Get Inspired by the Father of the Nation: Check out the Top Books on Mahatma Gandhi to Motivate You to Achieve Greater Humanity and Compassion in Life and Attain Inner Peace (2022)

Mahatma Gandhi was born as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on October 2nd, 1869 in Gujarat. He was the leader of the nationalist movement against the British Rule in India which finally brought freedom to Indians. Also known as Bapu, Gandhiji was not only a freedom fighter but was also an Indian lawyer, politician and social activist before he finally dedicated his entire life to the nation. Not only that, he also left his home for the freedom of India and led various movements against the Britishers to finally force them to get out of the country.

Mahatma Gandhi led his entire life in the simplest way possible and did so much for the people of the nation without expecting anything in return. In fact, his life is an example to learn qualities like satya and ahimsa (truth and non-violence). The books written on him will help you understand his struggles and selflessness for the nation and its people in a better way.

There are hundreds of books written on the inspiring life of Mahatma Gandhi and it’s impossible to read them all. But we managed to compile a list of some of the best books you should read on Gandhiji to understand his life and his qualities.

Gandhi Before India is a biography by Ramachandra Guha. This book mostly talks about the time Gandhiji went to South Africa in 1893 to establish himself as a better lawyer. The two decades that Gandhiji spent out there was actually the time of his making as Mahatma. This books also throws some light on his personal life as to how he failed as a husband and as a father. Deeply researched in four continents of the world, this book is quite beautifully written and keeps you engrossed to know more about Gandhiji. You can buy this book on Flipkart for ₹ 387.00.

What makes this book extra special is that it is written by the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and covers such aspects of his life which are often left out by others. The book touches sensitive topics like Gandhi’s attitude towards caste and untouchability, his failure to keep India united, his controversial experiments with chastity and many more. This book helps the current generation to understand Gandhiji in a simpler manner. The book not only covers his victories but his defeats too. You can buy the paperback edition of this book on Amazon for ₹ 334.00.

The next book we have on this list is Mahatma Gandhi: The Father of the Nation by Subhadra Sen Gupta. This book talks about what Mahatma Gandhi was, aside from being The Father of the Nation. This book touches topics like the virtues of Gandhi’s life (satyagrah, ahimsa and more). The author does a wonderful job to put his entire life as a freedom fighter in words. How he broke the Salt Law by walking 400 km, how he treated everyone alike and how his entire life was dedicated to the nation even after his death, the book talks about it all. You can buy the hard copy of this book on Jain Book Depot for ₹ 150.00.

Judith M. Brown has written this book called Gandhi: Prisoner of Hope which covers his success as a freedom fighter and the controversies surrounding his life. The author portrays the rise of Gandhi as a complicated figure which cannot be put into a category. The author has also very nicely interlinked the spiritual evolution of Gandhi along with the rise as a saint-politician which is very much the base nuance of the book. In fact, the books also covers Gandhi’s point of view on personal matters like hygiene, health, sex and more. You can buy this book on Amazon for ₹ 2,791.00.

While most books talk about the life Gandhiji lived and how he rose from nothing to become the Father of the Nation, this book by Makarand R. Paranjape covers the death and afterlife of Gandhiji which is quite unusual to read. The author doesn't shy away from talking about the brutal analysis of Gandhi’s assassination in an explosive manner. This book mainly focuses on the last six months of Gandhi’s life and how it impacted the fate of India later on. This book is available for purchase on Amazon for ₹ 392.00.

This book by Louis Fischer isn’t necessarily an analysis on Gandhi’s life but it rather follows his life just the way it was. Starting from the childhood of Gandhiji to his life in South Africa and then how he went on to become an integral part of India’s Freedom Movement. The book also majorly highlights other issues fought by Gandhiji apart from India’s independence like untouchability, his support to the spinning and cotton industry, Hindu-Muslim unity, etc. The Life of Mahatma Gandhi is available for purchase on Flipkart for ₹ 359.00.

I am Gandhi by Brad Meltzer revolves around the peaceful revolution carried out by Gandhiji. This one is a picture book which we think is perfect for kids to learn about the qualities and life of Gandhiji from a tender age.
This is a very friendly book which talks about the fights of Gandhiji against injustice in a quiet and peaceful manner. It teaches kids that how even the smallest of them can be the most powerful with right virtues. This illustration book is available for purchase on Bookish Santa for ₹ 399.00.

And the last book in this series is Mahatma Gandhi and His Apostles by Ved Mehta. This is one of those few books which covers Gandhiji’s life in a very vivid and complex manner. The book paints the portrait of Gandhiji and of the people who were influenced by his life. Mehta despite being blind from the age of four, did his research very well. He travelled the whole world to meet Gandhi’s remaining family, his followers and friends to bring exact details for the readers. You can find this book on Amazon for ₹ 3,500.00.

Apart from being an excellent human being and a freedom fighter, Gandhiji was an author too. He wrote so many inspiring books about his journey and struggles to set the nation free from the British Rule. There are some books written by him which you should totally give a read. Some of these books are The Story of My Experiments with Truth, The Bhagavad Geeta According to Gandhi, The Essential Gandhi, Gandhi on Non-Violence, The Words of Gandhi and many more. These books are a must-read to understand life from the point of view of Mahatma Gandhi.