--- product_id: 212770846 title: "Accidental Prime Minister" price: "$41.28" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/212770846-accidental-prime-minister store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # Accidental Prime Minister **Price:** $41.28 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Accidental Prime Minister - **How much does it cost?** $41.28 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/212770846-accidental-prime-minister) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Accidental Prime Minister [Baru, Sanjaya] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Accidental Prime Minister Review: First half of a Shakespearean tragedy! worth a read - This book felt like act 1 of a Shakespearean tragedy. Alas, or fortunately, the tale ends in this book on the cusp of the mighty falling. The author, Sanjaya Baru, a one time media adviser to Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh uses the tell all to (in his words) humanize Dr Singh and tells the tale of his (and the PM's) time in the PMO from roughly 2004 - 2008. I thought it was a good effort at storytelling, regardless of the political hay that has been made of it. Mr Baru tells the tale as a set of professional and personal interactions between him and Dr Singh, which I thought was appropriate for this sort of book. There are a few instances near the end where he recounts events he could only have known about second hand/ from afar, but his commentary on events seems candid and honest. Has he aggrandized his own role in the key events he narrates? I suspect he might've done, but not overly. Has he given a good account of his time observing the PM? Absolutely! To anyone who followed the political narrative in the heady days of the UPA 1 government, this book merely confirms what we all suspected rather than reveals anything new. I found it a riveting account and read it in a day, flat. The PM is revealed to be what everyone suspected, and I felt if anything that the book was far more generous to him on the subject of the failures of UPA 2 than he deserves. History is brutal in the short term, but much kinder in the long term, and for all the savage press Mr Baru and Dr Singh have got, I suspect it will be kinder to both the book and the man. As a candid account like this goes, whether it is forgotten or remembered in the long run is immaterial. India in general, and the Delhi 'durbaar' of the Gandhi family in particular are far too finicky about image and the repercussions of the truth to allow recent history to be accessible to us, the people. In giving us a peek into the echo chamber of 7 Race Course Road and Raisina Hill, I think the book has served well. Review: Rare Peek inside the Government's Head... - Sanjaya Baru, the Indian PM's media adviser from 2004-2008, had a unique ringside view of how Mr. Manmohan Singh, the venerable PM worked with the bureaucracy and the political establishment. This book is s short memoir describing some of the key events during this period. Limited by the Official Secrets Act, and his personal loyalty to the PM, the book nevertheless offers some valuable insights into the PM's mind and style. The book is divided into 13 thematic chapters, which are also somewhat chronological. It starts with how Mr. Baru was invited to join the PM, how he developed his relationship with the PM, the problems he faced along the way, and his eventual evolution into a trusted adviser. This autobiographical content is interwoven with material about policy initiatives taken by the PM and how some of these panned out. A richer strand is of the difficult relationship between the PM and the party President, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi. The book offers a number of cameos to show how this relationship worked, the problems that arose, and the compromises that were made. Though Mr. Baru's loyalties are clear, he does makes an effort to be even-handed. The picture you get is of an honest PM, hobbled by inner Party politics, watched fearfully by dynastic hangers-on, and hamstrung by lack of a political background. Another rich vignette is that of the relationship between the Left and the Congress. Dr. Singh's work was hampered by the schisms within Left - he took advantage of some and was undone by others. Again Mr. Baru is even handed, though his irritation with Mr. Prakash Karat shows through. The book also suffers from some flaws: Mr. Baru has to leave out big chunks - some due to Official Secrets Act, and others due to his limited access to Dr. Singh's mind or how some of the games were played out. Another flaw is language - though Mr. Baru is a journalist and quite in command of English, some of it appears to be a little stultified. Maybe he has spent too much time writing the PM's speeches - it is difficult for him to write short sentences or use active voice. He also quotes longish passages from the speeches - is this narcissistic or a necessity? Nevertheless, an excellent book overall. It also deserves less sensationalism and more reading. I wish more bureaucrats would write more often about how our Government works! The edition I read was Kindle. Good layout on Paperwhite, though the speech text appears to be much smaller than the main text, and is difficult to read. