The Untold Vajpayee: Politician and Paradox

Malayala Manorama described in its review that the author has done a valuable job stitching together a fine narrative, peppered with interesting anecdotes, that shines much light on the life and times of one of the tallest leaders independent India has had.^[2]

The Millennium Post described the book as an introspective lens into the veiled world of the soft-spoken Vajpayee.^[3] Business Standard said though the author has dug deep, he has come up with only material largely well-known in political and media circles.^[4] In addition to wide reviews, the book was also quoted for popular articles on Vajpayee in Indian newspapers.^[5]

Mani Shankar Iyer described it as "riveting biography of Vajpayee" which tells the amusing story of the teenage Atal Bihari defying his father's concern as a government servant over his son's political inclinations by smuggling his khaki shorts into his sister's hands who threw them over the wall as soon as Atal Bihari escaped out of the house, so that he could slip them on before running off to the local RSS shakha.^[6]

The Dawn said Ullekh found a Nehruvian streak in the political philosophy of the man who founded the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the right wing Hindu party now ruling India.^[7] Author Manu S. Pillai said he was struck by "how easy it was, in [his] youthful mind, to write off Vajpayee's grandfatherly style as uninspiring."^[8]