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Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

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India

India

by Stanley Wolpert

  • HISTORY
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 281 PAGES

Reflections on India -- religion and philosophy, art, culture, and politics -- by the dean of its American historians: beautifully written, and provocative as well as evocative. (IDA04, $24.95)

Himalaya Map

Himalaya Map

by Nelles

  • MAP

A colorful regional map of the Himalayas at a scale of 1:1,500,000, including Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and Sikkim. (HML09, $13.95)

 
Eyewitness Guide Delhi, Agra and Jaipur

Eyewitness Guide Delhi, Agra and Jaipur


by Anuradha Chaturvedi

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

With chapters on Taj Mahal, Amber Fort Palace, Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Red Fort and dozens of other highlights for the traveler, this compact, gorgeously illustrated guide to Delhi and its environs features 900 color photographs, maps and site plans. (IDA151, $25.00)

A Traveller's History of India

A Traveller's History of India


by Sinharaja Tammita-Delgoda

  • HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

A condensed introduction to the themes and events that have shaped India from prehistory to Rajiv Gandhi's rule. (IDA57, $14.95)

In Exile from the Land of Snows, The Dalai Lama and Tibet Since the Chinese Occupation

In Exile from the Land of Snows, The Dalai Lama and Tibet Since the Chinese Occupation


by John Avedon

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 391 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

Avedon's masterful, passionate cris de coeur, still the best book on the subject, shows the lives of the Tibetan people at home and in exile since the Chinese takeover in 1950 through the eyes of its leaders, monks and regular people. (TBT04, $16.95)

India Unveiled

India Unveiled


by Robert Arnett

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 215 PAGES

A celebration of the people, landscapes and traditional culture of India, organized regionally and featuring 268 beautiful color photographs. It's a revealing, insightful portrait of the country combining history, geography and travelogue. (IDA107, $55.00)

Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism

Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism


by John Powers

  • RELIGION
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 591 PAGES

A comprehensive study of the history and philosophy behind Tibetan Buddhism, suitable for the general reader. (TBT40, $22.95)

The Buddhist Handbook

The Buddhist Handbook


by John Snelling

  • RELIGION
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 345 PAGES

Subtitled, "The Complete Guide to Buddhist Schools, Teaching, Practice and History, " this even-handed book is a concise primer covering the history, philosophical foundation and practice of Buddhism. (ASA08, $19.95)

The Wisdom of the Buddha

The Wisdom of the Buddha


by Jean Boisselier

  • RELIGION
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 191 PAGES

A pocket-size primer of Buddhism, this book is an illustrated history of the sixth-century Indian prince and his quest for enlightenment. With 207 illustrations, 160 in full color. (IDA55, $12.95)

Tribal Songs of North-East India


by Amalendu Bikash Kar Choudhury

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1984
  • HARD COVER
  • 105 PAGES

A field study of the tribal music of Northaast India. (IDA126, $12.00)

War at the Top of the World, The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Tibet

War at the Top of the World, The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Tibet


by Eric Margolis

  • HISTORY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

An overview of geography, religion and politics of the High Himalayas, and its strategic value to Pakistan, India and China. Updated throughout in this second edition, with a new chapter on the Taliban. (PKN09, $30.95)

Women in a Tribal Community, A Study of Arunachal Pradesh


by Kiran Mishra

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1991
  • HARD COVER
  • 100 PAGES

An in-depth look at the ways and rituals of the Nishing community in Arunachal Pradesh. (IDA125, $14.00)

Hindu Art and Architecture

Hindu Art and Architecture


by George Michell

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

An excellent survey of Hindu art and architecture, explaining the meaning and construction of principal images and buildings, as well as the development of Hinduism and the corpus of myths that have influenced its artistic tradition. (IDA147, $18.95)

Indian Art, A Concise History

Indian Art, A Concise History


by Roy C. Craven

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

This convenient volume in the acclaimed "World of Art" series is a crisp, illustrated overview of the range of Indian art over the centuries. (IDA16, $21.95)

