India Books

This is an autobiography of John Masters. Most of it takes place in India. You are taken on a journey through his eyes, thoughts, and emotions as he takes you on his personal journey through his military life. It's very enlightening and entertaining. It almost makes one want to jump in a time machine and go back to that time and enlist so you could experience it all yourself first hand. He makes you feel like your almost there sometimes. It's living history, the kind you don't have a chance to aquaint yourself with in this day of super heroes and special effects. He also adds in his brand of humor which makes all the better. A good book worth reading.

This is the story of a young officer coming into age in the dying days of the British Raj. John Masters writes with a wit and detachment that endears him to all those interested in "raj" era books. More attractive is his detailed account of life in a Gurkha regiment with a full account of the customs of the Gurkhas, their strengths(considerable as they were) and their weaknesses.
The spit and polish of the old British Indian army are brought out in full measure and so are the martial attributes of the Afghans against whom his regiment was deployed. He is full of praise for their tactical ingenuity and their harsh lifestyle against whom he was pitted so many times.
All in all I rate this book a classic and a must for any student of military history.

A wonderful account of life in a Ghurka regiment, personal and lots of attention to detail, the reader is drawn to the authors authentic and colorful approach. I highly recommend this, i only wish i had known James Masters! after reading this, find a copy of the sequel" The Road Past Mandalay". wondeful stuff, about a little covered theater of WW2. In my youth had an opportunity to train with a Ghurka unit, they are all James Masters said they are and then some!

Dr. Julie saved my job! I can't say enough about the career power of writing effectively! You must buy this book!!!

"I am making all my staff read the sales & marketing section of Business Writing That Counts! immediately! Over the years I have employed many of the sales writing tactics and philosophies outlined by Jonathan in this book, but have never seen such a systemic and easily applied approach all in one place. The theory and process he details is exceptionally useful for all forms of persuasive writing. I am looking forward to applying some of Jonathan's techniques in my future proposals."

No matter what type of writing you do, Dr. Julie has the strategies to show you how to get started, get organized and get writing. Her book has a bright and breezy approach as well as being practical and powerful. Her three step system has made my writing more focused and clearer, critical to the success of my writing service. Companies who want to survive over the next few years need to buy themselves and all of their employees a copy! An invaluable and essential tool for anyone and everyone who needs to write.

This is an exelent book. Great for all ages. If you are looking for some luaghs or just fun stories this is the book for you. Even if your not looking for either just read a chapter or two and you will be hooked on the adventure of this young boy at bording school. His adventures are great.

This is an exelent book. Great for all ages. If you are looking for some luaghs or just fun stories this is the book for you. Even if your not looking for either just read a chapter or two and you will be hooked on the adventure of this young boy at bording school. His adventures are great.

Amazingly funny stories of growing up in a British Borading School in the Himalayas in the 1950s. I found the characters wonderful, the stories extremely well written, and the plots very entertaining. They reminded me of my own time at a borading school in England in the 60s. A delight. Especially good reading if you're feeling under the weather. Switch off the T.V. and curl up with Capers!

I have been meaning to write a review of this particular book for a few years now. This book was recommended by a friend. At first I was first skeptical if I would like the book. You see the monsoons bring mixed feelings for me. Growing up in India, you either like the monsoons, or you learn to live with it. I belonged to the second category, and was never fond of the monsoons, because it meant wading through water logged streets, and the general disruption that accompanied the monsoon season. But, what I liked about the monsoons was an opportunity to sit at home and drink endless cups of tea, and eat hot samosas and pakoras.
So, it was with some misgivings that I started reading the book, and I was hooked within the first few pages. Alexander Frater does an excellent job of explaining all about the monsoons, and the methodical way in which the weather department in India follows the path of the monsoon. Some of them sound almost loving when the track the progress of the monsoon that starts from the South and travels up North, hits the Himalayas, and retreats back via the South, and showers the Southern state of Tamil Nadu. Chirapunjee in North Eastern India is supposed to receive the heaviest rainfall in the world, a fact that many school children in India will recite dutifully when questioned. But, due to the changing weather and climate conditions the rains have not been heavy of late in this area.

Frater tracks the journey of the monsoon faithfully, and tries to race ahead of the monsoon's next port of calling. Frater literally chases the monsoon, and presents an absorbing, and interesting account of his mission. He spends a couple of months doing this, and travels all over in India, including Chirapunjee. Frater has an amazing eye for detail, and is able to capture the naunces of interacting with the Indian bureaucrats, and others that he interacted while chasing the monsoon.

