India: A History. Revised and Updated [Paperback]

Fully revised with forty thousand new words that take the reader up to present-day India, John Keay’sIndia: A Historyspans five millennia in a sweeping narrative that tells the story of the peoples of the subcontinent, from their ancient beginnings in the valley of the Indus to the events in the region today. In charting the evolution of the rich tapestry of cultures, religions, and peoples that comprise the modern nations of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, Keay weaves together insights from a variety of scholarly fields to create a rich historical narrative. Wide-ranging and authoritative,India: A Historyis a compelling epic portrait of one of the world’s oldest and most richly diverse civilizations.

“Keay’s panoramic vision and multidisciplinary approach serves the function of all great historical writing. It illuminates the present.” —Thrity Umrigar, The Boston Globe

“A handsomely published book with over sixty wonderful relevant maps, charts, and tables, and a plethora of beautiful illustrations, many of them in color. . . . Keay deals well with India’s long and intricate history. . . . Keay’s treatment of early India is often sprinkled with his passionate eloquence, which is also evident in the rest of the book. . . . One of the best to be published in the field for some time and could be read to great advantage by students of Indian history and by those who enjoy history in general.” —Bawa Satinder Singh, The Journal of Asian Studies

“A superb one-volume history of a land that defies reduction into simple narrative . . . Without peer among general studies, a history that is intelligent, incisive, and eminently readable.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Ambitious . . . [Keay] carefully uncovers India’s prehistory—a great challenge given that the ancient Indians left no texts—and skillfully describes the evolls!