The essay reviews four recent books written by two former diplomats which focus on India–China relations. The books under review are Vijay Gokhale’ Tiananmen Square: The Making of a Protests -A Diplomat Looks Back (2021), After Tiananmen: The Rise of China ;(2022) and The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate with India (2021) and Shyam Saran’s How China Sees India and the World: The Authoritative Account of the India China Relationship (2022). The books by Vijay Gokhale and Shyam Saran help in providing a nuanced understanding of the India–China relations. They do this by providing a detailed analysis of Chinese domestic politics as well as the historical backdrop of the bilateral relationship. The interplay of history and how that impacts the relationship today is also analyzed in depth. Their respective careers and experiences also help in enriching the discussion and provide a nuanced perspective and lens to understand the challenges and hurdles in the relationship.