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INDIA & NEPAL: SAVE THE TIGER
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Ancient Futures, Learning from Ladakh • Dalai Lama • Peter Matthiessen • Helena Norberg-Hodge BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 2009 • PAPER • 226 PAGES With introductions by the Dalai Lama and Peter Matthiessen, this book comes with a good pedigree -- and its author has lived and worked in Ladakh since 1975. Norberg-Hodge documents her community work and changes from traditional ways of life. (HML24, $16.95)
An Area of Darkness • V.S. Naipaul BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 2002 • PAPER • 267 PAGES A classic of modern travel writing, An Area of Darkness is Nobel laureate V. S. Naipaul's profound reckoning with his ancestral homeland and an extraordinarily perceptive chronicle of his first encounter with India. Traveling from the bureaucratic morass of Bombay to the ethereal beauty of Kashmir, from a sacred ice cave in the Himalayas to an abandoned temple near Madras, Naipaul encounters a dizzying cross-section of humanity: browbeaten government workers and imperious servants, a suavely self-serving holy man and a deluded American religious seeker. An Area of Darkness also abounds with Naipaul's strikingly original responses to India's paralyzing caste system, its apparently serene acceptance of poverty and squalor, and the conflict between its desire for self-determination and its nostalgia for the British raj. The result may be the most elegant and passionate book ever written about the subcontinent. (IDA13, $14.95)
The Art of the Imperial Cholas • Vidya Dehijia ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1990 • HARD COVER This introduction to Chola art is adapted from a series of lectures and organized chronologically. (IDA104, $41.50)
An Autobiography, Or the Story of My Experiments with Truth • Mohandas K. Gandhi BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1995 • PAPER • 480 PAGES There is no substitute for reading Gandhi in his own simple, direct prose. A highly recommended glimpse into the personal life of this remarkable figure. (IDA163, $10.95)
Bhagavad Gita, A New Translation • Stephen Mitchell LITERATURE • 2000 • PAPER • 176 PAGES A poetic introduction and re-invention of the Gita, an ancient Hindu poem. Mitchell's lyrical translation aims for the literary qualities of the original. (IDA170, $14.00)
Bhubaneswar: From a Temple Town to a Capital City • Ravi Kalia HISTORY • 1995 • HARD COVER • 256 PAGES Intended primarily for city planners, this scholarly analysis of the design and planning of the new capital of Orissa is of much interest to the socially concerned traveler. The author looks closely at how plans for the city were modified in response to local concerns. (IDA135, $45.00)
The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relatives, An Illustrated Guide to Their Evolution and Natural History • Alan Turner • Mauricio Anton NATURAL HISTORY • 2000 • PAPER • 256 PAGES A thoroughly researched and accessible guide to modern felines and their prehistoric ancestors. From the sabertooth tiger to the average house cat, this far-reaching natural history finds links between present-day species and fossil evidence to form an account of the anatomy, behavior and evolution of cats. Includes almost 200 amazingly detailed drawings. (BST50, $26.95)
Blue Guide Southern India • George Michell GUIDEBOOK • 1998 • PAPER • 576 PAGES A comprehensive guide to the region, including Bombay, with 90 maps and site plans and detailed information on the archaeology, culture and history of major attractions throughout South India. (IDA94, $25.95)
The Book of Indian Birds • Salim Ali FIELD GUIDE • 1997 • PAPER • 412 PAGES • COMING IN The 12th editon of this classic field guide to the birds of the plains, foothills, wetlands, and seacoast of the Indian subcontinent, published in India and authored by one of its pre-eminent ornithologists. Organized by bird family, each species is illustrated in color. (IDA45, $34.50)
Insight Guide India • Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK • 2011 • PAPER • 496 PAGES A volume in the award-winning Insight series, this guide is noted for its wonderful photography, full-color maps, superb production and informative short essays on contemporary topics such as India's movie industry, language, and cuisine. It includes introductions to the major temples, forts, and wildlife sites, as well as background on each region, and plenty of photos and maps. A well illustrated overview of the culture, history and attractions of the subcontinent for travelers. (IDA19, $24.99)
Calcutta Map • Bharat Graphics MAP A folded map of Calcutta, shown at a scale of 1:85,000. (IDA155, $6.95)
