Peter W. Fay

Peter Ward Fay(December 3, 1924 – January 18, 2004) was an American historian and authority onIndiaandChina.He was a professor at theCalifornia Institute of Technologyfrom 1955 until his retirement in 1997.

Professor Fay received his bachelor's degree fromHarvardin 1947, where his studies were interrupted to serve inItalyduringWorld War II.Afterwards, he attendedOxford Universityas aRhodes Scholarand then returned to Harvard for his PhD, which he received in 1954. After a brief period teaching at Williams College, he came to Caltech, where he remained for the rest of his career. At Caltech, Fay taught a variety of courses in European history and also developed an interest in Asia, especially India and China.

Among his books were the award-winningThe Opium War, 1840-1842(1975) andThe Forgotten Army: India's Armed Struggle for Independence, 1942-1945(1993) written on theIndian National Army.His two years spent at theIndian Institute of Technology, Kanpur,during the 1960s, in its humanities department. Also, during his days atIndian Institute of Technology, Kanpur,he came in contact withLakshmi Sahgal(Captain Laxmi Sehgal) and her husband,Prem Sahgal(Colonel Prem Kumar Sehgal), both former high-ranking officers inSubhash Chandra Bose-led INA, who gave him deeper insights intoIndian National Army's history and helped him form his interest in Indian history.

Books

• The Forgotten Army: India's Armed Struggle for Independence, 1942-1945,1993,ISBN0-472-08342-2/ISBN81-7167-356-2
• The Opium War, 1840-1842,1975,ISBN0-8078-4714-3/ISBN0-8078-1243-9

External links

• "Peter W. Fay".caltech.edu.Archived fromthe originalon 28 April 2005.Retrieved5 April2024.
• Caltech Archives on Peter Fay