Sir Douglas Gordon left behind a rich legacy when he died in 1966, including memoirs covering the years he spent with the Bengal Police. He served as the officiating commissioner of the Calcutta Police before becoming inspector general in 1938. In that role, he commanded all the police in Bengal.
Gordon arrested some of historyÕs most controversial political figures, including Mahatma Gandhi and Madeleine Slade. As he escorted Gandhi to the commissionerÕs office, the two had a pleasant conversation in which the nationalist stressed that India must be free.
Throughout his career, Gordon worked with human beings both good and bad, of all classes and castes. His writings provide a meaningful look into the complicated relationship between Britain and India, as well as the pleasures and challenges of everyday life.
Edited by the authorÕs grandson, Memoirs of Life as a Police Officer in India includes a glossary, explanatory notes, contemporary photographs, and speeches that Gordon delivered in the 1940s.