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INDIA'S GARHWAL HIMALAYA
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Aami in America, A Pilgrimage of the Heart • Broughton Coburn TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1996 • PAPER An account of a coast-to-coast tour in the company of an 84-year-old Nepalese woman and his girlfriend, Coburn -- who fell in love with the Himalayas during a stint as a Peace Corps worker in the 1970s -- is a thoughtful, often entertaining guide. You can imagine the tremendous possibility inherent in traipsing across the country with a village elder on her first voyage away from the Himalayas. (USA11, $14.95)
Adventures With the Buddha, A Buddhism Reader • Jeffery Paine RELIGION • 2005 • PAPER • 410 PAGES Paine chooses nine influential 19th and 20th century western adventurers and their travels in China, Tibet, Nepal and India for this riveting tale of religion, adventure and enlightenment. It's an enchanting window into a now largely lost world. Organized chronologically, he includes the pioneering travels of Alexandra David-Neel in Tibet, John Blsofeld (Wheel of Life) and Lama Anagarika Givindaa, whose The Way of White Clouds has recently been returned to print. (REL12, $16.95)
Among Flowers, A Walk in the Himalaya • Jamaica Kincaid TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 2007 • PAPER • 208 PAGES An atmospheric account of celebrated writer and gardener Jamaica Kincaid's journey to Nepal and the Himalayas with a small team of botanists. A volume in the National Geographic Directions series. (HML62, $10.95)
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)
Annapurna Map • Nelles MAP A map of the Annapurna hiking region at scale of 1:100,000 with major features, color shading and contour lines. One Side. 33x35 inches. (NPL32, $17.95)
Annapurna, A Trekker's Guide • Kev Reynolds GUIDEBOOK • 2012 • PAPER • 288 PAGES • COMING IN OCTOBER Seen from the lakeside town of Pokhara in central Nepal, a tremendous wall of snow and ice-capped mountains dominates the northern Horizon; the Annapurna Himal. With no less than twelve 7000m (23,000ft) summits rising above a foreground of intricately terraced foothills, this is one of the most beautiful and ethnically diverse landscapes on earth. Around this impressive block goes the classic Annapurna Circuit -- without question, one of the great walks of the world. Into the heart of the mountains leads a trail to the Annapurna Sanctuary. (NPL29, $22.95)
Annapurna, A Woman's Place • Arlene Blum EXPLORATION • 1998 • PAPER • 247 PAGES This account of the historic 1978 climb celebrates the first American ascent of Annapurna by a team of 13 women. The climbers were also, notably, the first women to scale any of the world's 8,000 meter-peaks. Two of the women died in the process. This illustrated 20th anniversary edition, with a preface by Maurice Herzog, includes an afterword. Much of the book takes the form of an illustrated journal. (HML30, $19.95)
Annapurna, The Epic Account of a Himalayan Conquest and its Harrowing Aftermath • Maurice Herzog EXPLORATION • 2010 • PAPER • 256 PAGES • FAVORITE This new edition of Maurice Herzog's classic, with a new forward by Conrad Anker, is published in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Annapurna on June 3, 2010. Expedition leader Herzog dictated this masterful account of the first-ever ascent of an 8,000-meter peak and extraordinary rescue from his hospital bed in Paris. The American Women's Himalayan Expedition, led by Arlene Blum, became the first American team to summit this 10th highest mountain in 1978, and no team repeated Herzog's feat until 1970. Now 101 years old, Herzog, who was French Minister of Youth and Sport in the 1960s and the former mayor of Chamonix, recovered nicely! (HML07, $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 and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent • J.C. Harle ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1994 • PAPER • 616 PAGES A nicely illustrated, scholarly survey of the art and architecture of not only India but also of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. With 318 black-and-white and 75 color illustrations. A volume in the Pelican History of Art by Yale University Press, the book is a popular text in university survey courses. Second edition. (IDA60, $40.00)
Lonely Planet Trekking in the Indian Himalaya • Garry Weare GUIDEBOOK • 2009 • PAPER • 300 PAGES This guide, now in its fifth edition, is great for both practical trail information and general historical and cultural background on the region. Filled throughout with maps and detailed descriptions of treks. The guide covers Arunchal Pradesh, Eastern and Western Himalayas of India (including Sikkim and Ladakh). (IDA241, $24.99)
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)
The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian • Nirad C. Chaudhuri BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 2001 • PAPER • 560 PAGES An acclaimed memoir, first published in 1951, which launched Chaudhuri's literary star (he was dubbed "Honorary Commander of the British Empire" in 1992). It's at once the story of Chaudhuri's youth in rural Bengal and Calcutta and the story of modern India's origins -- a book with a powerful intellectual kick which is steeped in time and place. A "masterpiece", says Salman Rushdie. Chaudhuri died in 1999 at the age of 102. This handsome paper edition is one in a great series by the New York Review of Books. (IDA196, $19.95)
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)
Banaras • Diana L. Eck HISTORY • 1999 • PAPER • 448 PAGES This history of the holiest and oldest of Indian cities, the home of Shiva, encompasses many millennia of Buddhist and especially Hindu practices along the Ganges. (IDA211, $29.50)
Baumgartner's Bombay • Anita Desai LITERATURE • 2000 • PAPER • 240 PAGES This novel's unlikely protagonist, Hugo Baumgartner, stands in for the intersection of Jewish and Indian culture. In this vividly depicted tale, Jewish business owner Baumgartner escapes Nazi persecution by fleeing to Calcutta, where he is subsequently imprisoned as an alien. He get released but Baumgartner comically lives as an outsider with stray cats as his sole source of companionship. (IDA245, $13.95)
Beneath a Marble Sky, A Love Story • John Shors LITERATURE • 2006 • PAPER • 344 PAGES Built to mourn the tragic death of the emperor's wife, the Taj Mahal is at the center of this murderous, fantastical and dazzling tale, told from the point of view of daughter Princess Jaharana. Parallel to the emperor's grief is the forbidden love between the princess and a Taj Mahal architect. Shors elegantly conjures royal life in 18th-century Hindustan. (IDA301, $15.00)
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)