The Camphor Flame, Popular Hinduism and Society in India • C.J. Fuller RELIGION • 1992 • PAPER • 306 PAGES A clear and comprehensive study of contemporary Hinduism as it is practiced in Indian society. Ethnographic, anthropological and historical in approach, Fuller explores the polytheistic religion, its rituals, and how its adherents relate to each other and the deities themselves. An interesting scholarly read that illuminates many aspects of the culture. (IDA90, $24.95)
The Child and the State in India • Myron Weiner CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1991 • PAPER • 213 PAGES A thought-provoking no-nonsense evaluation of education and child labor, important social issuesn. (IDA40, $32.95)
City of Joy • Dominique La Pierre CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1985 • PAPER • 544 PAGES An epic of love, heroism, and hope set among the dispossessed, and those who have sacrificed all to help them, in the slums of Calcutta. (IDA25, $7.99)
Come with Me to India, On a Wondrous Voyage through Time • Sudha Koul HISTORY • 1997 • PAPER • 225 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE An informal -- and brief -- survey of Indian cultural history, written with the author's very American(ized) daughters in mind. Koul covers in these few pages geography, flora and fauna, languages, politics, social class, clothing, cuisine, pastimes, religion, the educational system and economics. (IDA47, $15.50)
Concise Flowers of the Himalaya • Oleg Polunin • Adam Stainton FIELD GUIDE • 1998 • PAPER • 424 PAGES • COMING IN A condensed version of the classic "Flowers of the Himalaya," featuring the same 700 color photographs and 315 drawings but with shorter descriptive information. The field guide covers plants occurring from the Nepal-Sikkim border in the southeast to Kashmir in the northwest. Publsihed by Oxford University Press in India. (HML17, $25.00)
Crafts of Kasmir, Jammu & Ladakh • Jaya Jaitly CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1990 • HARD COVER • 227 PAGES • COMING IN A thorough introduction to the diversity of crafts, people and societies of High Asia, this gorgeous overview features 170 full-color illustrations. (HML27, $45.00)
Culture Shock! India • Gitanjali Susan Kolanad CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 2008 • PAPER • 296 PAGES Written for the businessman or resident, this guide is a lively introduction to modern Indian culture and manners. Its focus is on customs and business etiquette. (IDA141, $17.99)
The Dancing Girl • Hasan Shah BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1993 • PAPER • 112 PAGES Written 200 years ago, originally in Farsi, later rendered into Urdu, "The Dancing Girl" is India's first modern novel. The author, a clerk, portrays the social and economic milieu of India in 1790 at the beginning of British colonial rule. The writer falls in love with a member of a troupe of dancers hired to entertain British officers, a common practice of the day (along with riding, hunting and shooting). This translation is by the Urdu novelist, Qurratulain Hyder. (IDA61, $9.95)
Darsan, Seeing the Divine Image in India • Diana L. Eck ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1998 • PAPER • 115 PAGES A fascinating and rigorous guide to deciphering Hindu symbolism, this book will help you understand and appreciate religious art in India. Despite its scholarly paraphernalia and language, the book (whose title translates as "seeing") is tremendously useful for the traveler. It's an eye-opening book for the intellectually curious. With a useful glossary and some not-very-good photographs. (IDA75, $25.00)
Days and Nights on the Grand Trunk Road • Anthony Weller TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1997 • PAPER • 400 PAGES • COMING IN Exploring Benares, the Taj Mahal, Punjab, and the Khyber Pass, the intrepid author follows the ancient road 1,600 miles through India and Pakistan, weaving plenty of history and culture into his wryly observed account. (IDA58, $12.95)
Delhi Map • Bharat Graphics 1999 • MAP A folded map of Delhi, shown at a scale of 1:200,000. Imported from India. (IDA150, $6.95)
Dharma's Daughters: Contemporary Indian Women and Hindu Culture • Sara Mitter CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1991 • PAPER • 198 PAGES An American woman's insightful attempt to understand the place of women in the culture of her adoptive country. The American daughter-in-law of a Bengali family, Mitter writes of the everday life of diverse women of Bombay in Pat One. In part Two she discusses Hindu myth and culture. Part Three is a survey of the women's movement in India since the 1970s. (IDA38, $25.00)
