India, Feb. 28 -- Military historian Arjun Subramaniam's meticulously researched book, Shooting Straight, is a gripping biography of Lt General Rustom K Nanavatty (Retd) of the 2nd Battalion of the 8th Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army. The subject hung up his boots in 2001 as the Northern Army Commander, having earned encomiums, as the book's introduction puts it, for his "operational acumen, stellar leadership qualities, and the ability to speak truth to power".

The book could not have been written but for access to the rich treasure trove of personal papers and notes and the punctilious diaries kept by Lt General Nanavatty, covering his significant assignments ranging from Nagaland and Sri Lanka (IPKF) to Siachen and J&K.

It is entire...