Nation's Calling reflects a life of service and duty

Nation's Calling: A Life of Chivalry and Commitment by Brigadier (Dr.) Bal Dutt Mishra, published by HarperCollins, 288 pages ₹799  The book offers an insight into the author’s personal life, right from a village in Uttar Pradesh (the then United Province) to the upper echelons of military service and public office. The author was commissioned into the 18th Battalion, Madras Regiment (Mysore) in December 1961 and was deployed in Jodhpur during the 1962 Sino-Indian war.

Brigadier Mishra served during the India-Pakistan wars in 1965 and 1971, the Sri Lankan mission with the Indian Peace Keeping Force. Later he served as governor of several states.

The book offers a glimpse into his life at frontline, counter-insurgency operations and as Governor in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Ladakh.

The author’s account of transition from military to administration roles feels organic with a deep sense of duty and discipline. The shock of the 1962 war with China, while posted in Jodhpur, and the accounts of wars in 1965 and 1971, offer a wide range of perspectives on the evolving and changing nature of the Indian Army over time.

In public life chapters, his commitment to ex-servicemen’s welfare and administrative reform adds another layer to his persona beyond the uniform.

One of the most striking parts of Nation Calling is the author’s recollection of India’s military unpreparedness during the 1962 Indo-China war and how those early lessons shaped the Army’s institutional ethos for decades.

The veteran visited the same terrain decades later as the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.

For readers interested in Indian military history and service memoirs, this book is a treasure trove. It may not satisfy those looking for deeply critical military strategy, but it rewards the reader with lived experiences, personal warmth and a narrative of service.