Encountering God: A Spiritual Journey from Bozeman to Banaras • Diana L. Eck RELIGION • 2003 • PAPER • 259 PAGES Written by a professor of comparative religion at Harvard, this book reflects the author's intellectual and personal tussles with the world's great religions. A well grounded Methodist from Montana, she explores sacred texts and rituals of Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and Jewish traditions. With its wide geographic and spiritual scope, and combination of the personal and scholarly, this book is a fascinating introduction to religion, and the author. (IDA78, $20.00)
The End of a Trail, The Cheetah in India • Divyabhanusinh Chavda NATURAL HISTORY • 2007 • PAPER • 272 PAGES A historical study of the cheetah in India, where it is now extinct. Expert Divyabhanusinh Chavda looks back into prehistory and studies interactions between humans and the cat through the years, and shows what conditions and practices led to its extinction in the subcontinent. He concludes with a discussion of a possible reintroduction of the cheetah into India. Complemented by 32 color photos, and 47 halftones and line drawings. (IDA140, $75.00)
Fasting, Feasting • Anita Desai LITERATURE • 2000 • PAPER • 228 PAGES Almost anything written by Anita Desai is worth reading. This novel tells the stories of Uma and Arun, two Indian siblings, one living in India, the other in America. It's an eye-opening view into cultural differ-ences and the Indian experience at home and abroad. Desai is one of India's best-known novelists, author, too, of "Clear Light of Day," and "Baumgartner's Bombay." (IDA172, $13.95)
Father India, Westerners Under the Spell of an Ancient Culture • Jeffrey Paine CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1999 • PAPER • 324 PAGES A lively cultural history, which explores the attraction of India on diverse visitors and intellectuals over the last 100 years, including Annie Besant, E. M. Forster, Carl Jung, William Butler Yeats, V.S. Naipaul, Christopher Isherwood, and Martin Luther King Jr. (IDA165, $14.95)
Footprint India Handbook • Annie Dare • David Stott GUIDEBOOK • 2009 • PAPER • 1616 PAGES A comprehensive guide published in Britain, nicely divided between a general overview of India and practical travel detail on where to go and what to do. (IDA138, $29.95)
Freedom at Midnight • Dominque Lapierre • Larry Collins HISTORY • 1997 • PAPER • 576 PAGES • COMING IN Subtitled "The epic drama of India's struggle for Independence, " this magisterial history documents the birth of a nation. (IDA148, $16.00)
Funny Boy • Shyam Selvadurai LITERATURE • 1997 • PAPER • 320 PAGES Building a complex portrait through detail of family, society and place, this prize-winning novel is a gay coming of age story set in contemporary Sri Lanka. Splendidly written. (SRL01, $14.00)
Gandhi, His Life and Message for the World • Louis Fischer BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1991 • PAPER • 200 PAGES A classic biography of Gandhi first published in 1950 -- and still one of the most readable, lively, and interesting books on the subject. Used by Richard Attenborough as the basis for his film. (IDA162, $7.99)
The Glass Palace • Amitav Ghosh LITERATURE • 2002 • PAPER • 474 PAGES In this panoramic novel full of tales and anecdote, Ghosh follows the lives and fortunes of Rajkumar and his family over three eventful generations in Burma, India and Malaysia. The book opens with the British taking the Burmese royal family into custody in Mandalay in 1885. (IDA173, $15.00)
Gods, Demons and Others • R. K. Narayan • R.K. Laxman LITERATURE • 1993 • PAPER • 241 PAGES Hindu myths and stories as freely adapted by Narayan, one of India's foremost writers. The collection includes material from both the Ramayana and the Mahabarata. These tales are as wonderful to read as they are revealing of India's religious traditions. (IDA101, $23.00)
Heaven's Command: An Imperial Progress • Jan Morris HISTORY • 2002 • PAPER • 554 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE First of the famed "Pax Brittanica" trilogy, concerning the British colonial rule in India, Central Asia, Africa and elsewhere. Morris weaves historical accounts, character studies, and much imagination into this readable, compelling tale. It covers the rise of British rule to 1897; the second two volumes, on British dominance and its decline respectively, are also available. (IDA20, $38.95)
Hindi, Start Speaking Today! • Educational Services Corporation LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS • CASETTE TAPE A 90-minute crash course in Hindi featured in two audio tapes and a phrasebook packaged in a vinyl sleeve. Geared for travelers, the course follows the foreign service method -- which focuses on dialogues and useful sentences instead of individual words. In each case, an English phrase is spoken once, and repeated in Hindi twice. Topics include introductions, transportation, business and health. (IDA142, $24.95)
Hindoo Holiday • J.R. Ackerley TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 2000 • PAPER • 300 PAGES Ackerley traipses across India as the English tutor to a handsome and extravagantly homosexual maharajah in this comic, beautifully-written novel masquerading as a travelogue. (IDA115, $17.95)
