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Krishna Kumar’s WWII novel is set in British India
The novel draws on real World War II events, including the 1944 Bombay dock explosion and the Indian National Army’s operations during India’s freedom movement.
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Staff Reporter - Tue, 26, May 2026
- 17:06 EDT
- 40
Book Cover / Amazon
Indian-American author Krishna Kumar has released Patriots in Shadows, a historical novel set in British India during World War II and centered on the Indian independence movement.
Set against the backdrop of the final years of British colonial rule, the book follows a chain of sabotage incidents targeting the British Indian Army, including burning arsenals, destroyed convoys, and unexplained deaths of colonial officials. The story explores clandestine resistance networks operating beneath the surface of the empire.
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The novel draws from real events, including the April 14, 1944 explosion at Bombay’s Victoria Docks, considered one of the largest blasts in the Eastern theater of World War II before the atomic bombings of Japan, and the Indian National Army’s raising of the flag of Free India at Moirang Kangla in Manipur on the same day.
“At its core, Patriots in Shadows is about the unseen forces and unsung individuals who operated behind the frontlines,” a press release stated. “It asks difficult questions about patriotism, compromise, and the cost of independence.”
The book is positioned for readers of historical fiction and wartime thrillers, blending espionage and political history with real events from the Indian independence movement.
According to the release, the book currently holds a 4.2 rating on Amazon. Reviewer Faith Strable, writing for OnlineBookClub.org, described the novel as “informative, well-detailed, and vivid,” adding that it “felt cinematic.”
Author and historian Anuj Dhar also commented on the book in a March 13, 2026, post on X, saying the storyline “makes for a series” and highlighting the novel’s focus on the 1944 Bombay docks explosion.
Krishna Kumar specializes in Indian history and British colonial rule, particularly the Indian freedom movement. After careers in India and the United States, he retired to focus full-time on historical research and writing.
His earlier non-fiction work, 1942: When British Rule in India Was Threatened, examined the collapse of British authority during a pivotal period of the independence struggle. He is also working on a non-fiction trilogy on India’s freedom movement from 1900 to 1950.
Patriots in Shadows is available in digital and print formats through Amazon and other distribution channels.
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