In this book, by means of an engrossing fictional story which skilfully incorporates various historical figures and many true incidents as well as the author's own personal experiences, fortified with excerpts from newspapers and other documents, Humayun Ahmed manages to produce a remarkably vivid and well balanced picture of the political events and bloody civil war which led to the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent state in 1971. No other work on the subject has the same breadth of vision or the same power to absorb and engage the reader. This is essential reading for anyone who wishes to explore the human reality behind the stark facts of the Bangladesh Liberation War. In the present translation Humayun Ahmed's highly accessible Bengali style has been recreated in modern colloquial English, making an easy read for Western readers. This edition also comprises explanatory notes to assist those unfamiliar with the cultural and historical background to the novel. - from Amzon