Deputy of Subhas Chandra Bose. An aide to Jawaharlal Nehru. A friend to Indira Gandhi.
A left-wing contributor to the Hindu. The first Indian ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany.
And if recent reports are to be believed – a Soviet spy! A.C.N Nambiar, Nanu to friends and colleagues,
was a man who lead many lives, each more intriguing than the other.
And yet, not many know his story and unfortunately, the average history book finds little mention of his
extraordinary life. Thoroughly researched and written by Vappala Balachandran who stood by Nanu in his
twilight years, the book recounts the life and times of this extraordinary man. With inputs and insights from
Nambiar’s diaries and many interviews, the book is set to be the definitive guide not only to his life but also to the
lives of the Indians living in Europe between the two world wars and how they contributed to the Indian freedom struggle.