Very good book to know the history of modern India. very simple language. you can go through it in 2 days. Like a GOD for the civil service aspirants. It describes all the important incidents of the time. It says how Britishers came to India, how they made it their colony and how national movements drives them out our country. You will came to know how the socio-economic evolution took place. Contribution of our national leaders like, Mahatma gandhi, Netaji, Lal-Bal-Pal, Swami Vivekananda, Raja Rammohan roy etc. to unite the prople of India and to make national movement is beautifully described by Bipan Chandra here.