f India’s war against Pakistan in 1965 was won on points, the war in 1971 was clearly won by a knock-out. The protagonists of the 1971 operations have intriguing tales to tell. One such figure is Lt. Gen. JFR ‘Jake’ Jacob, chief of staff, Eastern army who was directly involved in the action. His autobiography, An Odyssey in War and Peace is a no-holds-barred account of the machinations of the liberation of Bangladesh, which forms the core of book.