Granville Austin .
Working a Democratic Constitution
The Indian Experience
Granville Austin
Oxford University Press, 1999; fourth impression, 2011."This classical work of Granville Austin is a must for every judge, lawyer, historian, researcher, and other persons interested in the constitutional history of India."--Soli J. Sorabjee, former Attorney General of India and member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague
"Granville Austin, a recognized authority on the Indian Constitution, has made a profound and yet very readable contribution to an understanding of democracy in India. It is a monumental work based on a decade of painstaking research. in my opinion it is 'must' reading for those who are interested in finding out how democracy can and does function in a large, poor and highly diversified country."--P.N. Dhar, former Assistant Secretary General, Research and Policy Analysis, United Nations, New York. Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, 1973-1977
"Another monumental work of reference and subtle interpretation to follow Austin's classic work on the making of the Indian Constitution published in the 1960s. Here he traces the working of the constitution in the turmoil of Indian political life. But this is no dry 'constitutional history.' We are shown how examination of the issues and strains surrounding the constitution and its role in the Indian polity are a window into the nation's public life, particularly in relation to democratic stability, national integrity, and the stated goals of socio-economic change. A 'must' for libraries, and for serious students of the subcontinent."--Judith Brown, Beit Professor of Commonwealth History, Oxford University
Austin's deserved high reputation for commitment to the most exacting standards of scholarhship and perceptive and scrupulously fair analysis on India's constitution and politics, was established with the publication of his book The Indian Constitution. Over the years the book became a classic. That reputation is consolidated now with the appearance of his long awaited and truly monumental Working a Democratic Constitution, a book that deserves to rank among the half dozen or so most outstanding publications on the affairs of India written over the last two or three decades."--K.M. de Silva, Executive Director of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies, Sri Lanka
"Granville Austin in this splendid study has succeeded, as no one else has, in showing how its constitution...expresses the needs and aspirations of a vast and diverse population committed to a democratic political system....Austin demonstrates, through a sure command of political and cultural history, how the constitution has made possible an open society, with a lively free press, a judiciary that has maintained its independence, and an electoral system that is equal to those of the established democracies of the West...Austin's book is also filled with insights for anyone watching the radical political and social changes taking place throughout Asia and Africa."--Ainslie T. Embree, Columbia University
"Working a Democratic Constitution offers an intense critical insight into four decades of India's constitutional history. Superbly written with a buoyant empathy, it is a testament of hope, not of despair. With initimate knowledge gained by living in India for long periods, and talking to people who have seen it all happen, the author unfolds the triumphs and strains of working a truly democratic Constitution. The richly personalized account flows effortlessly. It pulls no punches, and the gripping narrative tempts the reader on, from one chapter to the next. It is a truly inspiring work."--Fali Nariman, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India
Austin's magnum opus tells the very human story of how the social, political, and day-to-day realities of the Indian people have been reflected in and directed the course of constitutional reforms since 1950.
The Indian Constitution
Cornerstone of a Nation
Granville Austin
New Edition, Oxford University Press, 1999; Tenth Impression, 2011."The author has done for the Indian constitution what C.A. Beard and other scholars have done for the constitution of the United States. The author's reading has been vast and he has undertaken much research in unpublished material....There is something majestic in the scale of the work that is appropriate to the subject-matter."--The Economist
"A pioneer work...This is the most readable, and probably the most thorough, account of the framing of the Indian Constitution that has been published. It gives due attention to the leading personalities and to historical background as well as to the central theme of the study. It is, in short, political history at its best." --Journal of Asian Studies
The Indian Constitution provides a history of the Indian Constituent Assembly. It discusses how and why the members of the Assembly wrote their constitution as they did. This new edition of Austin's classic work has a preface that brings it up to date with contemporary developments in constitutional law.
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