Five decades may not be a long time in a nation's history. It is however, long enough to take a dispassionate and objective look at events that change the path of history. The 1971 India-Pakistan War, along with the incidents that preceded it and followed its culmination, is perhaps one of the most important ones for the future of the Indian subcontinent.

There have been a number of books, memoirs and articles over the years that have documented first-person and academic accounts of events that marked this period of history. Not surprisingly, most were written during the period succeeding the war and after the birth of Bangladesh. In contrast, this book is an attempt to evaluate events with the benefit of a five-decade time lapse. In doing so, the focus remains firmly on the military aspects of the war, accompanied by a brief account of political events, diplomacy, influence of major powers, public perception and the role of Mukti Bahini.

The publication of this book coincides with the culmination of a year-long period during which a number of events were held to mark the momentous occasion.