The Genesis - 2 December 2022
Fauji Days begins its journey with a launch at the Military Literature Festival 2022 at the Lake Club in Chandigarh. Curtian raiser by veteran Generals Harwant Singh and Kamal Davar.
A joint initiative of the publishing house The Browser and the digital marketing firm 99beagles, the conversation began in mid-2022 around the topic of the dearth of good military literature, particularly for young Indians and children
The Browser, which began life as a bookstore in 1997, and pivoted into publishing in 2018, had been serving military libraries for 25 years by then. Having supplied tens of thousands of books from international biggies (the Penguins and Harpers of the world) and domestic military publishers (think Natraj or Lancer), a yawning gap in this genre was evident. Could Browser fill a part of the void?
Around the same time, 99beagles took shape as a digital marketing start-up. A shared affiliation for all-things-fauji quickly morphed the idea of publishing into a platform offering blogs & books, podcasts, information & merchandise that would foster a community of children and young adults, bringing the military ethos to them through literature and engagement.
The Mission
In the fewest possible words—for the fauji within. Fauji Days aims to be about not just our wars and battles and our military history but about our fauji ethos, the culture, the pride and the realisation that while one could be serving one’s country through many different ways and professions, the fauji within is about a state of mind and a value system that each one of us must cherish and possess, and which must be inculcated early through the best literature and outreach. Or, in a single word—nation-building.
The Publishing Program
Beginning with its first book, Drummers Call—An Anthology of Military Writing by Lt Gen NS Brar, FD endeavoured to set the bar high in editorial, design and print quality. Each subsequent book has been a labour of love, in line with the best industry standards.
PUBLISH WITH USThe Yodha Project
The two-volume Yodha set of illustrated books on India’s military history, spanning from the Ramayana and Mahabharata (BCE) to the Kargil wall (1999), comprising over 1600 illustrations and written by the eminent historian Shiv Kunal Verma has been FD’s most ambitious and aspirational project till date. The goal is to reach every student and fauji buff who would love to immerse herself in our immensely fascinating military history. Even if we never published anything else, Yodha alone would justify our sojourn.
Military Classics
One of the gaps we identified was the dearth of good military classics in the market, unlike the regular classics. While an Art of War or On War could be found at many stores, other titles were hard to come by, and no publisher had attempted them as a separate category. Hence, Fauji Day Classics, 20 titles and going strong.
Merchandise
Feel fauji, flaunt fauji! Calendars, mugs, bookmarks, posters, tees, … the whole shebang. Soft launched in 2023, we are building on this—for you!
- Mugs
- Posters
- Calenders
- Tees
- Gift Wrapping Sheets
- Diaries
- Bookmarks
- fridge magnets
The FD Bookstore
The FD program is not just about books published by us. It’s about bringing you the best military literature from around the world, period. So, we have in place special tie-ups with the world’s five biggest publisher—Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, Pan Macmillan, Hachette and Simon & Schuster—to bring all their books to your doorstep. We are especially proud of our procurement team, which spares no effort in getting the book you want by any publisher or author. Try us!
The Simon & Schuster Tie-up
In April 2024, we inked an exclusive agreement with one of the big five—Simon & Schuster—to exclusively distribute all books published by FD, which gives us unparalleled distribution across bookstores in India. Supporting your local indie bookseller is our cardinal philosophy
faujidays.com
The website is not only meant to support our e-commerce effort but is designed to provide a wealth of information on our Armed Forces and what is happening around the world. Blogs to anecdotes, Quora-style questions to quizzes, discover your mojo while browsing.
Live on our Youtube channel @faujidays, you will discover scintillating conversations with our veterans conducted by our young brigade. Follow us, participate and share your ideas.
Events
You will often spot us at Litfests, Bookfairs, Book releases, and in fauji
libraries across the country. Do reach out.
Join Our Community
Join us in any capacity—booklover, viewer, author, podcaster, student or veteran,
expert or novice. Our only pre-requisite—love for our fauj and faujis and the nation.