Book Review A GEN SPEAKS-1-1-2

BOOK REVIEW : A GEN SPEAKS
GEN S PADMANABHAN
PVSM, AVSM, VSM (RETD)
Intro
1. The book ‘ A Gen Speaks’ by Gen S Padmanabhan, raises vital questions of

war and peace and identifies the key players who will determine what conditions shall
prevail in the 21st century South Asia. It traces the evolution of modern armies and
assesses, how well prepared the IA is to face the challenges ahead. The author’s
reviews of the yrs 2001 and 2002, when he was in comd of the IA, are of considerable
interest.
2. It is a powerful and simple book to be read about the IA.
About The Author
3. Credentials. Gen S Padmanabhan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd) was the

COAS of the Indian Army from 30 Sep 2000 to 31 Dec 2002. During his tenure as the
COAS, the Armed forces of the country mob for Op Parakram, on the borders facing
Pakistan and remained dply for about one yr. This op was the clearest sig sent so far
to our neighbour that it must stop aiding and abetting cross border terrorism.
4. He had held many prestigious comd, staff and instructional posns incl Dir Gen
of Mil Int (DGMI) and GOC, 15 Corps in Srinagar where he successfully handled the
Hazratbal crisis in 1993.
5. He was born on 05 Dec 1940, at Trivandrum (Kerela). He grew up in Chennai,

Nagpur and Burla (Orissa). He joined the elite Rashtriya Indian Mil College (RIMC),
Dehradun in 1952 and was commissioned into the Regt of Arty on 13 Dec 1959. An
alumnus of the National Def Academy, Gen Padmanabhan, has been GOC-in-C,
Northern Comd and thereafter GOC-in-C, Southern Comd.
6. His first comd was that of the famous Gazala Mtn Regt, a very old and battle-
tested unit of the arty. He had the unique distinction of having commanded an Arty
Bde and two Inf Bdes in vastly diverse As and trn between Jul 1985 and Feb 1991.
7. A graduate from the Def Services Staff College, Wellington and the National
Def College, Delhi, Gen Padmanabhan took over a frontline Inf Div in the Western
Sect and 15 Corps, GOC in the Kashmir Valley. He has also been a Bde Maj of an
Inf Bde on its raising, Col Gen Staff of a Mtn Div, Instr in Gunnery at the School of
Arty, two tenures as Instr at Indian Mil Academy and Chief of Staff of a Corps in the
Eastern Sect. He has been decorated with the PVSM, AVSM and VSM. He is also
Honorary ADC to the President of India.
8. Other Works. ‘Paddy’, as he was popularly known, authored his first

book, ‘The Writing on the Wall: India Checkmates America 2017’ (published by Manas
Publications), in 2004. The book was a fictional one but some of that fiction is already
turning into reality! The book ‘A Gen Speaks’ is the author’s second offering to the
readers.
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Theme
9. Genre. The book contains essays on various topics that were topical; of
interest to both mil and non-mil readers and which could be of some service to the
country. The views in the book are the personal views of the author, not of the Armed
Forces or the Govt of India.
10. Plausibility of Premise. An anthology of essays on a variety of subjects

entails even greater amt of research than a single subject book. The author has
constantly taken asst in the form of books, papers, CDs and floppies on a variety of
subjects and compiled the book for the readers. The book has made a sincere effort
towards making the reader enlightened about the def forces of the country. This
publication could, hopefully, enhance the knowledge base of the readers’ incl service
offrs. Towards this end, the book has made an admirable effort. It deals with the issue
related to def forces in a manner facilitating easy comprehension by even an average
reader.
Content
11. Layout. The book has been well written and is presented in a logical
manner making it easy to comprehend. There is certain disjointness about the book
as a whole. This is inevitable in any anthology. However, for those who seek
continuity in all that they read, each chapter is thematically designed to contribute to
the growth and betterment of our country, India. The book has been divided into
twelve chapters. Each chapter of the book provides a grasp of the subject.
(a) The New Millennium Army. In the first chapter, the author
examines the geo- strategic scenario which lies ahead in the first 25 yrs of the
21st century. After a look at the world scenario in gen terms, the author
examines the regional and national scenario in relation to one another. The
chapter traces the evolution of modern armies and assesses how well prepared
the Indian Army is to face the challenges ahead.
(b) The First Two Yrs: 2001 and 2002. In the sec chapter, the author
reviews the yrs 2001 and 2002, when he was in comd of the IA, which are of
considerable interest, as India and Pakistan came to the brink of a war in 2002.
From counter insurgency to sports, from terrorist actions to disaster relief, from
corruption in def procurement to trg for war, from higher def org to nuc
safeguards, the two yrs were, however, crammed with activities at every level
and of every kind.
(c) The Future of War. In this chapter, the author attempts to

