Gandhi at First Sight

Book excerpt: ‘Meeting the Mahatma’ was a special moment for most of the people who captured it later in memorable prose. Gandhi at First Sight is a collection of such heartfelt moments of people from Sarojini Naidu to Katherine Mayo and from Romain Rolland to Charlie Chaplin, of an experience that was profound and sometimes even life-changing. ‘In Gandhi at First Sight, Tom Weber has executed a simple yet brilliant concept with a masterly touch, an impressive understanding of the varied individuals whose first impressions of Gandhi he has included, and an enriching introduction.’ —Rajmohan Gandhi ‘Weber... shows with an astonishing array of first meeting accounts precisely how Gandhi forged relationships from the beginning by making indelible initial impressions. This book... brings us incomparably closer to comprehending Gandhi’s extraordinary personal power.’ —Dennis Dalton, Columbia University, New York ‘Thomas Weber brings to life the memories of meetings. These firstperson, autobiographical accounts provide glimpses of the private world of friendship, of being a disciple and a pathfinder.’ —Tridip Suhrud, Director, Sabarmati Ashram Preservation Memorial Trust ‘With Gandhi gone two-thirds of a century, we have been in danger of losing touch with a man who was the most intriguing figure of his time. Now, however, we have these unique accounts of encounters with him that allow Gandhi to reach across the decades with a message that endures through time.’ —Charles DiSalvo, West Virginia University, West Virginia