A Journey in Ladakh

A Journey in Ladakh


by Andrew Harvey

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 236 PAGES

The vivid account of a 1981 journey by a young English poet in search of ancient Buddhist traditions in remote Ladakh. (HML15, $18.95)

Freedom in Exile, The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama

Freedom in Exile, The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama


by Dalai Lama

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1991
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

A vivid self-portrait, told with optimism, great determination, humor and insight. (TBT25, $15.99)

From Heaven Lake, Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet


by Vikram Seth

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1987
  • PAPER
  • 178 PAGES

An unconventional, award-winning travelogue of a 1981 trip to India from China via the Himalayas by the marvelous Indian novelist Vikram Seth. (HML19, $15.00)

Himalayan Passage, Seven Months in the High Country of Tibet, Nepal, China, India, & Pakistan

Himalayan Passage, Seven Months in the High Country of Tibet, Nepal, China, India, & Pakistan


by Jeremy Schmidt

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

National Geographic Expert Jeremy Schmidt and photographer Patrick Morrow recount their circumnavigation of the Himalayas, accompanied by their wives. Their journey by bike, truck and foot across Tibet, Nepal, China, India and Pakistan is illustrated with 32 pages of color photographs. (HML05, $18.95)

So Close to Heaven, The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas

So Close to Heaven, The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas


by Barbara Crossette

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 297 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Asia correspondent for the New York Times, Crossette portrays Bhutan and neighboring Ladakh and Sikkim as strongholds of Tantric Buddhism in an increasingly homogenized world. (NPL04, $16.00)

The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang

The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang


by Sally Wriggins

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

A nicely illustrated account of an extraordinary, 16-year trek from Xi'an to India by way of Central Asia in search of the origins of Buddhism by Xuan-Zang, the famous 7th-century Chinese monk. (ASA31, $25.00)

Ultimate Journey, Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk Who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment

Ultimate Journey, Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk Who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment


by Richard Bernstein

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

In this journey of self-discovery, Bernstein travels across Central Asia from China to India, loosely in the footsteps of the seventh-century Buddhist monk Hsuan Tang. An engaging, informative account of travels. (CAS64, $14.00)

The Vintage Book of Modern Indian Literature

The Vintage Book of Modern Indian Literature


by Amit Chaudhuri

  • LITERATURE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 672 PAGES

An introduction to Indian fiction and poetry since 1850, including works both in translation and written originally in English. The authors span a century and a half of Indian letters, from Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee to Rushdie and Anita Desai. (IDA218, $21.00)

Wild India, The Wildlife of India and Nepal

Wild India, The Wildlife of India and Nepal


by Guy Mountefort | Gerald Cubitt

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 208 PAGES
  • CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
    • >

An informative introduction to the natural history of the region in a handsome oversize volume. With hundreds of extraordinary photographs of the wildlife and landscapes of the Himalayas, the Indo-Ganges Plain and the Deccan. (IDA02, $29.95)

Birds of India

Birds of India


by Richard Grimmett | Carol Inskipp | Tim Inskipp

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

Thoroughly revised, with 73 new plates and many others updated or repainted, the second edition of the masterful Birds of India now features all maps and text opposite the plates for quicker and easier reference. (FG43, $39.50)

Concise Flowers of the Himalaya

Concise Flowers of the Himalaya


by Oleg Polunin | Adam Stainton

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 424 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

A condensed version of the classic Flowers of the Himalayas featuring the same 700 color photographs and 315 line drawings but with shorter descriptive information. (HML17, $25.00)

Photographic Guide to Birds of the Himalayas

Photographic Guide to Birds of the Himalayas


by Bikram Grewal

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

A pocket guide to 250 birds found from the foothills up to high elevations ranging from the Hindu Kush and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Himalayas. With brief descriptive information, maps and 260 full-color illustrations. (HML31, $15.95)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.