On Gandhi

David Attenborough's film ''Gandhi'' has sparked a new wave of interest in the Indian pacifist leader, and a handful of the many books on his life and work have been reissued in paperback. These four are recommended:m Gandhi, An Autobiography, by Mohandas Gandhi. Boston: Beacon Press. 528 pp. $8 .95. Published 1957. Gandhi recounts the first 50 years of his life, inluding the struggle for independence.

The Life of Mahatma Gandhi, by Louis Fischer. New York: Harper/Colophon Books. 558 pp. $8.95 (paperback). Published 1950.

A full, affectionate biography regarded as the best account yet of Gandhi's life. Freedom at Midnight, by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre. New York: Avon Books.596 pp. $4.95. Published 1975.

A gripping story - essential for those who want the background to Gandhi's work. Gandhi: A Memoir, by William L. Shirer. New York: Pocket Books. 265 pp. $3.95 Published 1979.

Shirer sensitively recalls his six-month relationship with the enigmatic leader.