One Life Is Not Enough: 8 key ideas
The core ideas of One Life Is Not Enough, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.
- IDEA 1 OF 8
He came from a princely family
Natwar Singh describes his childhood in a noble family linked to Bharatpur in Rajasthan, and his education in India and abroad.
This background gave him confidence and access to a wide world of people and ideas.
- IDEA 2 OF 8
Diplomacy was his first career
He recounts joining the Indian Foreign Service and serving in places like China, the United Nations and Britain.
He describes the craft of diplomacy as patience, preparation and reading people well.
- IDEA 3 OF 8
Indira Gandhi trusted him closely
Natwar Singh describes working in the Prime Minister's office under Indira Gandhi.
He paints her as sharp, demanding and private, and describes the trust she placed in him on foreign affairs.
- IDEA 4 OF 8
Pakistan was a delicate posting
As ambassador to Pakistan, he describes dealing with a military government and a tense relationship.
He believed personal contacts with leaders could reduce hostility, even when official ties were strained.
- IDEA 5 OF 8
He moved from diplomacy to politics
Natwar Singh explains leaving the foreign service to join the Congress and win elections.
He describes the very different skills politics needs, where loyalty and public support matter as much as knowledge.
- IDEA 6 OF 8
Sonia Gandhi's 2004 choice was personal
The book's most discussed claim is about why Sonia Gandhi did not become prime minister in 2004.
Natwar Singh writes that her son's fears for her safety, more than a sense of sacrifice, shaped that decision.
- IDEA 7 OF 8
A report ended his ministerial career
He describes being named in the Volcker report on the oil-for-food scandal and resigning as foreign minister.
He insists he was treated unfairly and describes his hurt at how quickly colleagues distanced themselves.
- IDEA 8 OF 8
He writes as a disappointed insider
Natwar Singh describes his growing distance from the Gandhi family he once served.
The memoir mixes admiration for them with complaints about how he was dropped, giving a personal view of Congress politics.
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