Some of the most consequential battles fought by the Indian armed forces — from the defence of Kashmir in 1947 and the devastating fighting at Nam Ka Chu in 1962 to Asal Uttar in 1965, the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 and the battle for Point 5770 during the Kargil conflict — are being revisited through a new collection of military histories.

Military historian and filmmaker Shiv Kunal Verma collaborates with decorated military officers and veterans across five books that seek to reconstruct crucial moments in India’s post-Independence military history through archival material, official records and first-hand accounts.

The series opens with 1947: The Battle of Badgam and Shalateng, written by Colonel Ajay Kumar Raina with Verma. It goes back to the dramatic days following Partition, when Indian troops began landing at Srinagar airfield on October 27, 1947, amid uncertainty over the security situation on the ground. Days later, on November 7, Indian forces fought the Battle of Shalateng, described in the book as the first deliberate Indian offensive in the Kashmir Valley.

Drawing on archival records, official correspondence and first-hand accounts, the book examines the conflict over Jammu and Kashmir and the circumstances surrounding the princely state’s accession to India. It also explores the continuing British influence during the transition from colonial rule and its implications for events in Kashmir.

The second book, 1962: Death Trap in Nam Ka Chu, by Major General Ashok Kalyan Verma with Shiv Kunal Verma, turns to one of the darkest episodes of the Sino-Indian War. It reconstructs the fighting of October 20, 1962, when Indian troops, including 2 Rajput, faced Chinese forces from positions in the freezing Nam Ka Chu valley despite shortages of clothing and ammunition and severe tactical disadvantages.

The 1965 India-Pakistan war is examined from both the ground and the air.

1965: Holding the Line at Asal Uttar, by Brigadier Harash Vir Singh with Verma, recounts how Indian troops confronted Pakistan’s armoured forces around Khemkaran. The book focuses on a thin defensive line at Asal Uttar and the Indian Army’s Sherman tanks taking on Pakistan’s technologically superior M47 and M48 Patton tanks.

The air war is the subject of The Sabre Slayers: The Air Battles of the 1965 War with Pakistan, by Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar with Verma. It chronicles the aerial confrontation between Indian Gnats and Pakistani Sabres during the 22-day war, drawing on archival records and first-hand accounts of Indian Air Force officers who took part in the conflict.

Another book in the collection shifts the focus from battlefield victory to the human tragedy that preceded the 1971 war.

In 1971: The Genocidal War, former Army chief General V. K. Singh with Shiv Kunal Verma examines the mass violence in East Pakistan and argues for its recognition as genocide. Based on Singh’s first-hand accounts, the book looks at the massive refugee influx into India, the emergence of makeshift camps, disease and pressure on resources, as well as the creation of the Mukti Bahini and India’s preparations for war.

The collection moves forward to the Kargil conflict with 1999: The Battle for the Heights of Point 5770, by Lieutenant General Konsam Himalay Singh with Verma. It recounts the operation by soldiers of 27 Rajput, led by Major Navdeep Singh Cheema, to capture the strategically important Point 5770 after the Pakistan Army had established Bilal Post there.

Together, the five books span more than five decades of India’s military history. Rather than offering only broad accounts of wars, they narrow their focus to particular battles, formations and individuals, combining the recollections of soldiers with archival research to examine how decisions were taken and battles fought on the ground.

Verma has worked extensively with all three services of the Indian armed forces and has previously authored 1962: The War That Wasn’t and 1965: A Western Sunrise. His documentary work includes films on the Indian Air Force, Navy, Kargil War and the National Defence Academy.

Each of the five military-history titles is priced at ₹499, with the books ranging from 120 to 152 pages.