Beyond the Sky and the Earth • Jamie Zeppa TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1999 • PAPER • 303 PAGES Tales of travel and discovery in a remote Himalayan kingdom, Zeppa's memoir of her two years as a teacher in a remote village details her growing love and commitment to the Bhutanese culture and people. She records her transformation from wide-eyed neophyte to falling in love with a Bhutanese man (with whom she has a child). (BHU08, $16.00)
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)
Bhutan Map • ITMB 2008 • MAP A double-sided traveler's map of Bhutan at an excellent scale of 1:380,000. With insets of Paro and Thimphu, trekking routes, key monasteries and visitor attractions, index and notes. One Side. 25x38 inches. (BHU06, $12.95)
Big Cats • Seymour Simon NATURAL HISTORY • 1994 • PAPER • 40 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A full-color introduction to the life of big cats around the world, including the tiger, lion, leopard, puma, cheetah, jaguar, and snow leopard. A brief text accompanies the photos, which concentrate on how the animals behave in the wild. Intended for children ages 4-8. (BST46, $6.99)
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)
Born Into Brothels • Zana Briski • Children of Calcutta CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 2005 • HARD COVER • 104 PAGES "Born into Brothels," the 2005 Oscar-winner for Best Documentary, is the story of director Zana Briski's time spent teaching photography to the children of Calcutta's red light district. This charming book displays the results of the project: poignant and winning photographs of one of the world's most impoverished areas by eight local children. The book makes it clear that Briski succeeded: the children's photos are powerful National-Geographic-caliber portraits of life in their community. (IDA269, $35.00)
Brahma's Pushkar, Ancient Indian Pilgrimage • Aman Nath • Rajan Kapoor CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 2006 • HARD COVER • 204 PAGES • COMING IN The myth, history, ancient rites and legdens surrounding Pushkar, its pilgrims, traders, and visitors are documented in nearly 500 color photographs and illuminating text. Ample attention is paid to the celebrated Camel Fair (held once a year during the full moon in November). With notes and album on the the three parikramas (walking pilgrimages). (IDA304, $55.00)
The Buddhist Handbook • 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. It gives a basic overview of the teachings and practice of Buddhism, including a who's who of contemporary teachers and list of useful addresses around the world. (ASA08, $19.95)
Buddhist Himalayas • Olivier and Danielle Follmi • Mattieu Ricard CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 2008 • PAPER • 424 PAGES A big, beautiful celebration of the Himalayas, featuring 185 richly colored, often double-page photographs, and accompanying text on religion and culture. The Follmis, who are the Dalai Lama's official photographers, have lived and worked in the Himalayas for 25 years. Colleague Ricard Matthieu is a monk and French translator for the Dalai Lama. (HML53, $32.95)
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)
The Climb, Tragic Ambitions on Everest • Anatoli Boukreev EXPLORATION • 1998 • PAPER • 297 PAGES An eyewitness account of the 1996 tragedy on Everest by the Russian mountaineer Boukreev, in part a response to criticism by John Krakauer in the best-selling Into Thin Air regarding climbing safety and ambition. Boukreev, an experienced guide, defends his actions on that day. (HML29, $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)
Conflict Unending • Sumit Ganguly HISTORY • 2002 • PAPER • 200 PAGES An in-depth study of the turbulent relationship between India and Pakistan since independence in 1947, with a focus on Kashmir. (IDA223, $29.00)
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)
Daughter of the Ganges, The Story of One Girl's Adoption and her Return Journey to India • Asha Miro BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 2007 • PAPER • 274 PAGES An Indian woman recounts her 1960s adoption by a Catalan family and her 2003 visit to her home country to uncover her native roots, a personal journey during which she discovered her rural home town and a sister she never knew. (IDA299, $19.95)
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)
The Dragon in the Land of Snows • Tsering Shakya HISTORY • 2000 • PAPER • 606 PAGES A comprehensive account of the history and political development of Tibet since 1947, which includes eye-opening details of the American, British and Indian players involved in Tibet's struggle for sovereignty. Tibet has had a mighty struggle to maintain its culture and independence since Chinese occupation in 1950, as demonstrated in this richly detailed book. Shakya, a British-educated Tibetan historian, treats heart-breaking events with balance and insight. (TBT32, $18.00)
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)
An End to Suffering, The Buddha in the World • Pankaj Mishra RELIGION • 2005 • PAPER • 320 PAGES Mishra, a frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books, examines the life of Buddha and the impact of Buddhism upon the ancient and modern world. As Mishra travels to gather information, he discovers connections between the Buddha's struggles and his own. A personal and informative exploration. (IDA242, $18.00)
Epic, Stories of Survival from the World's Highest Peaks • Clint Willis ANTHOLOGY • 1997 • PAPER • 342 PAGES A greatest-hits collection of mountaineering literature, Willis excerpts 15 stories, including Mathiessen's classic "The Snow Leopard," and harrowing passages from Everest, the West Ridge, K2, The Savage Mountain, Annapurna and others. Not just the Himalayas, he also includes the tale of the first-traverse of South Georgia by Shackleton. Each excerpt is satisfying long, as interesting for the quality of the writing as the adventure depicted. (HML37, $17.95)
Escape from Kathmandu • Kim Stanley Robinson LITERATURE • 2000 • PAPER • 320 PAGES Clueless in Kathmandu. The four interconnected stories in this laugh-out-loud novel include the (mis)adventures of two young Americans with a Yeti, international espionage, mountain climbing of the highest sort and a quest for Shangri-La. Keep this page-turner handy for inevitable travel delays and long plane flights. Originally published in 1989. (NPL41, $18.99)
Everest, A Mountaineering History • Walter Unsworth EXPLORATION • 2000 • HARD COVER • 736 PAGES • COMING IN A classic history of mountaineering, updated through 1998 for this third edition. Unsworth depicts the people, personalities and challenges of Everest expeditions, including an excellent account of the much-ballyhooed expedition by Mallory and Irvine. He covers every major expedition. (NPL38, $45.00)