Hindu Art • T. Richard Blurton ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1993 • PAPER • 239 PAGES A beautifully illustrated large paperback of excellent quality, this book is a good introduction to the complexities of Indian painting, sculpture and sacred architecture. The author is a curator at the British Museum. (IDA35, $35.00)
The Idea of India • Sunil Khilnani CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1999 • PAPER • 263 PAGES A provocative survey of India since independence, presented as four essays: Democracy, Economics, Cities, and Who is an Indian. Khilnani confronts the complexities, paradoxes and challenges of the nation in this short, elegant book. He teaches politics at Birkbeck College at the University of London. (IDA160, $17.00)
India East Map • Nelles MAP A detailed regional map of eastern India, from just east of Delhi through all of Nepal, at a scale of 1:1,500,000. Two Sides. 20x31 inches. (IDA123, $13.95)
India North Map • Nelles MAP A colorful regional map of northern India at a scale of 1:1,500,000 with excellent topographic detail. It includes a detailed map of Zanskar & Ladakh at a scale of 1:650,000 Two Sides. 20x36 inches. (IDA124, $13.95)
India Northeast Bangladesh Map • Nelles MAP A regional map (1:1,500,000) covering Northeast India in detail, including Arunchal Pradesh, Assam and adjoining Tibet, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Burma. Two Sides. 20x31 inches. (IDA98, $13.95)
India Northwest Adventure Map • National Geographic 2011 • MAP A double-sided full color map of Northwest India at a scale of 1:1,400,000 with good shaded relief, topographic detail, roads, waterways and basic travel information. Printed on waterproof, tear-resistant paper. Two Sides. 20x31 inches. (IDA73, $11.95)
India South Map • Nelles 2008 • MAP A double-sided colorful regional map of India south of Mumbai, including Sri Lanka and the Andaman and Nicobar islands, at a scale of 1:1,500,000. With maps of Goa, Hyderabad, Bangalore (Bengaluru), Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram. Two Sides. 20x40 inches. (IDA69, $13.95)
India Unbound • Gurcharan Das BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 2002 • PAPER • 432 PAGES In this pleasant and readable narrative, acclaimed journalist and author Gurcharan Das weaves his personal story into the larger context of India's recent history, discussing at length the economic and political issues facing the nation. He argues that deeper economic and political reforms will be needed for India to take advantage of its early information technology lead within Asia, forego the need for a complete industrial revolution, and become a successful services-oriented society and economy. Das' argument relies on firsthand experience and personal contacts. (IDA144, $17.00)
India, A Concise History • Francis Watson HISTORY • 2002 • PAPER • 200 PAGES An illustrated history in the fine series from Thames & Hudson. Organized chronologically, separate chapters are devoted to the Chola Empire, impact of Islam, Moghuls, the British, and contemporary India. Hundreds of portraits, paintings and black-and-white photographs illuminate the accompanying text. (IDA139, $18.95)
India, A History • John Keay HISTORY • 2011 • PAPER • 608 PAGES A sweeping history of India from early settlement in the Indus Valley around 2000 B.C through ancient civilizations, Hindu, Christian and Muslim traditions, Mughal pomp, colonial rule, independence and the heady challenges of modern democracy. Keay marshals a huge amount of information into a lucid, beautifully written history, told with flair and balance. (IDA175, $19.95)
India, A Mosaic • Robert B. Silvers • Barbara Epstein HISTORY • 2001 • PAPER • 320 PAGES A collection of nine exemplary essays, all originally appearing in the New York Review of books, on culture, politics and society of contemporary India. (IDA153, $14.95)
India, From Midnight to the Millennium • Shashi Tharoor HISTORY • 1998 • PAPER • 392 PAGES A novelist, reporter and diplomat, Tharoor tackles religious differences, his upbringing in the south of India, his own experiences as a "Non-resident Indian," and a great deal of history in this sweeping, narrative history of the last 50 years. (IDA106, $14.95)
India: Land of Dreams and Fantasy • Doranne Jacobson CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1995 • HARD COVER • 192 PAGES • COMING IN An introduction to India, this large-format hardbound volume, features both 300 color photographs and informative accompanying essays on India's history, religions, architecture, rural wonders, urban glories, handicrafts, rituals, festivals and daily life. (IDA32, $29.95)