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #1,219,999 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #29,430 in Politics & Government (Books) #664,883 in Literature & Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars (2,509) | | Dimensions | 5 x 0.8 x 8 inches | | ISBN-10 | 0143424068 | | ISBN-13 | 978-0143424062 | | Item Weight | 8.8 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 320 pages | | Publication date | October 15, 2018 | | Publisher | India Penguin | ## Images ![Accidental Prime Minister - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71AyIBUg4+L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ First half of a Shakespearean tragedy! worth a read *by H***N on August 6, 2014* This book felt like act 1 of a Shakespearean tragedy. Alas, or fortunately, the tale ends in this book on the cusp of the mighty falling. The author, Sanjaya Baru, a one time media adviser to Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh uses the tell all to (in his words) humanize Dr Singh and tells the tale of his (and the PM's) time in the PMO from roughly 2004 - 2008. I thought it was a good effort at storytelling, regardless of the political hay that has been made of it. Mr Baru tells the tale as a set of professional and personal interactions between him and Dr Singh, which I thought was appropriate for this sort of book. There are a few instances near the end where he recounts events he could only have known about second hand/ from afar, but his commentary on events seems candid and honest. Has he aggrandized his own role in the key events he narrates? I suspect he might've done, but not overly. Has he given a good account of his time observing the PM? Absolutely! To anyone who followed the political narrative in the heady days of the UPA 1 government, this book merely confirms what we all suspected rather than reveals anything new. I found it a riveting account and read it in a day, flat. The PM is revealed to be what everyone suspected, and I felt if anything that the book was far more generous to him on the subject of the failures of UPA 2 than he deserves. History is brutal in the short term, but much kinder in the long term, and for all the savage press Mr Baru and Dr Singh have got, I suspect it will be kinder to both the book and the man. As a candid account like this goes, whether it is forgotten or remembered in the long run is immaterial. India in general, and the Delhi 'durbaar' of the Gandhi family in particular are far too finicky about image and the repercussions of the truth to allow recent history to be accessible to us, the people. In giving us a peek into the echo chamber of 7 Race Course Road and Raisina Hill, I think the book has served well. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rare Peek inside the Government's Head... *by S***Y on April 22, 2014* Sanjaya Baru, the Indian PM's media adviser from 2004-2008, had a unique ringside view of how Mr. Manmohan Singh, the venerable PM worked with the bureaucracy and the political establishment. This book is s short memoir describing some of the key events during this period. Limited by the Official Secrets Act, and his personal loyalty to the PM, the book nevertheless offers some valuable insights into the PM's mind and style. The book is divided into 13 thematic chapters, which are also somewhat chronological. It starts with how Mr. Baru was invited to join the PM, how he developed his relationship with the PM, the problems he faced along the way, and his eventual evolution into a trusted adviser. This autobiographical content is interwoven with material about policy initiatives taken by the PM and how some of these panned out. A richer strand is of the difficult relationship between the PM and the party President, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi. The book offers a number of cameos to show how this relationship worked, the problems that arose, and the compromises that were made. Though Mr. Baru's loyalties are clear, he does makes an effort to be even-handed. The picture you get is of an honest PM, hobbled by inner Party politics, watched fearfully by dynastic hangers-on, and hamstrung by lack of a political background. Another rich vignette is that of the relationship between the Left and the Congress. Dr. Singh's work was hampered by the schisms within Left - he took advantage of some and was undone by others. Again Mr. Baru is even handed, though his irritation with Mr. Prakash Karat shows through. The book also suffers from some flaws: Mr. Baru has to leave out big chunks - some due to Official Secrets Act, and others due to his limited access to Dr. Singh's mind or how some of the games were played out. Another flaw is language - though Mr. Baru is a journalist and quite in command of English, some of it appears to be a little stultified. Maybe he has spent too much time writing the PM's speeches - it is difficult for him to write short sentences or use active voice. He also quotes longish passages from the speeches - is this narcissistic or a necessity? Nevertheless, an excellent book overall. It also deserves less sensationalism and more reading. I wish more bureaucrats would write more often about how our Government works! The edition I read was Kindle. Good layout on Paperwhite, though the speech text appears to be much smaller than the main text, and is difficult to read. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Great book to learn about MMS despite bias *by V***P on June 21, 2023* This book has the following pros and cons: 1) Strong and gripping narrative. The author can really put you into the action , the body of each of the characters. 2) You get to learn about Nuances about MMS , his views and his policies that never saw the light of day. Cons: 1) Very clear case of bias by the author, author doest cover fully cover all the view points or narratives. Just takes a partisan view on many many policies of MMS. 2) The author was the media advisor to Manmohan Singh, however his role in the book often takes that of political strategist, or political advisor also which is really strange and might also be uncalled for. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh [Paperback] Sanjaya Baru - Half-Lion : How P V Narasimha (PB): How P V Narasimha Rao Transformed India [Paperback] Sitapati, Vinay - The Insider --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/212770846-accidental-prime-minister](https://www.desertcart.us/products/212770846-accidental-prime-minister) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-04-23*