief Minister of Goa. The book was published to commemorate fifty years of the historic 1965 conflict.

The 1965 Indo-Pakistan War began after Pakistan's invasion of Chamb and quickly developed into a major military confrontation. Indian forces fought across difficult terrains in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, including some of the largest tank engagements of the conflict.

Through accounts of five important battles and the experiences of soldiers who participated in them, the book explores military strategy, battlefield courage and the personal cost of war. It also remembers soldiers whose bravery and contribution played an important role in India's defence but whose stories are less widely known.

The result is both a historical reconstruction of the 1965 war and a tribute to the soldiers who fought in it.