Indian Embers • Lady Rosamund Lawrence TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1991 • HARD COVER • 397 PAGES First published in 1949, this travelogue is a classic account of a journey through India. (IDA54, $22.95)
Insight Guide Sri Lanka • Insight Guides GUIDEBOOK • 2010 • PAPER • 296 PAGES This handsome guide gives a profusely illustrated overview of the region, featuring concise essays by well regarded authors on history, politics and culture, hundreds of photographs and maps and some limited travel information. (SRL02, $23.99)
Jaipur: The Last Destination • Samar Singh Jodha • Aman Nath ART & ARCHITECTURE • 2006 • HARD COVER • 224 PAGES • COMING IN A gorgeous tribute to Jaipur, its art, architecture and heritage, featuring stunning color photographs of citadels, palaces, theaters, art, textiles and mosaics, archival prints and drawings, and accompanying text. With in-depth information on culture and history, and a genealogy of the Rajahs. (IDA109, $95.00)
Jewel in the Crown • Paul Scott LITERATURE • 1998 • PAPER • 462 PAGES The first book in Scott's addictive Raj Quartet, set in British India in 1942, is a rousing, psychologically complex tale of English colonial rule. First published in 1966. (IDA66, $20.00)
Ka, Stories of the Mind and Gods of India • Roberto Calasso • Tim Parks LITERATURE • 1999 • PAPER • 464 PAGES A mindbending collection of stories by the Italian intellectual Roberto Calasso based on traditional Hindu myths. The "New York Times Book Review" calls this "a giddy invasion of stories -- brilliant, enigmatic, troubling, outrageous, erotic, beautiful." Not recommended for beginners. (IDA168, $16.00)
Kali's Child, The Mystical and Erotic in the Life and Teachings of Ramakrishna • Jeffrey J. Kripal CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1998 • PAPER • 386 PAGES A scholarly analysis of the life and thought of a 19th century Bengali mystic, marked by critical acclaim and some controversy surrounding issues of gender and sexuality. Kripal demonstrates through textual analysis and psychoanalytic theory the centrality of desire -- and homesexual desire -- in the thought of this important Tantric mystic. For those with intellectual tendencies, this is good stuff. (IDA112, $35.00)
Karma Cola, Marketing the Mystical East • Gita Mehta CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1994 • PAPER • 193 PAGES In this witty collection of short essays, Mehta critiques both those visitors who come to India looking for instant enlightenment and the gurus who exploit them. (IDA136, $13.95)
Kim • Rudyard Kipling LITERATURE • 1983 • LARGE PRINT • 448 PAGES For the sheer pleasure of its prose, insight into the British in India and its extraordinary sense of place, you can't do better than this classic novel. It's one of the great adventure stories -- the enduring tale of Kimball O'Hara, an orphan boy who, through happenstance, travels the Grand Trunk Road with a Tibetan Lama. A large print edition. (IDA116, $27.99)
Ladakh, Crossroads of High Asia • Janet Rizvi CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1998 • PAPER • 328 PAGES An illustrated overview of the culture and history of remote Ladakh. (HML26, $35.00)
Lives of Indian Images • Richard H. Davis ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1999 • PAPER • 350 PAGES A scholarly award-winning study of the complex lives of Indian images as expressed through worship, ritual and commodification. Davis is an engaging and uncommonly literate guide, blending art history, anthropology, literary theory and religious studies. With notes, bibliography and the usual scholarly apparatus. (IDA91, $39.95)
Lonely Planet Hindi, Urdu & Bengali Phrasebook • Richard Somers Delacy LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS • 2005 • PAPER • 303 PAGES This palm-sized guide focuses on pronunciation, basic grammar and vocabulary for the traveler. (IDA82, $8.99)
Lonely Planet India • Tony Wheeler GUIDEBOOK • 2011 • PAPER • 1229 PAGES In its hallmark style, this comprehensive travel guide to India by Lonely Planet presents a wealth of practical information in addition to background on culture, history, art and language. With 200 regional sketch maps and city plans. (IDA44, $31.99)
Love in a Different Climate, Men Who Have Sex with Men in India • Jeremy Seabrook RELIGION • 1999 • PAPER • 184 PAGES Based largely on interviews, Seabrook explores sexual identity and politics in India focusing on middle and working class men and women. Seabrook, who is fluent in Hindi, intimate with India, a gay man and an eloquent critic of western globalization, has produced a powerful record. (IDA113, $25.00)
Mahabhrata • William Buck • B. A. Van Nooten LITERATURE • 2000 • PAPER • 451 PAGES An introduction and retelling of one of the great Hindu epics for the general reader.fMahabhrata (IDA167, $24.95)
