India is the largest democracy in the world: about a fifth of the world's population live in this colorful, exuberant land. From the earliest times India has been a cradle of civilization — the Indus Valley was the world's largest known urbanized Bronze Age civilization. India was the crossroads of Asia, with close links to both the West and the East. As such it was a temptation to would-be conquerors: Alexander the Great, the Moghuls, the British Empire. This melting pot of a country is host to dozens of ethnic types, dialects, and languages.

Yet for all its vitality, vibrancy and worldliness, there is a strong current of spirituality in India: two of the world's great religions — Hinduism and Buddhism — started here; Muslims have lived in India in greater numbers than elsewhere, and other religions such as Sikhism and Jainism have their roots here. Over a million Hindus make the pilgrimage to Varanesi to bathe in the holy waters of the Ganges each year.

India has a long history, but it does not look to the past. It has reshaped and renewed itself after years of domination into a modern, free country with a booming economy.

After a careful examination of India's history and culture, its importance to world history, and its current place in world politics in an introductory essay, the book is split into geographical sections.

From the high mountains of the Himalayas in the north to the sandy beaches of Goa and Kerala in the south; from the dusty desert of Rajasthan to the teeming Ganges delta, India is a fascinating and beautiful country. It deserves closer examination and John Gallagher has provided the reader with an excellent introduction.