Gandhi's dilemma : nonviolent principles and nationalist power /

Steger has written a provocative and lively work on Gandhi's theories of nonviolence and nationalism. The author sets out to show a reoccurring tension between them, arguing that the two goals were incompatible, and that Gandhi complicated matters further in the way he treated these topics. According to Steger, Gandhi compromised nonviolence in several ways, such as when he demonized his opponents and selectively approved of violence in the Great War, and when he rationalized anti-British violence in 1942. Moreover, Steger argues that Gandhi's nationalism is based on the very British model that Gandhi opposed, carrying on all of its defects. This book is a strong antidote to works that mystify Gandhi. It reminds readers that Gandhi's moral outlooks were tied to politics (i.e., "power"); dilemmas as to how to proceed when the two were linked are inherent. Clearly written and well documented, this work makes a valuable contribution to the growing literature on Gandhi. Upper-division undergraduates and above. R. J. Terchek University of Maryland College Park