Book Review - A Life So Full: Lessons from the Army, applied to civilian life

The first-hand war experiences showcase a soldier’s challenges to readers who are unfamiliar with life at the war front. The book gives an insight into the heart and soul of a young Indian Army officer in different situations, including facing live enemy bullets for the first time. Based on a small incident that took place during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, A Life So Full is a fictionalised tale of revenge that spans several decades based on the protagonist Suraj, a third generation Army officer who is a born optimist, sailing through life with a never-say-die attitude.

 The author Saroj Chadha served in the Indian Army as a technical officer for 23 years following which he transitioned to a civilian life, and one of the highlights of the narrative is the detail with which he has he has captured life in the Army. One imagines that there are shades of his own life that have been woven into the tale, as the protagonist Suraj also transitions from a strict uniform regimen to a civilian corporate leader.

 Saroj Chadha participated in the 1971 India-Pakistan war at high altitude and served two years in counterinsurgency operations in the North-East, which makes his first novel A Life So Full a fitting tribute to the style of leadership that the Army inculcates - to demonstrate moral courage and be innovative as well as take calculated risks. The important traits of courage and loyalty have been explained with real life examples in the form personal war experiences, which flow seamlessly with the fictionalised plot. The subsequent story that moves into the investigation of a banking cyber fraud takes the narrative forward at fast pace, making this book an engrossing read.