This is one of the best written books about an imporatant and integral part of India, the monsoons, upon which so many people depend. A good monsoon season spells bountfiful harvest, and a bad monsoon spells disaster. The monsoons still control the fortunes of Indian economy, and it is amazing that no one before Frater thought about writing a book on this subject.

I stumbled across this book at the 75% off sale at my university's bookstore; being an Indiophile I purchased it. This book has been hiking, camping & airborne with me. Frater's style is inviting and enveloping. While reading I slip beyond the words to that magical point in which my eyes no longer 'read' and I am there with Frater traveling up the coast of India to meet the rushing Monsoon at its next arrival.
If you are a lover of travelogues I highly recommend this book to you.

I never liked India. Too much confusion, too much humanity. I read this book and now I have an unending desire to visit India; top to bottom. Not during Monsoon, not during the dry season, but sometime in between. Mr. Frater delivers an unblinking look at the beauty and inspiration which lies beneath the clutter and dreck. Damn the weather, look at what's there. I envy you the experience of the first read.

If you've found it difficult to understand the ancient teachings of India, Children of Immortal Bliss is for you. Hourihan's explanation of Vedanta, the mysticism of ancient India, develops ideas in easily understood terms.

Mysticism claims universality. Hourihan compares the teachings of outstanding mystics and finds parallel thoughts expressed in different terms. These thoughts have become the underlying foundation of every religion.

The teachings are ancient and the understanding thorough. Hourihan's elucidation of Vedanta, while especially designed for the Western mind, also and offers further understanding for those already familiar with Indian mysticism.

In his wonderful book, Children of Immortal Bliss, the late Paul Hourihan provides readers with an easy-to-understand introduction to fundamental truths of Vedanta, one of the six main schools of philosophy in Hinduism. Hourihan states the book provides readers, "a new perspective of our true identity based on the ancient Vedanta philosophy of India." Hourihan presents support for the universality of all religious truth and compares the spiritual traditions of such of philosophers as Lao Tzu, Meister Eckhart, Plotinus and mystical Sufism. Hourihan suggests that the purpose of life is to realize the divinity of humanity and the book concisely describes the path to escape from the prison of ignorance into enlightened consciousness. Children of Immortal Bliss is a treasure readers are sure to keep on their bookshelves and refer to again and again. I highly recommend this jewel for the spiritually inspired reader.

Once in a great while, a book comes along that contains such essential concepts that it strikes a universal chord and reveals what is true and sacred. Children of Immortal Bliss is such a book. It explores the core tenets of Vedanta (one of the six schools of Hinduism) from a philosophical and practical standpoint. Since its concepts are at the heart of every religion's mystical roots, the reader will recognize ideas that he or she has heard before, but it's the way the author frames them that makes them so accessible.


Written by Paul Hourihan (and edited by his wife, Anna), the book was transcribed from lecture notes and tapes of dozens of courses that he delivered over a fifteen-year period. Hourihan, an avid scholar of the various spiritual traditions and great mystics such as Christ, Buddha and Ramakrishna and a traveler on the spiritual path himself, had intended to publish his work, but was stopped short by a degenerative illness. After his death, his wife continued his work, recasting his course materials into a book. She does so with a light and discerning touch because Hourihan's voice comes through with such clarity that one feels that he is there to guide one personally, like a wise teacher whose presence illuminates an ocean of self-insight.


Children of Immortal Bliss invites the reader to dip her toe into that ocean and wade in a little at a time, stripping off the garments of indoctrination as she feels comfortable, shedding the unnecessary distractions and diversions of modern life and finally, becoming one with that vast sea that contains everything and nothing. At no point in the book does Hourihan insist that one must renounce the world to claim one's spiritual inheritance, rather he advises that by paring down the non-essentials, one can live in the world, yet not be constrained by it. As such, this is a practical spirituality that makes the ancient wisdom of the Vedic sages practicable in modern times.


In the final chapter of the book, Hourihan emphasizes the universality of Vedanta and traces expressions of its ideas through great mystics from Plotinus to Lao Tzu, from Meister Eckhart to the Sufis. Of all the sections in the book, this is my favorite because Hourihan shows us how the truth has always been accessible for those of us who have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, but has been cloaked by our tendency to take things literally and our lack of understanding of the spirit of the times and the mystic's cultural milieu.


