Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In a style that blends encyclopedic knowledge with a travel narrative, Wood (In Search of the Trojan War) presents the history of a country which, he claims, is itself "a tale of incredible drama, of great inventions and phenomenal creativity, and of the biggest ideas." Combining ancient and recent history with archaeology, anthropology, religion and linguistic studies, Wood provides a thorough view of India's journey to the present. Woods has a long personal history with the country and he uses it to great effect, combining first person accounts (such as hunting down an original manuscript of the ancient Rig-Veda text in a Calcutta library and stopping for tea at the "bazaar of storytellers") with discursive accounts of Tamil literature, the analysis of Hindu legends and subtle historical interpretation. As in the past, India's greatest strength, Wood claims, will be to "adapt and change, to use the gifts of history and to accept its wounds, but somehow, magically, to always be India." Filled with photographs and artwork, this is an excellent primer for anyone wishing to know about the evolution of this growing world power. (Nov.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
Review by Library Journal Review
A companion volume to a BBC documentary series coming to PBS in 2008, this "traveler's eye view" of Indian history provides an excellent introduction to the subject. Author and TV presenter Wood (In Search of England: Journeys into the English Past), a frequent visitor to the subcontinent, traverses "tens of thousands of miles and tens of thousands of years." In his account, discoveries of recent years, e.g., the excavations in Mehrgarh, Pakistan, of a site dating back to 7000 B.C.E., shed new light on Indian history. Artifacts found in Turkmenistan are similar to those used in Vedic rites; a recently uncovered inscription in Afghanistan throws new light on the Kushan kings. The M130 gene of early man is present in the DNA of an entire village in southern India. The book covers most of the major empires (including the Dravidian empires of southern India) and emperors, as well as founders of world religions such as the Buddha. A highly enjoyable book on Indian history, this is recommended for general audiences.-Ravi Shenoy, Naperville P.L., IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
