India's Struggle for Independence: 1857-1947 by Bipan Chandra, et al. (02/2010)

Something about nationalist historians interpreting--and justifying--everything in light of a final independence that was never a foregone conclusion, all events woven into the independence narrative, all acts exonerated on grounds of being anti-imperialist, etc., goes here.

I read most of this on a two-day train ride from Kannur, Kerala, to Delhi. It made a good pillow.