Everest, A Trekker's Guide • Kev Reynolds GUIDEBOOK • 2005 • PAPER • 255 PAGES A brief pocket guide to seven treks in the Everest region (including one in Tibet) with sketch maps, good general information and a few photographs. (NPL45, $22.95)
Everest, Mountain Without Mercy • Broughton Coburn NATURAL HISTORY • 2003 • PAPER • 256 PAGES Spectacularly photographed, this book is an account of the making of the IMAX film on Everest, including an account of the 1996 disaster. (HML20, $24.00)
Everest, the West Ridge • Thomas F. Hornbein EXPLORATION • 1980 • PAPER • 194 PAGES A vivid account of the 1963 American expedition to Everest, a classic of mountain climbing literature. Long thought out of reach, by Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld make a first ascent on the mountain via the spectacular West Ridge, which involved -- among other things -- an emergency bivouac at 28,000-feet. (HML10, $19.95)
Family Matters • Rohinton Mistry LITERATURE • 2003 • PAPER • 444 PAGES An aging professor comes to live with his daughter, her husband and their two children in a cramped Bombay apartment in Mistry's moving, and often comic, tale of history, memory and familial bonds. (IDA214, $15.95)
The Far Pavilions • M. M. Kaye LITERATURE • 1997 • PAPER • 960 PAGES An sweeping tale of love, adventure and war set during the British Raj. A monumental historical romance, the book follows the life a young British soldier who takes part in actual events leading to the Second Afghan War. Ben Cross played Ashton Pelham-Martyn in the 1984 mini-series. The book is better. (IDA195, $21.99)
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)
A Fine Balance • Rohinton Mistry LITERATURE • 1997 • PAPER • 624 PAGES • FAVORITE The secret to life, according to a recurring character in this sprawling tale, is "to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair." Set in 1975 in an unnamed Indian "city by the sea," which seems to bear a striking resemblance to Bombay, this tender novel follows the intermingled fortunes of a Parsi widow, a college student who is her boarder, and two Hindu tailors trying to make their way in the city. Each character is meticulously drawn, and the often harrowing background stories (including some murderous caste violence in the tailors' family) are interweaved through the main narrative, which finds the four thrown briefly, and eventually very happily, together in a tiny flat. All this is set against the background of Indira Gandhi's "emergency Raj," in which civil liberties were essentially suspended. It's all profoundly moving, a rare window into the cultural and religious maelstrom of India. One of the best things we've read on India, and a fine piece of literature. A Booker Prize finalist. (IDA92, $17.00)
First Under Heaven, The Art of Asia • Hali Publications ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1997 • HARD COVER • 196 PAGES The fourth Hali Annual, a showcase of textiles and decorative arts throughout Asia including chapters on Islamic calligraphy, Mughal bronze, Indonesian textiles and Indian temple architecture. (ASA19, $78.00)
Footprint Goa Handbook • Annie Dare GUIDEBOOK • 2005 • PAPER • 240 PAGES A sturdy guide in the practical Footprint series. It features background information on the history and culture of Goa as well as practical information for the independent traveler on accommodations and sightseeing. (IDA266, $19.95)
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)
Footprint Rajasthan Handbook • Matt Barrett GUIDEBOOK • 2011 • PAPER • 352 PAGES A sturdy guide in the practical Footprint series. It features background information on the history and culture of Rajasthan with sections on Jaipur, Delhi and Agra, as well as practical information for the independent traveler on accommodations and sightseeing. (IDA267, $24.95)
Freedom Song • Amit Chaudhuri LITERATURE • 2000 • PAPER • 448 PAGES Chaudhuri is a spectacularly understated writer who occasionally reaches the sublime, and this three-novella omnibus contains his finest work to date -- in particular "A Strange and Sublime Address," his evocation of childhood in Calcutta. (IDA217, $14.00)
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)
Geography of Religion: Where God Lives, Where Pilgrims Walk • Susan T. Hitchcock • John Esposito • Desmond Tutu • Mpho Tutu RELIGION • 2006 • PAPER • 416 PAGES A handsomely produced tour of the five major world religions and the places that each holds sacred. This oversize book by National Geographic features 210 photographs, illustrations and maps, along with essays by contributing scholars. (REL05, $24.00)
Ghosts of Everest, The Search for Mallory & Irvine • Jochen Hemmleb • Eric Simonson • Larry Johnson EXPLORATION • 2001 • PAPER • 208 PAGES • COMING IN You may have seen the pictures. This is one of several accounts of the 1999 expedition to determine the fate of George Mallory, who disappeared on Mt. Everest in 1924 (and who may or may not have been the first on Everest 29 years before Norgay and Hillary). Hemmleb, Johnson and Simonson, respected climbers all three and participants in the expedition, contribute to this book as told to hired-hand William Nothdurft. Conrad Anker wrote his own book, "The Lost Explorer (Item no. NPL35)," (HML39, $24.95)
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)
The God of Small Things • Arundhati Roy LITERATURE • 2008 • PAPER • 336 PAGES A mystery, family saga and tale of innocence lost set in Kerala during the tumult of the 1960s. The novel opens in June, at the beginning of the monsoon season, when "The countryside turns an immodest green ... Pepper vines snake up electric poles. Wild creepers burst through laterite banks and spill across the flooded roads." Winner of the Booker Prize. (IDA31, $16.00)
The Great Hill Stations of Asia • Barbara Crossette TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1998 • PAPER • 272 PAGES A modern tour of the mountain enclaves of colonial Asia -- appreciative, magnificently researched and engaging. Crossette, an Asia correspondent for the "New York Times," criss-crosses the continent visiting Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. (ASA13, $16.00)
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)
Henri Cartier-Bresson in India • Henri Cartier-Bresson ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1995 • PAPER • 128 PAGES Cartier-Bresson's dramatic images of India, taken between 1947 and 1967, capture the reality of ordinary life there. (IDA295, $29.95)
Himalayan Passage, Seven Months in the High Country of Tibet, Nepal, China, India, & Pakistan • Jeremy Schmidt TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1992 • PAPER • 336 PAGES The story of two adventurous young couples who travel by bike, truck and foot across the Himalayas strong on the culture and people of the region. With 32 pages of color photographs. Starting in Lhasa, Tibet, in the spring of 1987, they headed west along the north slope of the mountains into China and Pakistan and returned on the south side through India and Nepal. (HML05, $18.95)
