Life Under Siege : Pandemic Ponderings

PRE-ORDERS FOR THIS BOOK IS NOW OPEN. BOOKS WILL BE DISPATCHED AFTER 15th JULY.

This book is a product of individual experience during the uncertain and trying initial weeks of the COVID pandemic. 

From bewilderment to utter confusion to slowly getting the virus under control, Indians, and of course the rest of the world, charted a course that meandered between desperation and hope. 

This is a period that we would like to erase from our memories but the lessons that the virus left in its disastrous wake must never be forgotten. 

Readers will identify with every musing of the author as a lived experience.

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'Life Under Siege', is a gripping recollection of the times the world came to terms, grappled with and emerged battered but victorious in the aftermath of this calamitous Black Swan event, we call the COVID. Dasgupta in his easy and eminently readable style, vividly brings out the various challenges, the pandemic exposed all of us to. The book serves as a reminder of those difficult times, but most importantly recommends actions in the event of any future crisis of this magnitude. I commend this absolutely fascinating book to all interested in the human element; its resilience, adaptability, and above all its 'never say die' spirit.

— Admiral Karambir Singh (Retd)

Former Chief of the Naval Staff

It's been more than five years since the world came to a halt because of the Coronavirus. Two waves of the pandemic brought untold miseries, death and economic hardships to billions but in the end, the human spirit prevailed. New protocols to work, eat and interact were invented and implemented, reflecting innovation and adjustments that only human beings can do. VAdm Biswajit Dasgupta (Retd), apart from being an accomplished military officer, is also a very astute observer of social practices and human behaviour. He has put those skills to excellent use in writing this book, a must-read to celebrate life. Highly recommended as a learning guide to living under adverse circumstances.

— Nitin A Gokhale

National Security Analyst, Author and Media Entrepreneur

'Life Under Siege' is an apt title for this book, for it captures the moods and spirit of a particularly dark period for humanity when lockdowns and other such desperate measures made for a particularly dystopian world. In every way COVID-19 was unprecedented in that we had little to fall back on except for a vague recall of the Spanish Flu of 1918. Looking back, it is indeed remarkable how humankind has bounced back and for most of us, COVID-19 now sounds like a nightmare or a particularly depressing sci-fi movie. The book, a compilation of personal musings of the author jotted down in those dark days is as much a chronicler as it is a call for action. The author himself was on the frontlines and very much a part of the fight to contain the epidemic. His recollections and recommendations therefore carry weight and his “we may not like to recall the misery caused but it will be foolish to forget the lessons learnt” is a timely reminder for all of us to not rest on our oars and live on hope; but to act now to improve our preparedness for the next bolt from the blue.

— Vice Admiral RB Pandit (Retd)

Former Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command.