Mahatma Gandhi and his Apostles • Ved Mehta BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1977 • PAPER • 288 PAGES A vivid, enlightening examination of the life and work of Gandhi by novelist Ved Mehta. He interviews Gandhi's disciples in five countries, revealing the man, his ideas and legacy. First published in 1977. (IDA21, $30.00)
Malgudi Days • R. K. Narayan LITERATURE • 2006 • PAPER • 272 PAGES • FAVORITE Wonderful tales about a fictional South Indian town by a beloved Indian writer. Malgudi is a composite of Narayan's two hometowns -- Mysore and Madras -- populated by quirky characters whose unique approaches to tradition and modernity are the stuff of great short stories. (IDA59, $15.00)
A Meeting by the River • Christopher Isherwood LITERATURE • 1999 • PAPER • 160 PAGES Two brothers meet in India, one a bisexual capitalist and the other a Hindu monk. It's Isherwood's last novel, which brings together sexuality, spirituality and the complicated relations among brothers. (IDA114, $16.95)
Monkfish Moon • Romesh Gunesekera LITERATURE • 1996 • HARD COVER • 140 PAGES These nine excellent short stories, all but one set in Sri Lanka, capture the spirit of the place. The author introduces us to a corpulent tycoon, an expatriate couple in London, and aristocrat turned communist, an anxious hotel clerk, and a middle-class maiden choosing between potential spouses; they all share the question "what's happened?" as Gunesekera forces them (and us) to deal with the reality of a nation embroiled in Tamil-Sinhala strife. (SRL03, $16.95)
The Moor's Last Sigh • Salman Rushdie LITERATURE • 1997 • PAPER • 435 PAGES A sweeping family epic that tackles the complex history of India and its diverse cultures. Related by the "Moor" Moraes Zogoiby, it is a tale that spans many decades as well as diverse classes, races, religions and moral positions. In his characteristically rich prose, Rushdie tells the history of India, with the precision of reality and the force of myth. Much of the book is set among the spice traders of Cochin. (IDA89, $16.00)
News from Tartary • Peter Fleming TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1999 • PAPER • 384 PAGES A rousing, ironic account of Fleming's 3500-mile trek in the 1930s from Peking to the province of Sinkiang and onwards to India. (CAS46, $18.95)
On a Shoestring to Coorg: An Experience of Southern India • Dervla Murphy TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 2006 • HARD COVER • 261 PAGES This tough Irish grandmother has made travel something of a cottage industry. Here's the story of her first venture outside Europe, an insightful tale of her wanderings by bus and on foot with her then-five-year-old daughter through the mountainous province of Coorg in 1976. She captures the flavor of the coffee plantations, rice paddies and tropical forest that characterize this region of India near the Malabar Coast. (IDA29, $27.95)
A Passage to India • E.M. Forster LITERATURE • 1976 • PAPER • 362 PAGES The story of an Indian wrongly accused of assaulting an English woman. The book, an enduring masterpiece, challenged the attitudes of the British occupation of India, and prophetically showed why British elistist and racist attitudes would lead to the downfall of the empire in India. (IDA26, $14.00)
A Passage to India • E.M. Forster 1997 • CASETTE TAPE The story of an Indian wrongly accused of assaulting an English woman. The book, an enduring masterpiece, challenged the attitudes of the British occupation of India. (IDA67, $23.95)
Power Places of Kathmandu: Hindu and Buddhist Holy Sites in the Sacred Valley of Nepal • Keith Dowman • Kevin Bubriski ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1995 • HARD COVER • 130 PAGES This handsome book by two authorities on art and architecture documents, in words and pictures, the most significant spiritual sites along the pilgrim route in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. With 108 color photographs accompanied by the myth, legend and history of each temple or shrine. This book would make an excellent addition to the library of any traveler -- or would-be traveler -- to Nepal. (NPL12, $39.95)
A Princess Remembers, The Memoirs of the Maharani of Jaipur • Devi Gayatri BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1996 • PAPER • 408 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE The memoirs of an extraordinary life. Widow of the Maharaja of Jaipur, member of parliament and a fascinating character, Devi recalls growing up in the palace compound, marrying the Maharaja, her political triumphs and work on behalf of education in India. With family photographs. A gilt-edged paper edition with slipcase, printed in India. (IDA149, $39.95)
Rabindranath Tagore, An Anthology • Rabindranath Tagore ANTHOLOGY • 1998 • PAPER • 416 PAGES With homage paid by authors ranging from Yeats to Isaiah Berlin and Deepak Chopra, the work of the great writer and poet Tagore has enormous appeal. This anthology is an excellent introduction to the Nobel Prize-winning author (who in 1913 was the first Asian ever to have won the prize), including travel writing, letters, poems, essays, songs and an excerpt from his novel, "The Home and the World." (IDA133, $22.99)