Himalayan Quest, Ed Viesturs on the 8,000-Meter Giants • Ed Viesturs EXPLORATION • 2009 • PAPER • 176 PAGES In 1986, Austrian Reinhold Messner became the first man to scale all 14 peaks which stand above 8,000 meters, all of which are located in the Himalayas. Seventeen years later, Ed Viesturs became the first American to accomplish this daunting feat. This appealing photographic guide chronicles Viestur's journey, complete with breathtaking images of the Himalayan landscape (made more impressive when one imagines how difficult it must have been to take them while climbing!) as well as informative maps of the region. (HML63, $21.95)
Himalayan Voices, An Introduction to Modern Nepali Literature • Michael Hutt ANTHOLOGY • 1991 • PAPER • 280 PAGES A collection of 20th-century Nepali poetry and short fiction, much of it translated into English for the first time. This anthology offers insight into Nepal's literary traditions, society and culture. (HML35, $28.95)
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)
Hinduism, A Very Short Introduction • Kim Knott RELIGION • 2000 • PAPER An introduction to the beliefs and practice of Hinduism, and a consideration of its influence in India and around the world. (IDA329, $11.95)
The Holder of the World • Bharati Mukherjee LITERATURE • 1994 • PAPER • 304 PAGES A daring novel of ideas, travel and history. Mukherjee interweaves the story of a modern American researcher with the travels of her 17th-century ancestor who roamed through Mughal India. (IDA190, $15.00)
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)
In Exile from the Land of Snows, The Dalai Lama and Tibet Since the Chinese Occupation • John Avedon CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1994 • PAPER • 391 PAGES • COMING IN The lives of the Tibetan people at home and in exile since the Chinese takeover in 1950. Avedon (who accompanied the Dalai Lama on his first American tour) interviewed over 100 people in Dharamsala and Tibet for this new classic. After introductory sections on ancient Tibet and the Chinese occupation, Avedon tackles how the nation was thrust into the 20th century by the loss of its sovereignty. It's a masterful, passionate tribute to the people and culture of Tibet. It's also useful in understanding Nepal today. (TBT04, $16.95)
India Briefing, A Transformative Fifty Years • Marshall Bouton • Philip Oldenburg HISTORY • 2000 • PAPER • 336 PAGES A primer on the political issues facing modern India geared to intellectually curious travelers and researchers. (IDA204, $38.95)
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 Map • ITMB 2009 • MAP A double-sided shaded relief map of India at the excellent scale of 1:2,100,000, printed on tear and waterproof paper. With an index, it shows major roads, rivers, and locations of national parks. Two Sides. 27x40 inches. (IDA18, $12.95)
India Modern, Traditional Forms and Contemporary Design • Herbert J.M. Ypma ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1997 • PAPER • 240 PAGES This illustrated book examines the stylistic and thematic roots of modern Indian architecture, craft and design. It's a great resource for the design-minded traveler -- especially as it's also available in a pocket edition (IDA187). Both editions contain the same 109 color illustrations and insightful text. (IDA186, $29.95)
India Modern, Traditional Forms and Contemporary Design (Pocket Edition) • Herbert J.M. Ypma ART & ARCHITECTURE • 2000 • PAPER • 240 PAGES This illustrated pocket book examines the stylistic and thematic roots of modern Indian architecture, craft and design. It's a handy resource for the design-minded traveler, with 109 color illustrations and insightful accompanying text. Also available as a large-format paper edition (IDA186). (IDA187, $12.95)
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, Emerging Power • Stephen Philip Cohen HISTORY • 2002 • PAPER • 280 PAGES A critical assessment of India as a world power by a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Cohen looks especially at the relations between India and Pakistan and China, as well as the United States. (IDA263, $22.95)
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)
Indian Art • Vidya Dehejia ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1998 • PAPER • 448 PAGES A volume in Phaidon's excellent "Art and Ideas" series, this book considers the religious and intellectual contexts of three thousand years of Indian art and architecture. It's particularly commendable for its extensive coverage of modern art -- which gets short shift from many such surveys. This very readable book features 250 color illustrations. (IDA185, $29.95)
Indian Art, A Concise History • 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. Mostly black and white illustrations, with a few in color. (IDA16, $21.95)
Indian Balm, Travels Amongst Fakirs And Fire Warriors • Paul Hyland TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 2006 • PAPER • 320 PAGES Hylands perceptive, witty account of travels in Southern India from Madras to the Godavari delta in Andhra Pradesh, partly to make contact with his cousin, last of five generation of missionaries and traders along the river. Originally published in 1995. Hyland is a popular writer and poet based in Britain. (IDA287, $18.95)
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)
Indian Subcontinent Map • Nelles MAP A map of all of India as well as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and parts of Tibet, China and Burma, at a scale of 1:4,500,000. Two Sides. 20x31 inches. (IDA271, $13.95)
Indira • Katherine Frank BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 2002 • HARD COVER • 448 PAGES A controversial biography of Indira Nehru Gandhi, the wildly controversial prime minister of India who was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguard in 1984. Author Katherine Frank "complicates and enriches the picture [of Mrs. Gandhi] in fascinating ways," wrote Sunil Khilnani in his New Republic review. Frank, whose previous credits include biographies of Mary Kingsley and Emily Bronte, acquits herself admirably in the book's first half, which treats Indira's childhood and her relations with her father Jawaharlal, mother Kamala and husband Feroze; but she is less confident when detailing the events of Mrs. Gandhi's prime ministership (notably the Emergency of 1975-77 and Sanjay Gandhi's reputed misuses of power). It's this period of Indira's life, of course, that is rife with allegations and counter-allegations, not to mention huge potential to offend Mrs. Gandhi's surviving friends and relations. Enter Maneka Gandhi, Sanjay's widow (and the current Indian Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment), who filed and won a libel suit against the biography's British publishers in 2001. For all the book's failings, however, the fact remains that it's the only biography of Mrs. Gandhi currently in print in the U.S. -- and as such, a fine introduction to her life. (IDA199, $35.00)
