SSC
Who is the author of 'An Autobiography' (published in the USA as 'Toward Freedom')?
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Answer: Option A — Jawaharlal Nehru
Detailed Solution
"An Autobiography" by Jawaharlal Nehru was published in London in 1936. An edition for American readers, published in 1941, was titled "Toward Freedom".
About the book:
Nehru wrote it mostly while he was in prison in Almora jail and other jails between June 1934 and February 1935.
It describes his childhood in Allahabad (Anand Bhawan), his education at Harrow and Cambridge, his entry into the freedom movement, his relationship with Mahatma Gandhi and his father Motilal Nehru, and his views on politics, religion and society.
It is admired for its honest self-examination and its excellent English prose.
Nehru's other famous books:
"The Discovery of India" (1946): written in Ahmednagar Fort prison during the Quit India Movement (1942-45); it describes India's history, culture and philosophy. The TV series "Bharat Ek Khoj" (1988) by Shyam Benegal was based on it.
"Glimpses of World History" (1934): a collection of 196 letters written from prison to his daughter Indira, giving an overview of world history.
"Letters from a Father to His Daughter" (1929): 30 letters written to the 10-year-old Indira about the natural world and early history.
"A Bunch of Old Letters" (1958): letters written to Nehru by famous people.
About Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964):
- He was India's first Prime Minister (1947-1964).
- He was President of the Indian National Congress several times, including the Lahore session of 1929, where "Purna Swaraj" (complete independence) was declared the goal.
- His birthday, 14 November, is celebrated as Children's Day in India.
- He received the Bharat Ratna in 1955.
Autobiographies of other leaders:
- Mahatma Gandhi: "The Story of My Experiments with Truth".
- Subhas Chandra Bose: "An Indian Pilgrim" and "The Indian Struggle".
- Rajendra Prasad: "Atmakatha".
Why not the other options?
- ✗Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography is "The Story of My Experiments with Truth".
- ✗Subhas Chandra Bose wrote "An Indian Pilgrim" and "The Indian Struggle".
- ✗Rajendra Prasad's autobiography is "Atmakatha".
Quick tip
Remember: Nehru's books = "An Autobiography" (1936, US title "Toward Freedom"), "The Discovery of India" (1946, Ahmednagar Fort), "Glimpses of World History" (1934), "Letters from a Father to His Daughter" (1929).
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Books & Authors — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Books & Authors, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers famous books and their authors, including ancient Indian texts, works of the freedom struggle, classic and modern literature, autobiographies of famous people, and recently published books by well-known personalities. Questions usually name a book and ask for its author, or the other way round. Ancient and historical books, such as Arthashastra (Kautilya), Indica (Megasthenes) and Gitanjali (Rabindranath Tagore), are tested most often. Autobiographies are another favourite, so learn titles such as 'My Experiments with Truth' (Mahatma Gandhi) and 'Wings of Fire' (A. P. J. Abdul Kalam). Practise the books and authors questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.