SIKH SOLDIER - AT WAR! Volume 5 ~ Book Review

Mr Narinder Singh Dhesi in his latest Book on "Sikh Soldier: At War " places in proper perspective the chronicle of a class of men who rose from an insignificant socio-cultural background to rise in martial spirit and adopt the warrior ethos. In doing so they proved their merit and courage in various conflicts spanning a period of nearly four centuries. They amply proved that accidents of birth have no importance in the military tradition, where actions of merit and bravery are amply recognized and justly rewarded. The leap of faith in their enrolment into the brotherhood of arms was richly repaid by them in no small measure. Soldiering is not just about faith and reputation. It is the union of reason and intuition that cannot be defined but is only to be experienced. As, F. Yeats-Brown wrote in 'Martial India'; "A remarkable people, the Sikhs, with their ten prophets, five distinguishing marks, and their baptismal rite of water stirred with steel; a people who have made history, and will make it again." A must read book by all Military Historians.
Lieutenant General BS Dhaliwal (Retd) PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Indian Army

This is an excellent piece of work which makes an interesting reading for one and all. It is a tremendous effort to research, analyse and put the historic memorable facts for easy comprehension by the community and others. A saga of history, Wars, valour, bravery and Sikh leadership of a very high order in all spheres of soldiering has been brought out by Narindar Singh Dhesi in a very simple way that keeps the reader glued on to the book until the end. As one read the details of military actions and selfless devotion to the cause by Sikh soldiers and generals, one's heart swells up with pride. Of course one also wonders as to why we do not see such soldiers and generals these days. Where have they gone? This book deserves to be part of all libraries and households to ensure that we do not lose sight of our rich history and that we remain highly motivated for our cause in this ever expanding materialistic and artificial environment that confronts future generations. Thanks to Narindar Singh Dhesi for his untiring efforts to reflect on the historic bravery, courage and sacrifices of our community in the service of humanity.
Major General BS Dhillon, (Retd) VSM.
Indian Army

Continuing the narrative of Sikh soldiery, this book is the fifth volume of the Sikh Soldier Series, written by Mr Dhesi. It is an extremely well researched book which covers a very wide canvas. The book starts with the Antecedents ( or the predecessors) of the Sikhs, their Gurus and Church, birth of the Khalsa and the establishment of the Sikh Empire by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and then goes on to describe the immense contribution of Sikh soldiers in the various wars of the past few centuries. He has also included snippets of acts of extreme valour of the Sikh officers and men who were awarded gallantry awards in the two world wars, as also the post-independence wars that India has fought with Pakistan and China, right up to the Kargil conflict of 1999. This was indeed a very herculean task, and Mr Dhesi needs to be commended for bringing out this scholarly work, which is a good reference point for those interested in Sikh religion and history.
Major General AJS Sandhu (Retd) VSM.
Indian Army

How can a people numbering a mere two percent of the Indian population have had such an inordinate amount of influence on the military fortunes of that country? How, what's more, can this same people have helped direct the fates of nations, wars and armies across the largest modern empire that the world has ever known? How is it that today representatives of this people can be found in the highest ranks of armed forces of countries in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Oceania, as well as Asia? It is the martial story of this people, the Sikhs that is depicted in these pages. It is the story of a people whose identity was forged in the martyrdom of its Gurus, tempered by nationhood under Ranjit Singh, and sharpened through the colonial wars of the British Empire. It is a story that in many ways reached its apogee in the supreme sacrifices of the Sikh soldier in the First and Second World Wars, when he laid down his life in the mud of Flanders, the shallows of Suvla, the jungles of Burma and the hills of Italy. And it is a story which carries on today across the world with outstanding military service in numerous armies, navies and air forces. Narindar Singh Dhesi, whose own service in the British Army during the Cold War in Germany and Aden puts him in his own narrative, portrays the Sikh story from its earliest beginnings in the Indus Valley to the modern day. Whether with spear, lance, sabre, musket, rifle, machine gun, battleship or fighter jet, we see how the Sikh has fought valiantly and loyally to the colours. We are indebted to Mr Dhesi for this authoritative trove of information and we commend his work to anyone who has an interest in the feats of this remarkable people.
Lieutenant Colonel Gurcharan Singh Chana (Retd)
Kenya Army

Narinder Singh Dhesi has done a great service in compiling Sikh Military history. He is showing the Sikh and broader community the gallantry and sacrifice of the Sikh soldiers who fought in many wars and conflicts around the globe. Even more important, Narinder Singh Dhesi reminds all Sikhs that there is no greater honour than to serve the nation you call home.
Lieutenant-Colonel Harjit Singh Sajjan, OMM, MSM, CD
Commanding Officer The British Columbia Regiment
Canadian Army

As a Sikh, and a soldier at that, one believes that Sikhism and the warrior ethos are imbued in one's self. Sadly this ego and confidence can be misplaced as I discovered to my ego's cost when I was kindly asked by Narinder Singh Dhesi to review his book on the Sikh Soldier. I quickly discovered that the book has been extensively researched and covers all the battles the Sikhs have been involved in world wide. It articulates and brings to life the vista of the various campaigns and also the collective and individual bravery shown by the Sikh soldiers. Reading of the bravery awards one gets a clear sense of selfless sacrifice shown by the Sikhs. Anyone wishing to follow in the warrior footsteps of the Sikh soldiers past would be well advised to read this book to get an understanding of our ethos of selfless service. I congratulate Narinder Singh on this excellent work on the Sikh Soldier.
Lieutenant Colonel Tarlochan Singh Marwaha (Retd)
British Army

Narindar Singh Dhesi has laboured hard and long to produce the series of books on the Sikh Soldier. He has been able to extract the true nature of a Sikh: to be creative, productive and work in honest labour. In Sikh Soldier these virtues are amplified and in the battle field the warrior nature of a Sikh is naturally drawn. The bravery, courage and the sacrifices made by Sikhs are a credit to mankind. It is no wonder then that the Sikh Soldier was found in practically every war and campaign of the past, far away from his homeland. The battle scars can only be put into print and Narindar Singh Dhesi has amply done that. The Sikh Soldier is a must read for all Sikhs and should be made available in places of easy reach. Congratulations to Narindar Singh Dhesi for the hard work and the success that follows.
Lieutenant Colonel Baldev Singh Johl (Retd)
Malaysian Armed Forces