The Inheritance of Loss • Kiran Desai LITERATURE • 2006 • PAPER • 336 PAGES Alternating between a once grand household in northern India and the life of the cook's son in New York, this novel by the marvelous and wise Desai skewers the aspirations and reality of both worlds. Happily, she immerses the reader in the particulars of place. Winner of the 2006 Man Booker Prize. (IDA303, $14.95)
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)
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)
Interpreter of Maladies • Jhumpa Lahiri LITERATURE • 1999 • PAPER • 160 PAGES The Pultizer Prize-winning debut by the young writer Jhumpa Lahiri. In these nine stories, Lahiri captures the experience of Indians and first-generation Indian-Americans as their marriages shift and fall apart and their families are threatened by miscarriages, infidelity, and the trials of assimilation. With offbeat humor, tenderness, and a feel for detail, Lahiri has created a memorable collection of honest, heartbreaking slices of life. (IDA243, $15.95)
Into Thin Air, A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster • Jon Krakauer EXPLORATION • 1997 • HARD COVER • 256 PAGES In this bestseller, climber and journalist Krakauer reconstructs a minute-by-minute account of what went wrong on the great mountain in 1996. He captures the immediacy of those few hours on Everest when disaster struck -- and the psychological complexity of surviving a tragedy. (HML08, $28.00)
Into Thin Air, A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster • Jon Krakauer EXPLORATION • 1999 • PAPER • 360 PAGES In this bestseller, climber and journalist Krakauer reconstructs a minute-by-minute account of what went wrong on the great mountain in 1996. He captures the immediacy of those few hours on Everest when disaster struck -- and the psychological complexity of surviving a tragedy. (HML13, $15.00)
An Introduction to Hinduism • Gavin D. Flood RELIGION • 1996 • PAPER • 359 PAGES A comprehensive, accessible overview of Hinduism, from the basic principles and tenets of the religion to modern variations and controversies, geared for an undergraduate audience, in the Cambridge University Press Introduction to Religion series. A religious studies scholar with a focu on South Asian traditions, particularly Kasmiri Saivism, Gavin D. Flood is professor and chair of religious studies at the University of Stirling. (IDA315, $30.00)
Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism • John Powers RELIGION • 2007 • PAPER • 591 PAGES A comprehensive study of the history and philosophy behind Tibetan Buddhism, suitable for the general reader. Powers (a professor of religion at Wright State University and a Tibetan Buddhist himself) clarifies the festivals, doctrines, schools and symbolism associated with the devotion, all within its historical and cultural context. Divided into four sections, it covers: the Indian origins of the religion; Tibetan religious history and culture; doctrines and practices; and the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. (TBT40, $22.95)
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)
Jewish Portraits, Indian Frames: Women's Narratives from a Diaspora of Hope • Jael Silliman CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 2003 • PAPER • 208 PAGES Jael Silliman directs attention to a lesser known Indian community--the Baghdadi Jews of Calcutta. Part of the Brandeis Series on Jewish Women, this account of the personal experiences of four Jewish Indian women, from those of Silliman's great grandmother to her own, is a scholarly yet sentimental portrait of women's lives. (IDA244, $22.95)
A Journey in Ladakh • Andrew Harvey TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 2000 • PAPER • 236 PAGES A well told account of a 1981 journey by a young English poet in search of ancient Buddhist traditions in remote Ladakh. It's a heartfelt record of a spiritual journey. With a new afterword, twenty years later. (HML15, $18.95)
K2, Triumph and Tragedy • Jim Curran EXPLORATION • 1997 • PAPER This is a tense account of disaster on the world's second highest mountain in 1986. The author was on the mountain when 13 climbers in 9 different expeditions died. (PKN05, $15.00)
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)
Khumbu Himal (Everest) Map • Nelles 1999 • MAP An excellent topographic map of the Mt. Everest hiking region at a scale of 1:50,000 with contour lines, color shading, popular routes and features. One Side. (NPL33, $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)
Kim • Rudyard Kipling LITERATURE • 1995 • HARD COVER • 304 PAGES • FAMILY 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 an orphan boy who, through happenstance, travels the Grand Trunk Road with the Tibetan Teshoo Lama. Magical. (IDA52, $21.00)
Kim • Rudyard Kipling LITERATURE • 2011 • PAPER • 432 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 an orphan boy who, through happenstance, travels the Grand Trunk Road. (IDA65, $9.00)
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)
Langtang, Gosainkund & Helambu, A Treker's Guide • Kev Reynolds GUIDEBOOK • 1996 • PAPER • 256 PAGES A compact guide to treks in this region just north of Kathmandu. With route maps, photographs and concise information on preparations, what to see and do. With an overview of Nepal and the region. (NPL30, $15.95)
Life and Death on Mt. Everest, Sherpas and Himalayan Mountaineering • Sherry B. Ortner CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 2001 • PAPER • 376 PAGES A vividly written, scholarly study of the relationship between the Sherpas and the mountaineers who come to "conquer" the Himalayas. Anthropologist Ortner dissects the collision of cultures and their perceptions and preconceptions of each other. For those who like a little theory with their history, it's an important look at mountaineering from the sherpa point of view by an academic who has lived and worked among them since the 1960s. (TBT33, $29.95)
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 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)
Lonely Planet South India & Kerala • Lonely Planet • Lonely Planet Publications GUIDEBOOK • 2011 • PAPER • 534 PAGES In Lonely Planet's hallmark style, this practical guide to South India features maps, a good overview of culture, history and nature and much nitty-gritty information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. With a section of color photos and 50 maps. (IDA188, $25.99)
Love and Longing in Bombay • Vikram Chandra LITERATURE • 1998 • PAPER • 272 PAGES Five transfixing stories in five different genres, united in setting and authorship by the contemporary wizard of the human condition, Vikram Chandra. (IDA216, $19.99)