Raj, The Making and Unmaking of British India • Lawrence James HISTORY • 2000 • PAPER • 544 PAGES An anecdotal, engrossing mostly military history of the East India Company. (IDA87, $26.99)
The Rise of Islam and the Bengal Frontier, 1204-1760 (Comparative Studies on Muslim Societies, No 17) • Richard M. Eaton RELIGION • 1996 • PAPER • 359 PAGES A prize-winning survey of Islam and its history on the Indian Subcontinent. Written for a scholarly audience, the book gives an in-depth appreciation of the contentious history of religious pluralism in India. (IDA169, $28.95)
A River Sutra • Gita Mehta LITERATURE • 1994 • PAPER • 291 PAGES The enchanting story of a civil servant who moves to the banks of India's holy Narmada river. This fine novel weaves together history, tradition, religion, and love. (IDA43, $14.95)
Road Guide to Calcutta • Variety Book Depot 1998 • MAP (IDA154, $5.95)
The Romantics • Pankaj Mishra LITERATURE • 2001 • PAPER • 272 PAGES Though at heart a simple tale of East meets West; the sentimental education of a young Indian University student living among foreigners adrift in 1980's Varanasi, this first novel rises above the hackneyed theme of cultural collision. Mishra's beautifully nuance writing evokes the inner states of his characters, engaging the reader with subtlety and capturing the vibrancy of the Indian landscapes. (IDA143, $16.00)
Rough Guide India • David Abram GUIDEBOOK • 2008 • PAPER • 1456 PAGES Geared to the independent traveler, this Rough Guide combines an opinionated survey of culture and history with good information on sightseeing, food and accommodations. The writers even care about what books to read. With 135 maps and plans. (IDA86, $29.99)
Rough Guide South India • Rough Guide GUIDEBOOK • 2007 • PAPER • 840 PAGES A comprehensive travel guide in the British series, this book includes an overview of the nature, history and culture of South India and a survey of attractions by region. With maps, drawings and good advice on getting the most out of your travels, the opinionated Rough Guide series provides an insider's sense of local life. (IDA93, $23.99)
The Royal Palaces of India • George Michell • Antonio Martinelli ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1999 • PAPER • 232 PAGES • COMING IN An architectural survey of Hindu and Muslim fortresses and royal residences from the 12th century to the days of British colonial rule -- well-informed, comprehensive and handsomely illustrated. It includes not only the Mughal palace complexes of Delhi and Agra but also Hindu complexes of central and southern India. With expert commentary by Mitchell, a noted architectural historian, and 250 exceptional color photographs by Antonio Martinelli. (IDA74, $39.95)
Running in the Family • Michael Ondaatje BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1993 • PAPER • 207 PAGES This hypnotic short book powerfully evokes grand society in post-colonial Sri Lanka and, especially, Ondaatje's impressively eccentric grandparents. Written by the author of The English Patient, this book is hard to categorize: it's as much fiction as family memoir and travelogue -- and wonderful. (SRL04, $15.00)
Say It in Hindi • Veena T. Oldenburg LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS • 1985 • PAPER • 238 PAGES A pocket phrasebook full of key words and expressions. Highly recommended for newcomers to Hindi as well as those looking to brush up on their language skill. (IDA81, $5.95)
Scoop-Wallah, Life on a Delhi Daily • Justine Hardy TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 2012 • PAPER • 320 PAGES A wry account by an English journalist of her stint at The Indian Express in Delhi. (IDA127, $12.95)
The Sikhs • Patwant Singh RELIGION • 2001 • PAPER • 304 PAGES A comprehensive overview for the traveler to Punjab, the historical homeland of the Sikhs. This is the story of a people, touching on issues of history, religion, culture, prejudice, castes, surnames, war, magic, and prescriptive social policy. (IDA178, $19.00)
Slowly Down the Ganges • Eric Newby TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 2011 • PAPER • 384 PAGES In 1963, the Newbys (Eric and his wife Wanda) set out an a 1,200-mile voyage down the Ganges River. The title could apply as easily to the ruminative attitude the author takes towards his journey as to the many mishaps which bedevil the quest -- invariably occasions for the author to display his wit. (IDA179, $18.95)
Snakes and Ladders, Glimpses of Modern India • Gita Mehta 1998 • PAPER • 297 PAGES Essays on contemporary India, culture, politics and personalities, by the prolific writer and thinker. (IDA68, $13.95)
