India

Pithy, admirable ... a most refreshing resumé The Times Literary Supplement

India has had many histories. To pilgrims from ancient China, it was the birthplace of the Buddha; to Alexander the Great it was a land of clever naked philosophers and indomitable, elephantine armies. At the height of the Mughal empire, India boasted nearly a quarter of the world economy, and even under colonial rule, it was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. Today, it is the resurgent home to one sixth of the global population.

Andrew Robinson incisively distils India's many incarnations, from the remarkably advanced cities of the early Indus Valley to the world's largest democracy. Anyone curious about its past, present, or future will find this a fascinating introduction.