This is a book that has within it a clear call to spiritual seekers everywhere to take up the path and discover the truth of our existence. Amidst the plethora of books on spirituality, it is a rare and compelling find. Children of Immortal Bliss is a consummate companion for the journey within--a book to be treasured, dog-eared, read and re-read and is the perfect size to tuck into a purse or briefcase.

Reviewed by Laura Ramirez
Author of Keepers Of The Children

A superlative volume showing in detail and with historic drawings, maps, and photos, as well modern illustrations and reconstructions the unsurpassed achievements of the Mughal in residential garden architecture. The riverbanks of the Yamuna River as it passes through Agra was where this artistic impulse achieved culmination in the seventeenth century garden residences and tombs sponsored by the nobles and rulers of the Mughal state and built by the craftsmen of India. One of the signal contributions of this book is the inclusion of the stories of the architects, carpenters, and masons who left their signatures and marks on the individual elements of the overall project. The residential and tomb gardens which stretched along the river and are now mostly gone gave way at midpoint to the grandest residence of all, the Red Fort which remains today the second greatest landmark of Agra. And at the southern end of the development stands today the greatest tomb ever built, one of the architectural wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal. The work is so complete that it documents not only the construction efforts but also the tourism that followed and the depth to which the Taj Mahal became embedded in the consciousness of the world. The culmination of three decades of meticulous research this substantial volume tells an engrossing story of the planning, development, and eventual decline of a unique garden city. It more than fulfills the adjective "complete" and should be in the library of anyone fascinated by the Taj Mahal, not just historians and architects. A truly extraordinary accomplishment.

Having read a number of books about the Taj Mahal, including the recently published one by the Prestons, I would bet good money that if given a copy of Ebba Koch's book to preview, those truly interested in India's national treasure will buy THE COMPLETE TAJ MAHAL, even if they have to skip lattes or lunches to afford it, even if they have already done so to afford Okada/Joshi/Nou's Taj Mahal with its stunning photography.

One reason, of course, is that TCTM is so complete. To others' overviews of the material covered, I would add only that Koch does not neglect the human element. For example, in eight introductory pages of text, Koch provides excellent background information about Shah Jahan, his wife and his predecessors; later, she details Jahan's passion for building. Koch also includes interesting information about the artisans, craftsmen and laborers who did the actual work as well as details about others associated with the Taj-related structures/gardens of Agra. Further humanizing the story of this garden city are colorful Mughal paintings of its nobility and rulers.

Another aspect of TCTM that makes it a must-have are the many photographs of sites, structures and architectural ornamentation, photographs "The Hindu" declared "often brilliant" as well as "judiciously chosen." Just how apt these descriptions are is suggested by the following: There were only seven pages of O/J/Nou's photographic extravaganza of the Taj complex that I photocopied to tuck into Koch's book, and of them, five were additional close-ups of floral inlays and calligraphy. Adding to the appeal of TCTM is that the camera goes beyond the splendors of the Taj complex. Of special interest to those who have been in Agra, for instance, will be the realistic photographs of the Taj Mahal peeking above the "agglomeration of haphazard constructions" that have "almost obliterated" its bazaar and caravanserai. Shown, too, are its architectural precedents as well as artisan workshops and quarries. Though most of the photographs in this book are in color, even those in black and white are revealing.

Also making TCTM next to impossible to resist are the "company drawings," most of which are in color as well. Forerunners of postcards, they were "made by local artists in the early days of the Raj" for European tourists, who bought them "to illustrate their journals." Works of art in themselves, often the drawings are so detailed that they could easily be photographs. But they do not serve as mere eye candy: many are of Taj-related structures that no longer exist or have been stripped of all that made them magnificent; some are juxtaposed with recent photographs to show the toll time has taken on the brilliance of color and intricacy of design. Evocative paintings and watercolors of the Taj Mahal by foreign artists are included as well.

What may ultimately sell people on TCTM, however, is that it is a book they will actually enjoy reading much if not all of. Not only is Koch's narrative writing fluid and easy-to-digest. Even her descriptions of architecture will be relatively easy for laymen to understand, provided that they are willling to refer to the glossary of terms and look at the many visual aids, including Barraud's "precise and clear" line drawings, that accompany the text. So well done is this book, in fact, that as "The Hindu" noted, even "information which is more technical and not at face value so interesting to general readers will, in fact, be found by them to be equally absorbing." (All I would personally exclude from this are the two pages of precise measurements of the Taj complex.)

