Passion is much more.
It is an all-consuming spiritual drive for a noble purpose. A specialist on south Asian history, and author of other books on Indian history, Wolpert traces Gandhi's rise from a privileged Hindu childhood to ascetic national leader, who mastered the art of non-violent political action and helped liberate India from centuries of British rule. As a young lawyer trained in England, Gandhi was nearly assimilated into British culture. But his work in South Africa on behalf of Indians and others considered second-class citizens changed that. The struggle aroused not only his sense of justice but led him to believe that spirituality was a powerful force to use against oppression.