Sugata Bose (Subhas's great-nephew) has produced a full-scale biography of this interesting figure, filling in details on his ideas, the quarrel with Gandhi that pushed him out of mainstream Indian politics, and his quest for German support.
— R. A. Callahan
What, I believe, is and will remain the definitive biography of Subhas Bose...In terms of sheer craftsmanship and mastery over material, this is an achievement that will evoke the admiration and envy of any historian-biographer.
— Rudrangshu Mukherjee
[A] fine, nuanced book...His Majesty's Opponent is a template biography. It is arrestingly written, provides personal details the author is obviously privy to--being the son of Netaji's favorite nephew, Sisir. It is sympathetic but dispassionate and evokes in the reader just the right mix of emotion and regret that Bose's brilliant but truncated life deserves.
— Ashok Malik
It is not easy to be objective about a national icon like Subhas Bose, especially when he happens to be the grand-uncle of the biographer. But Sugata Bose has achieved that critical distance...This biography reveals a lot more about Subhas Bose's intimate life than did the stuffy portrayals in some earlier accounts.
— Sabyasachi Bhattacharya
[Bose's] impeccable scholarship is in full view, as indeed is his awed regard for his grand-uncle. The result is a fine biography of a man who is still regarded with some ambivalence in India, not the least because so little is known about him. This book ought to fill that gap.
— T. C. A. Srinivasa-Raghavan
Sugata Bose's book has filled a long-standing gap for an authentic biography of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
— Chhanda Chatterjee
This book is very fascinating--not just for those who love history and politics, but for anyone who loves to read an illustrious story about a famous person.
— Visi Tilak
This competent biography by Bose's great-nephew, a historian, is the best work to date to clarify some of his paradoxes. With unpublished material from family archives and public records, Sugata Bose supplies a fuller back-story of Netaji's predicaments. The book has illuminated my understanding of a controversial and charismatic Indian militarist who remains inspirational to many in India, despite his questionable status in the global politics of the period.
— Krishna Dutty
[This] new biography of Indian nationalist hero Subhas Chandra Bose could help resuscitate the leader's troubled reputation outside of India...His Majesty's Opponent aims to be the definitive biography of a man who, as the author writes, devoted "his life to ensuring the sun did finally set on the British Empire." ...Bose's life is an action-packed thriller tailor-made for biographical treatment.
— Tom Wright
[A] magisterial biography...[Bose] does a splendid job...Bose etches a vivid portrait of Netaji as a protean nationalist of fierce integrity and conviction...[He] displays considerable acuity in examining the icon's complex love-hate relationship with Gandhi.
— Soutik Biswas
[Bose] presents an admirably restrained account of this flawed patriot. Making good use of the family archives, he reaches out to the widest possible audience with a compelling narrative that sacrifices none of its author's academic credentials.
— John Keay
Here is a biography of one of the most intriguing and powerful men in 20th century India, Subhas Chandra Bose, written with energy and without sacrificing the historical details...In parts the book reads like a thriller, especially when dealing with Netaji's daring escapes from British clutches. There is a spirited account of a secret submarine escape, and riveting material on Netaji's complex political strategies. But above everything else, the book offers an intimate portrait of Netaji not only as a revolutionary leader but also a loving husband, a man of letters, and an untiring believer in communal amity.
— Arthur J. Pais
Those wishing to learn about the life and times of Netaji will finish the book with their curiosity deeply satisfied.
— Ramesh Thakur
[A] lucid and meticulous new biography.
— Sudip Bose