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)
Maharanis, A Family Saga of Four Queens • Lucy Moore HISTORY • 2006 • PAPER • 368 PAGES Moore captures the passion, complexities and power of four influential women in this family saga covering the history of India from 1911 to Independence. Includes maps, family trees, black-and-white photographs and a glossary (IDA309, $16.00)
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)
Man-Eaters of Kumaon • Jim Corbett BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1993 • PAPER • 214 PAGES These are the memoirs of a turn-of-the-century hunter-turned-conservationist who was much loved in India. Corbett has a park named after him and this book will help you to understand why. It is intelligently written, respectful, and great fun -- an excellent portrait of the Indian hill stations of Uttarakhand. (HML12, $19.95)
Mantles of Merit: Chin Textiles from Myanmar, India and Bangladesh • David Fraser • Barbara Fraser ART & ARCHITECTURE • 2005 • HARD COVER An abundantly illustrated study of the textiles of the Chin peoples of southern and eastern Asia. With more than 600 color illustrations. (ASA46, $60.00)
Maximum City, Bombay Lost and Found • Suketu Mehta TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 2005 • PAPER • 528 PAGES The tale of the author who, after a 21-year sojourn in New York, returns to his native Bombay -- the biggest, fastest, richest city in India. (IDA252, $17.00)
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)
Memoirs of a Political Officer's Wife in Tibet, Sikkim, and Bhutan • Margaret D. Williamson BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1987 • PAPER • COMING IN Williamson, the wife of a British political officer stationed in Gangtok in the 1930s, captures the culture, society and flavor of the region in this wonderfully personal account. With black-and-white photographs by the author. (BHU05, $18.95)
Midnight's Children • Salman Rushdie LITERATURE • 2006 • PAPER • 533 PAGES • FAVORITE Salman Rushdie's greatest book is a madcap, comic, unrestrained novel that takes as its subject the birth of modern India. The narrator, born at the stroke of India's independence on August 15, 1947, is a proxy for the nation itself, and the history of his family is also the history of India. (IDA12, $16.00)
Mirrorwork, 50 Years of Indian Writing 1947-1997 • Salman Rushdie • Elizabeth West ANTHOLOGY • 1997 • PAPER • 554 PAGES This choice anthology -- published in celebration of 50 years of Independence -- includes both fiction and non-fiction by Jawaharlal Nehru, R.K. Narayan, Satyajit Ray, Amit Chaudhuri and Vikram Seth. Selected by Rushdie and Elizabeth West, the collection begins with begins with Nehru's Tryst with Independence, his most famous speech. (IDA293, $19.99)
Modern South Asia: History, Culture, Political Economy • Ayesha Jalal • Sugata Bose HISTORY • 2004 • PAPER • 253 PAGES A cogent, brief history of India from earliest times to the 1990s. Co-authored by a Pakistani and an Indian (professors of history at Tufts and at Harvard, respectively) the book is especially good on its coverage of the fractured post-Independence political landscape. Bose is a grandnephew of the renowned Indian freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose. Our friend, a doctoral candidate, directed us to this excellent history of the subcontinent. (IDA192, $37.95)
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)
Mr. Sampath, The Printer of Malgudi • R. K. Narayan LITERATURE • 1981 • PAPER • 220 PAGES A handsome edition of one of Narayan's funniest tales, which features Mr. Sampath, the equanimious printer of a failing local newspaper. When the paper folds, Mr. Sampath finds his editor a new job as a scriptwriter for the movies, and hilarious hijinks ensue. (IDA182, $12.00)
Mt. Everest • National Geographic 1998 • MAP A gloriously detailed, bird's-eye view of Everest by the cartographers at National Geographic, this 23 1/2 x 38 poster map shows the glaciers, valleys and peaks of the Mt. Everest region in beautiful shaded relief. The price includes shipping in a sturdy tube. One Side. 38x24 inches. (NPL36, $19.99)
Much Maligned Monsters: A History of European Reactions to Indian Art • Partha Mitter HISTORY • 1992 • PAPER • 376 PAGES Another fascinating chapter in the continuing study of the European world's fascination with the exoticism of non-Western civilizations. Mitter presents a history of Indian art and a parallel history of its fascinated European spectators, ranging from the early days of Asian exploration up through the twentieth century. (IDA285, $32.50)
The Mughal Empire • John F. Richards HISTORY • 1996 • PAPER • 320 PAGES An admirably concise, scholarly history of the Mughal Empire (1526-1720) from early conquests through expansion and decline. Organized chronologically, the book includes chapters on both Jahangir and his son, creator of the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan. A volume in the extensive New Cambridge History of India. (IDA210, $43.00)
Mughal India, Splendours of the Peacock Throne • Valerie Berinstain • Paul Bahn HISTORY • 1998 • PAPER • 159 PAGES A pocket-size encyclopedia of knowledge, this slim volume in the acclaimed "New Horizons" series presents the history, culture and splendor of the Mughal Dynasty. With hundreds of archival drawings and paintings, it provides great background to the architecture and Muslim heritage of the splendid courts of 16th-century India. (IDA50, $15.95)
My Land and My People, The Original Autobiography of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet • Dalai Lama BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 1997 • PAPER • 238 PAGES The Dalai Lama recounts his life and struggle for an independent Tibet. It's one of the most remarkable stories of our time, simply and compassionately told. (TBT22, $13.95)
The Namesake • Jhumpa Lahiri LITERATURE • 2004 • PAPER • 304 PAGES An intricate and beautifully told tale by the author of Interpreter of Maladies. Lahiri follows the Ganguli family -- Ashoke, Ashima, and their son Gogol, named after the Russian author -- as they leave Calcutta and settle in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Now a feature film directed by Mira Nair of "Salaam Bombay!" and "Monsoon Wedding." (IDA292, $14.95)
National Geographic India • Louise Nicholson GUIDEBOOK • 2010 • PAPER • 400 PAGES Veteran guidebook author Louise Nicholson teamed up with National Geographic photographers for this profusely illustrated travel guide, which also features maps, good overviews of culture, nature, and history, and practical travel information. (IDA208, $27.95)