To another reviewer's assertion that TCTM is a book that "should be in the library of anyone fascinated by the Taj Mahal, not just historians and architects," I add a thousand "Amen's." --B. Evans, 4/14/07

Having visited the Taj Mahal, I wanted to have an authoritative book on the history behind its construction and this book is not only an excellent souce, but also a very good photographic record of this amazing Wonder of the World!

This book is a 'must read' for any person who wants to develop accurate insight into Sikh politics of identity. Harjot Oberoi traces the origins of evolving "Sikh" identity giving indisputable historical evidence. This is a very well researched work providing fooproof academic references. The book clearly demonstrates the very idea of separate "Sikh" identity is preposterous, largely derived out of colonial mischief to create schism in collective identity of non-Muslim Punjabis. The important players in this colonial mischief were Tat Khalsa , Singh Sabha and a talented British colonial administrator Macaullife. The reinvention of Sikhism along the lines of an episcopal Greeco-Roman cult was a deliberate ploy of the colonialists to create further fragemtation in the collective Punjabi psyche. The ready takers of this theory was generation of British taught "Sikhs" , who had a political agenda of their own. The tragedy today is that what is inaccurately knows as "Sikh" discourse is largely dictated by a fascist vociferous minority of Singh Sabha variety of neo-Sikhs. This fascist minority of neo-Sikhs uses aggressive proaganda and even threats of violence to scare away all objective and neutral scrutiny of its politically motivated interpretation of Sikh scriptures and historical narrative. The planks of this fascist and violent Singh Sabha variety of neo-Sikh minority are ironically drawn from a Marxist grand narrative about the evolution of Indic spiritual and social traditions.

Harjot Oberoi has had to face unnecessary persecution and threats of violence from this fascist neo-Sikh minority which wants to gag all voices that question its politically motivated supremacist expropriation of the entire of Sikh tradition.

Scholars like Harjot Oberoi are few and far between when it comes to the world of Sikh Studies. His work needs to be commended and given full recognition, especially given the fact he is a possible target of violence from the very same fascist neo-Sikh minority which also decorates the pictures of dreaded terrorists and extermists in the Sikh temples in the West.

This book should be a compulsory reading in all of the university curricula dealing with Sikh studies. This book also provides insightful clues about the problem of worldwide ethno-religious terrorism. Harjot Oberoi demarcates the typologies and taxonomies of the "Sikh" politics of identity of late 19th and early 20th centuries which later led to "Sikh" terrorists commit heinous and dastardly murders in Punjab in 1980s. Harjot Oberoi lays bare the ideological provenance of this malevolent movement that almost caused another holocaust in Punjab after the one in 1947.

I ordered Oberoi's book and read the nearly 500 page account in two straight days. It was so compelling a narrative for someone who grew up in Punjab and grappled with the issues of amorphous identities. The phase in Punjab where "Sikh" terrorists separated "Hindus" from buses and mowed them down was the ultimate (and painful) end-point of the Singh Sabha movement that Oberoi documents. This is because a hundred and fifty years ago it is unlikely that the religious labels in quotes above could be adequately defined and even now, despite everything, religious identities in Punjab remain amorphous.

Oberoi documents how a colonial elite in the late 19th and early 20th century carved out a Sikh identity by negating the spectrum of lived religious experiences for the common people for which the distinctions between "Sikh" and "Hindu" were not so easy to define. In other words, religion did not have the separative meaning as it did to the Europeans who provided the framework for this re-imaging. Yet, under pressure from social changes as well as tacit encouragement by the colonial state (particularly the British Army that needed the "Martial Race"), the Singh Sabha and Tat Khalsa managed to create a new religion moulded on the lines of a Semitic faith.

The real tragedy, of course, is how so many people who call themselves Sikhs today have internalized this engineering of their panth as a narrow closed "religion" -- intolerant of its inherent diversity and amorphousness that characterized it as an Indic tradition -- so much so that Oberoi was forced to leave the Sikh studies chair at UBC for this work. These neo-Sikhs, as Oberoi calls them, guard this engineered identity (what I would even call a "Christianized Sikhism") as if it is their tradition, while it is this precise attachment to temporal identity that had led Guru Nanak to say -- I am neither Hindu nor Turk. And He would now have to add, nor Sikh.

