Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Wings of Destiny: Ziaur Rahman Ansari - A Life is a biographical work written by author Fasihur Rahman around the life of its title character, Indian union minister Ziaur Rahman Ansari. A man who rose to become part of the council for both Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi in some of India’s most interesting political times, this volume spans more than thirty years in Ziaur Rahman Ansari’s life to show why he was so suited for this prestigious post. Covering some of the most controversial cases in the history of the Indian judicial system, we see Ziaur Rahman Ansari’s take on these, as well as looking into the final, painful years of his life as a sufferer with ALS syndrome.

This is an eye-opening volume about a culture, political and judicial system of which I really had no prior experience. Author Fasihur Rahman gives a great historical context around the life of Ziaur Rahman Ansari so that the reader is able to understand some of the more difficult decisions he had to make, and why he was later looked upon maliciously by some of his former peers. The case which covers Shah Bano was as interesting to unpick as any fictional courtroom drama, and I thought it was written with great fluidity and pacing. I particularly found the section to be the most heartbreaking is when Ziaur loses his struggle against ALS, which the author handled with great compassion. Overall, I’d definitely recommend Wings of Destiny: Ziaur Rahman Ansari - A Life as a biographical exploration of India that everyone should read and learn from.