Nepal Map • Nelles 2008 • MAP A convenient double-sided map of Nepal, Sikkim and parts of neighboring Bhutan and West Bengal at a scale of 1:500,000, with detailed physical relief, sites of interest, including Patan and Pokhara, and insets of Kathmandu City and Kathmandu Valley. Two Sides. 20x40 inches. (NPL01, $13.95)
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)
Of Tigers and Men • Richard Ives NATURAL HISTORY • 1997 • PAPER • 304 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE A haunting tale of a man's quest to encounter tigers in the wild, and to understand the meaning of the threat of the tiger's extinction. Ives visits the forests of India, Thailand, and Sumatra, and many of the "tiger-men" who have devoted their lives to saving tigers. His quest entails a growing realization that the tiger may be doomed. It is a beautifully written story, providing not only a sense of the life of tigers and those who care about them, but also describing an unusual and moving personal journey. (IDA30, $12.50)
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)
Photographic Guide to Birds of the Himalayas • 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)
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)
Princely Rajasthan, Rajput Places and Mansions • George Michell • Antonio Martinelli ART & ARCHITECTURE • 2004 • HARD COVER • 272 PAGES • COMING IN This handsomely illustrated book, with text by architect and historian George Mitchell, showcases royal palaces, palace hotels, museums and mansions throughout Rajasthan, nicely balancing interior and exterior views. Organized geographically, the book is an excellent overview of architecture and design. With introductory chapters on the history and significance of Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur and other cities throughout the 500-year-old principality. (IDA251, $65.00)
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 Ramayana, A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic • R. K. Narayan LITERATURE • 2006 • PAPER • 157 PAGES Novelist Narayan's translation of the adventures of the god Vishnu incarnated as Prince Rama, the great Hindu epic tale of heroism, love and fate. (IDA311, $15.00)
Religions of Tibet in Practice • Donald S. Lopez, Jr. RELIGION • 2007 • PAPER • 421 PAGES A collection of 36 essays and translated texts by scholars of Tibetan Buddhism, including selections on prayers, pilgrimages, death and ritual. It is a scholarly overview of the culture and religion of Tibet, organized thematically and accessible to the general reader. (TBT16, $28.95)
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)
The Root and the Flower • L.H. Myers • Penelope Fitzgerald LITERATURE • 2001 • PAPER • 639 PAGES A trilogy of historical novels about India in the time of the Mughals -- first published separately in the 1930s and now back in print as a single volume. Penelope Fitzgerald provided the introduction. (IDA191, $16.95)
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)
Ruby of Cochin, An Indian Jewish Woman Remembers • Ruby Daniel BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 2001 • PAPER • 211 PAGES This fascinating memoir by a Cochin-born Jewish woman (who emigrated to Israel in her seventies) recalls the many pleasures and complications of Jewish life in India. Not so long ago, the Cochin ghetto was a thriving, populous community, where Jews lived unremarkably, like any other caste. (IDA184, $28.95)
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)
Sacred Tibet • Philip Rawson ART & ARCHITECTURE • 1991 • PAPER • 96 PAGES • COMING IN A concise, illustrated survey of the Buddhist art of Tibet in its religious, social and cultural context. With 136 photographs and an excellent short explanation of religious iconography. (TBT18, $15.95)
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)
Sherpas, Reflections on Change in Himalayan Nepal • James Fisher CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 1990 • PAPER • 205 PAGES A study of Sherpa society and the change that mountaineering and trekking have brought, which combines the qualities of a memoir and anthropological study. Fisher, who participated in a 1964 expedition to build schools in the region, quotes extensively from interviews, letting the Sherpas speak for themselves. well chosen photographs document change in the region. Fisher concludes it was the airstrip that the team constructed which has had the greatest impact on tourism and, by extension, Sherpa society. (NPL13, $27.95)
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)
A Silence of Splendor • Indu Sundaresan LITERATURE • 2007 • PAPER • 256 PAGES Arriving in the west India state of Rudrakot where he hopes to find his idealistic brother, who went missing after joining the local struggle for independence from the British, wounded World War II army captain Sam Hawthorne finds his search complicated by his love for the daughter of a political agent. (IDA300, $15.00)
The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang • 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. Modern travelers will find the descriptions of Buddhist sites and shrines of much interest, including the original accounts of Dunhuang, Samarkand the now-obliterated Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan. With maps and photographs. (ASA31, $25.00)
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)
The Snow Leopard • Peter Matthiessen EXPLORATION • 2008 • PAPER • 368 PAGES • FAVORITE The most perceptive, acutely observed and personal of all his books, Matthiessen's account of a five-week journey through Nepal with George Schaller combines their quest for the magnificent cat with a moving introduction to Buddhism and the people and culture of the Himalayas. (NPL03, $16.00)
The Snow Lion and the Dragon, China, Tibet and the Dalai Lama • Melvyn C. Goldstein HISTORY • 1997 • PAPER • 130 PAGES A brief history of the relationship of China and Tibet in the 20th century. Goldstein, a professor of history and expert on the region, includes a call for the United States to take an active role in mediating a diplomatic solution to the conflict. (TBT23, $21.95)
So Close to Heaven, The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas • Barbara Crossette TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1996 • PAPER • 297 PAGES • FAVORITE A "New York Times" Asia correspondent writes of Bhutan and neighboring kingdoms of Ladakh and Sikkim in the Himalayas, strongholds of Tantric Buddhism in an increasingly homogenized world. It's part travelogue and part history -- a personal portrait of the region. (NPL04, $16.00)
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)
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 Southeast • Steve McCurry ART & ARCHITECTURE • 2001 • HARD COVER • 160 PAGES A remarkable portfolio of images taken in and around Afghanistan, Burma, India, Pakistan and other sites in South and Southeast Asia over a career in photojournalism spanning twenty years. The photographs, saturated with color, life and light, are beautiful. You can preview some of his striking photographs online at http://www.stevemccurry.com. (ASA34, $65.00)
