WASHINGTON: Stanley Wolpert – historian, professor and author of Jinnah of Pakistan – died in California last month at the age of 91.
In his prolonged career, Wolpert authored 15 books including four novels. His notable work includes Gandhi’s Passion: The Life and the Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, Shameful Flight: The Last Years of the British Empire in India and Zulfi Bhutto of Pakistan: His Life and Times.
In 1982, he penned Jinnah of Pakistan – biography of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah – which earned him overnight fame in Pakistan while remaining one of the most authentic books on its founding father till date.
While introducing Jinnah in his book, Wolpert wrote that “few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three”.
Born on December 23, 1927, in Brooklyn, Wolpert attended Brooklyn Technical High School, the New York State Maritime Academy, the City College of New York, and the University of Pennsylvania where he pursued South Asia studies.
Wolpert, who breathed his last on February 19, was recognised across the globe as an expert on South Asian studies.
He is survived by his wife, two sons and their families.