South Asia • Sumit Ganguly HISTORY • 2006 • PAPER • 256 PAGES A scholarly history of modern South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Sumit Ganguly is the Rabindranath Tagore Professor of Indian cultures and civilizations and professor of political science at Indiana University. (IDA308, $22.00)
South Asia • Sumit Ganguly HISTORY • 2006 • PAPER • 256 PAGES A scholarly history of modern South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Sumit Ganguly is the Rabindranath Tagore Professor of Indian cultures and civilizations and professor of political science at Indiana University. (IDA308, $22.00)
Street Graphics India • Barry Dawson CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1999 • PAPER • 112 PAGES A stunning presentation of the multi-layered images of outdoor advertising that festoon the streets of India from posters to decorated buses, furniture and buildings. It's an excellent overview of the vibrant, ever-changing culture of modern, commercial India. (IDA122, $19.95)
A Suitable Boy • Vikram Seth LITERATURE • 2005 • PAPER • 1488 PAGES A modern classic set in Calcutta, Delhi and Brahmpur after Independence. Big and unabashedly plotty, it's like a 19th-century English novel in its structure and resolution, yet its trappings are all Indian. While courtesans sing ghazals, while young men make mischief in celebration of Holi, while pilgrims bathe in the Ganges, the newly independent nation of India launches itself into history. (IDA27, $21.99)
Taj Mahal • M.C. Joshi • Jean-Louis Nou • Amina Okada ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1993 • HARD COVER • 231 PAGES An informative, photographic tribute to the great monument with accompanying essays on history, design and inscriptions by Amina Okada, curator of the Musee National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet in Paris, and M.C. Joshi of the Archaeological Survey of New Delhi. With 158 full-color photographs (including four magnificent foldout pictures) by the late Jean-Louis Nou (to whom the book is dedicated). Nou balances exterior and large-scale views with many detailed, close-up photographs of inscriptions, flora designs and sculpture. With a floor plan, quotations from the Koran and brief excerpts from travelers' accounts. (IDA108, $75.00)
This is India • Shobita Punja CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1998 • HARD COVER • 176 PAGES This book is a handsome illustrated overview of the culture, nature and scenic attractions of India. The striking color photographs, including many of wildlife, are complemented by expert commentary on the region by Shobita Punja. (IDA97, $39.95)
Traditional Jewelry of India • Oppi Untracht ART & ARCHITECTURE • 2008 • PAPER • 432 PAGES Untracht brings a lifetime of love for India's lavish and diverse jewelry in this sumptuously illustrated survey, covering the techniques and styles of jewelry-making, along with the symbolism and place of ornament in Indian culture with authority. (IDA34, $49.95)
Trekking in Ladakh • Charlie Loram GUIDEBOOK • 2004 • PAPER • 288 PAGES A practical guide to trekking in this remote enclave, this book includes 50 maps, route descriptions, an overview of Leh and a section of color photographs. (HML25, $19.95)
Twilight in Delhi • Ahmed Ali LITERATURE • 1994 • PAPER • 200 PAGES Set at the turn-of-the-century, this much-loved novel, written in English, captures life in Delhi through the tale of the Muslim merchant Mir Nihal and his family. It's an enlightening portrait of Mughal Delhi, its culture and traditions, family ceremonies and traditions, kite battles and pigeon flying. (IDA62, $14.95)
Ultimate Journey, Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk Who Crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment • 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. A foreign correspondent in China in the 1970s and religious skeptic, Bernstein (who turns 50 during the journey) offers the insight and eye for detail of an experienced traveler and writer. (CAS64, $14.00)
Untouchable • Mulk Raj Anand • E. M. Forster LITERATURE • 1990 • PAPER • 160 PAGES Referred to by some as his nation's answer to Charles Dickens, the author tackles India's caste system with urgency and conviction; in this work he paints a portrait of India's lowest caste. (IDA180, $13.00)
The Wisdom of the Buddha • 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)
A Woman's Asia • Marybeth Bond ANTHOLOGY • 2005 • PAPER • 310 PAGES These thirty-five personal, often hilarious accounts of women's adventures from China to Sri Lanka to Turkey to Bhutan, not only illuminating the everyday, oft-overlooked cultural practices of Asia, but also giving a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of the female traveller. Featuring selections from Jan Morris, Pamela Logan and Alison Wright. (ASA49, $17.95)

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