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)
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)
Tibet Map • Gizi Map 2011 • MAP A detailed traveler's map of Tibet and surrounding regions at a scale of 1:2,000,000, including Kashgar, Delhi, Katmandu, Thimphu and portions of the Xinjiang. With an index on the reverse. Two Sides. 33x49 inches. (TBT17, $16.95)
Tibetan Buddhism from the Ground Up, A Practical Approach for Modern Life • B. Alan Wallace RELIGION • 1993 • PAPER • 214 PAGES A straightforward primer on the essentials of Buddhism as practiced in Tibet. The book is the result of a lecture series introducing the practice of Buddhism to the general public. (TBT19, $15.95)
The Tiger Ladies, A Memoir of Kashmir • Sudha Koul TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 2002 • PAPER • 224 PAGES A graceful account of coming-of-age in a cultured household in Srinigar, a world long since erased with the partition of Kashmir and ongoing struggles. Koul interweaves the story of her family -- and especially of its women -- with tales of gods and goddesses, myths and cultural history, paying plenty of attention to the pleasures of food, fine textiles, and the life of the mind. (IDA207, $19.00)
Touching My Father's Soul, A Sherpa's Journey to the Top of Everest • Jamling Tenzing Norgay • Broughton Coburn • Dalai Lama BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR • 2002 • PAPER • 316 PAGES A personal account of the business of Everest, the 1996 IMAX Expedition and, most significantly, of a son who is grappling with the legacy of a famous father. The son of the man who reached the summit of Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, Norgay has spent his entire life immersed in the culture, rituals and religion of the Sherpas. (NPL42, $15.99)
Train to Pakistan, A Novel • Khushwant Singh LITERATURE • 1990 • PAPER • 226 PAGES Originally published in 1956, Singh follows the fate of the Sikh, Muslim and Hindu inhabitants of the Punjab countyside in this novel set during the violent 1947 partition of the region between India and Pakistan. Born in 1915, the Delhi-based novelist has also written a two-volume history of the Sikhs. (IDA264, $14.95)
Travelers' Tales Nepal • Rajendra Khadka ANTHOLOGY • 1997 • PAPER • 400 PAGES • COMING IN This anthology of travel writing on Nepal features mostly modern stories by Peter Matthiessen, Jan Morris and other great writers, local and foreign. Covering festivals, art, mountain climbing and other diverse topics, it's an excellent introduction to the country. A chapter on travel in Nepal complements the collection. (NPL16, $17.95)
A Traveller's History of India • 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)
Travels on My Elephant • Mark Shand TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1998 • PAPER A compelling tale of an 800-mile journey across India on the back of a 30-year-old elephant named Tara, this enjoyable tale of adventure features vivid descriptions of the countryside and people. Illustrated with color photographs. (IDA08, $16.95)
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)
Trekking in the Everest Region • Jamie McGuinness GUIDEBOOK • 2009 • PAPER • 322 PAGES The fully revised fifth edition of this practical guide includes 27 detailed route maps, 52 village plans and trail descriptions, covering not only the classic treks but also the wild routes. With a Kathmandu city guide and overview of Nepal. (NPL31, $22.95)
Trekking Nepal, A Traveler's Guide • Stephen Bezruchka GUIDEBOOK • 2011 • PAPER • 448 PAGES A respected guide covering, in detail, route planning for trekkers, national parks, health, where to go and what to do in Nepal. With an overview of the geography, history, religion and culture of the region. Regularly revised, the guide has been around since 1976. Invaluable for its route descriptions, the book also includes good information on cross-cultural understanding. With 16 so-so maps, elevation profiles of major treks and 76 black-and-white photographs. (NPL10, $29.95)
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 Vintage Book of Modern Indian Literature • Amit Chaudhuri LITERATURE • 2003 • PAPER • 672 PAGES Unusually, this anthology includes both Indian writing in English and Indian writing in translation. "Modern" is defined as 1850 and on, which means Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee as well as Rushdie and Anita Desai. Edited by Amit Chaudhuri. (IDA218, $21.00)
The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes • Barbara J. Scot CULTURAL PORTRAIT • 2005 • PAPER • 288 PAGES A heartfelt portrait of the Nepalese people and culture, resulting from the author's year teaching in Nepal. An excellent memoirist, Scot combines personal observation, thoughtful commentary and warmth in this deceptively simple book. With black-and-white photographs, orientation maps and glossary. This revised edition includes an April 2004 epilogue by the author. (HML14, $16.95)
West Bengal State Map • MapLink MAP This detailed map of the Indian State of West Bengal, printed in India by the Survey of India, shows West Bengal and surroundings at a scale of 1:1,100,000. It's a rather old-fashioned map, handsome but not very sturdy, printed in 1971. One Side. 38x22 inches. (IDA156, $6.95)
The Wheel of Life, The Autobiography of a Western Buddhist • John Blofeld TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1988 • PAPER • 316 PAGES Blofeld's (1913-1987) enchanting account of Buddhist worlds now largely vanished, including his life and travels in China, Tibet, Mongolia, India and Burma. He describes the worlds of remote mountain monasteries, sacred chambers of lamas and yogis, and the everyday lives of ordinary people. Originally published in 1959. (HML76, $30.00)
Wild India, The Wildlife of India and Nepal • Guy Mountefort • Gerald Cubitt NATURAL HISTORY • 2008 • PAPER • 208 PAGES A colorful and informative introduction to the natural history of the region in a handsome, oversize volume with photography by Gerald Cubitt. After a long introductory section, it presents hundreds of extraordinary photographs of the wildlife and landscapes of the Himalayas, Indo-Ganges Plain and the Deccan. (IDA02, $29.95)
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)
Women in a Tribal Community, A Study of Arunachal Pradesh • 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)
The Wonder House • Justine Hardy LITERATURE • 2007 • HARD COVER • 386 PAGES A vivid a sensual novel revolving around Gracie Singh, a Yorkshirewoman who has been living on a houseboat on Nagin since the death of her Indian husband. (IDA302, $24.00)

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