In the course of almost a century of living, Khushwant Singh has been witness to the making of more public and private histories than most of us have read about. He has encountered, and frequently crossed swords with, many of men and women who have been central to these histories - and he has written them with glorious candor.

This collection brings together the very best of these pen portraits, some of which have never before appeared in a book. Among those profiled are: Jawarharlal Nehru, Krishna Menon, Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, Amrita Sher-Gil, Begum Para, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, M. S. Golwalkar, Mother Teresa, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Dhirendra Brahmchari, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, General Tikka Khan, Phoolan Devi, Giani Zail Singh and Bhagat Puran Singh.

Insightful, provocative and unabashedly entertaining, The Good, the Bad and the Ridiculous is, in many ways, an intimate irreverent modern history of the subcontinent by one of India's most celebrated literary and cultural icons.

Co-authored with Huma Quraishi.

Published: 2013
Pages: 213
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Rupa Publishers