A biography of Mohandas Gandhi with a focus on the time he spent in South Africa and England before his return to India in 1915."The first volume of a magisterial biography: the definitive portrait of the life and work of one of the most abidingly influential--and controversial--men in modern history. This book takes us from Gandhi's birth in 1869 through his upbringing in Gujarat, his 2 years as a student in London, and his 2 decades as a lawyer and community organizer in South Africa. The social, political and personal worlds in which Gandhi began his journey to become the modern era's most important and influential political actor. Gandhi's work in South Africa--far from being a mere prelude to his accomplishments in India--was profoundly influential on his evolution as a political thinker, social reformer and beloved leader. Ramachandra Guha is the author of India After Gandhi. He lives in Bangalore, India.