Harjot Oberoi, along with several other scholars of Sikh studies - including W.H. McLeod, Pashaura Singh, and Gurinder Singh Mann - has been the recipient of much unfair criticism for authoring scholarship that dares to run counter to Sikh tradition.

Sikhs desperately need to realize that scholarship is of little value unless it is free to disagree with tradition.

The hostility with which scholars of Sikh studies have been greeted every time they deviate from tradition threatens to repel scholars of repute from the area of Sikh studies. Sadly, such a trend is already visible today.

Criticism of scholars must be aimed at assessing rather than silencing.

Oberoi is perhaps the most articulate Sikh scholar of Sikh studies to emerge in recent times and deserves to be read.

In this book, Oberoi makes a potent case for the idea that the boundary between Sikhism and Hinduism was fortified - and in some cases manufactured - during the Singh Sabha period (late 1800s to early 1900s).

I didnt even particualry like indian cuisine when this was given as a gift to me given my exposure to non-descript marsalas and confused blends of spices from the south. this book was originally part of a gift pack with all the spices named in it--amchoor, fenugreek, yellow mustard seeds, cardamom pods, black sesame seeds, panchforan, etc. They are easy enough to obtain now if you live near an indian grocery. They make a good case for grinding your own spices and, if you have a few extra hands ot help, you will never go back. The recipies are mostly northern indian, more grilled meats, lively vegatable casseroles, and a variety of starches that are exceptionally good. the only restaurant i have seen similar recipes in is the top rated Zaika in london. Recipes for Trout, lamb, chicken, cauliflower, green breans, are all fabulous.

Having travelled to India on four occasions and frequenting a large variety of Indian restauraunts here in the States, I feel on fairly solid ground when I say that the recipes and techniques described in these pages will yield authentic Indian cuisine. This book is certainly worth owning if you want to produce your own Indian food.

Several years ago I saw this advertized in a PBS catalogue. I received this as a gift and have always been grateful. In just 128 pages, one can learn a great deal about India, it's foods and its aromatic spices. My life has not been the same. I love cardamon, drinK lassi's and just wander through the pages frequently for inspiration. I made Chai (spiced milk tea) before it was the rage.In fact, I just came back from India, and this is the first thing I picked up to read. My book came with a kit of spices. I understand that the company went out of business. Sad, for the kit was a real treat and one I would give for gifts if it were still around. If you like to cook and like spices, then this is one for you.

If you own just one curry cookbook, this should be that book! Recipes are well explained, easy to follow, and each is accompanied with a detailed color photograph. I am a novice curry "chef" and after scouring the local public libraries for comprehensive but easy-to-follow curry cookbooks, I found this one at Amazon and now look no further! From basic to more complex, each recipe brings a bit of "fire and spice" to the kitchen, and palate. This is a book curry lovers should not be without!

I had this book on my Amazon wishlist and got it for Christmas. I couldn't be more pleased. I made Kashmiri Chicken & Potatos with Saffron Rice last night and it was delicious! The recipes are very easy to follow. Don't let this book fool you, not only are there tons of curry recipes, but rice bread & veggie recipies as well. This book also shows you how to make your own curry pastes and powders as well as an "about" section for the exotic and even not so exotic ingredients you'll be using. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone who is a connoisseur of far eastern cuisine.

If you are looking for an easy to use authentic curry cookbook, then do not hesitate to buy this one.

This is my favorite collection of Indian cooking. The recipes cover a wide variety of foods, including soups, appetizers, rice, veggie dishes, and meat dishes. I particularly love the rice and cauliflower dishes. My friends are always impressed when I make a feast of Indian food from this cook book. The pictures are great too. The only criticism I have is that the recipes are written in the metric system.

If you want to cook curry like you'd get in a UK curry house, this is the book you need. There are no substitutes. A lot of curry authors give you recipes their Auntie used. This is not what you get in a restaurant. This book teaches you how to make a bucketfull of the curry 'gravy' they use in most restaurants, and how to adapt it to your favourite curry.

In no time you'll be making curries in 30mins that beat the ones you love from your local curry house.

One word of advice, make sure you put the lid firmly on the blender when liquidising curry sauce.

Curries made simple. Finally! This is a wonderful representation of the most popular curries along with sauces, starters and deserts.

This book is full of mouthwatering photos which is the only way you can decide which of the hundreds of recipes to choose from.

A basic for every kitchen.