evaluate the concept of war in lt of socio-mil circumstances prevailing today
and arrive at some direction posts for mankind to follow in the future. He
examines the concept of war for validity and ability to solve problems in the
modern era and concludes that some form of warfare will continue.
3
(d) Wars of the Future. In this chapter, the author studies a war by
means of a hypothetical scenario involving two neighbours, both neo – nuc
states, both classifiable as developing countries and both with a history of
having fought a few indecisive wars in the course of last 50 yrs or so. He
presents a scenario of future war and draws some lessons from the plans and
actions of the belligerents.
(e) Int for the 21st Century. In the fifth chapter, we familiarise ourselves
with various types of int org, iden our maj reqmt of int in the 21st century and
suggest mods or improvements in such orgs in India so as to meet the int
reqmts more comprehensively and in a more timely manner.
(f) The Changing Face of Terrorism. After discussing some of the

maj causes which terrorists espouse, the author pays attn to the face of
terrorism in the 21st century – its motivations, wpns and likely outcomes. At the
end, he examines these to see how nations of the world may deal with these
violent movements.
(g) Political Control of the Services. In this chapter, the author

examines the matter of political control of the services in great depth, the
aberrations that have crept in and what we must do to see that the armed
forces are not politicised. His pleading for the concept of the Chief of Def Staff
(CDS) will be of spl interest for the policy makers, def administrators and
readers at large. His views on political control of the Army and the linkages
between Foreign Policy and National Security will evoke considerable interest
and perhaps some controversies.
(h) Foreign Policy and National Security. The author discusses

our foreign policies with USA, China, Russia, Europe, Central Asian Republics,
Afghanistan, Iran and countries of West Asia, Africa, South Africa and Latin
America, and finally Australia, New Zealand and Oceania.
(j) Pakistan’s Mil: A Psychological Profile. In this chapter, the

author acquaints the readers about the psyche of the Pakistani soldiers and
offrs.
(k) Indian Soldier. After having touched a great no of subjects and

talked about all kinds of people in his book – politicians, diplomats,
bureaucrats, terrorists, Pakistan’s Army et al, the author turns his attention to
the most imp person who features in this book – India’s Soldier. The focus on
the Jawan is not for the purpose of singing his praises. It is for the purpose of
familiarising with his entire service life, from recruitment to his retirement and to
his final departure from the world. The chapters dealing with the soldiers of
India and Pakistan, provide an insight into their psyche
(l) The Media and the Mil. In this chapter, the author highlights that
media needs to be accepted as an essential feature of modern life. The mil
must learn to interact with the media with confidence and in a transparent
manner. He emphasizes that mil pers need the media and must find ways and
means to work harmoniously with media pers.
4
(m) Is Peace Breaking Out in South Asia. The chapter, ‘Is peace
breaking out in South Asia?’, has been dealt with balance and candour and will
provide the people of India and Pakistan with some food for thought. The
chapter raises vital questions of war and peace and identifies the key players
who will determine which conditions shall prevail in the 21st century South
Asia.
12. Language. The author uses very simple language - the language which an
avg reader understands. The language used in the book suitably conveys the
author’s pt of view.
13. Style. The style of writing is also a strong point of the book. Rather than
delivering a theoretical monologue, the author has chosen to put fwd his views with
examples, stating facts and figs. The author has made apt use of sit and examples to
explain the topics.
14. In summation, it can be said that It is an easy to read, comprehensive book

written with a common sense approach that helps the reader to understand the
subject”.
Production Value
15. The paper quality of the book is of a very high std and is rightly selected for the
enhancement of the overall appeal of the book. The font is Arial and font size 11
makes the book an easy reading. The print is clear and of high quality.
16. The price tag of Rs 495.00 raises the eyebrow at first instance but after reading
the book, I must admit that the book is value for money.
17. The book has 234 pages incl the ack, the preface, the bibliography and the
index. The book has been published in 2005 by Manas Publications, Darya Ganj, New
Delhi.
Verdict
18. Target Audience. The book is targeted towards the common reader who is
interested in Indian Def Forces. The book is shaped in a manner that it can be of great
help to anyone, be it a civilian or a mil pers, be it a sr offr or a young offr.
19. Final Verdict. The book should go a long way in giving an insight into the def
forces of India and issues related to it. It is a recommended reading for all of us, the
offrs of the Indian Armed Forces and others who are interested in the def forces of
India. The final verdict is that the book is a “must read” for all young offrs to give us a
better understanding of the def forces. It is strongly recommended for Regtl libraries.
BOOK REVIEW : A GEN SPEAKS
BY
GEN S PADMANABHAN
PVSM,AVSM,VSM (RETD)
REVIEWED BY
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BOOK REVIEW : A GEN SPEAKS

1. The book ‘ A Gen Speaks’ by Gen S Padmanabhan, raises vital questions of

2. It is a powerful and simple book to be read about the IA.

About The Author

3. Credentials. Gen S Padmanabhan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd) was the

5. He was born on 05 Dec 1940, at Trivandrum (Kerela). He grew up in Chennai,

8. Other Works. ‘Paddy’, as he was popularly known, authored his first

10. Plausibility of Premise. An anthology of essays on a variety of subjects

(c) The Future of War. In this chapter, the author attempts to

(f) The Changing Face of Terrorism. After discussing some of the

(g) Political Control of the Services. In this chapter, the author

(h) Foreign Policy and National Security. The author discusses

(j) Pakistan’s Mil: A Psychological Profile. In this chapter, the

(k) Indian Soldier. After having touched a great no of subjects and

14. In summation, it can be said that It is an easy to read, comprehensive book

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