Seminal work on the history of Bombay. Backed up by marvellous, historic photographs. Needs more updating on recent history and the rapid spread of the suburbs. A "must read" for residents of this gargantuan, maddening, yet fascinating city

This book is written by an academic and it shows. It is a well-documented account of labour conditions during the construction of the main railways of India. Rail buffs may not find much in it; for instance, there is hardly anything about railroad operations. Good for anyone interested in the economic hstory of 19th-century India

This is a good reference book if you go to South Korea for business or do business with Koreans in your own country.If you would like a book with more information and references, than I would recommend the book Korean Etiquette & Ethics in Business by Boye Lafayette De Mente. This book goes indepth with the Korean national character, its tradition and the personal coonnections that are essential to Koreans.

A very interesting and important book. After reading it, we begin thinking about the Colonial Theater in a different way.This book analyses the interconnections between the Empire and India and the Indian's influences to the Rag. People who studies about these subjects MUST read this book.

The Indian subcontinent is inhabited by millions of people from different cultures and religions. Mahmud has written a concise introduction to the history if the Indian subcontinent. He tells a chronological story of the rise and fall of many states and empires. Mahmud chronicles the relationships between the various cultures and religions, the Hindus, Moslems and Europeans. While displaying the panorama of the interplay of religions and cultures he also tells about the actions and qualities of great individuals including Asoka, and Akbar the Great. Unfortunately, while Mahmud tells about the coming and going of conquering armies, he never tells the details why they came and went. Mahmud remains objective, never speaking ill of any of the Muslims, Hindus or Europeans. To help make the complex story clearer, Mahmud includes maps chronological charts and photographs.

I first visited Indonesia in 1984 and fell in love with Bali. I have since returned each year to the "Island of the Gods" from where I have been exploring the rest of the Indonesian Archipelago, and since 1991, I share my time equally between Bali and Winchester, Massachusetts. Of course, I am always eager to know more about all aspects of Balinese life. Although there is a plethora of books about Bali dealing with its wonderful culture and its arts, it is not the case about its particular history. After a while, it became obvious to me that this important missing part of the puzzle was essential to further my understanding of the complex character of the Balinese. The history of Bali is clouded in the mist of time, and reliable informations on the subject tend to be scarce and are not easily available. Historical documents, written in old Balinese language are obviously not accessible to a non-specialist Westerner such I myself. Because of the special relationship between the Netherlands and Indonesia, there exist numerous documents written in Dutch, covering the last few centuries. However, as with most people, the Dutch language is not my forte.

Therefore, it was a "revelation" to come across Robinson's book, "The Dark Side of Bali". The book covers in details the historical and political events in Bali, from the end of 19th Century until the aftermath of the 1965 coup d'etat. It relates the Balinese experience under the Dutch colonial domination, during the National Revolution, 1945 - 1949, the Sukarno era, 1950 - 1965, and the military coup of 1965 and its aftermath. It reveals another face of Bali, the hidden face of Paradise. It is a scholarly book based on Dutch and Indonesian sources. It reads well, and contains an impressive number of references. Geoffrey Robinson, Assistant Professor of History at the University of California, Los Angeles, is obviously an expert on the subject, as demonstrated by this in-depth analysis of the social and economic roots of the deep divisions that have, since colonial times, penetrated and defined the Balinese society. Robinson shows how in the 1920's, the Dutch restored and in some cases created a "traditional" Bali to counter a perceived nationalistic threat. This was achieved by resurrecting and maintaining the old ruling royal families as guarantors of these traditions. The Japanese occupation during WWII, relying mostly on the sudras (lower cast) upset the exiting social order, and explained the social problems which existed until the Sukarto period, and eventually led to the horrific massacred of 1965, and the ascend of General Suharto to power. Robinson presents a picture of Bali quite unlike the idyllic, peaceful island promoted by the tourist industry, but a society influenced by the World's politics and driven by class and ideological conflicts. This book surely belongs in the library of anyone interested in Indonesia in general and Bali in particular.

Imam Ahmad Raza Khan of Bareilly, India (d.1921) was the greatest traditional Islamic scholar and Sufi saint of the 14th Islamic century (19th/20th century CE. This was the verdict of the Sunni, mainstream Muslims, in the Indian Subcontinent and of many Arabic scholars of the Middle East as well and he was hailed as the "mujaddid" [reviver] of the 14th Islamic century in his lifetime.

Born in 1856 in Bareilly, a large town in India, into an affluent family of traditional Islamic scholars--his grandfather was a noted scholar himself--Imam Ahmad Raza Khan(or "Ala Hazrat" as he is known--this translates as His Most High Presence and is a measure of the great esteem in which he is held by the Subcontinent's 250 million Muslims)showed an astonishing aptitude for learning at a very young age and began his traditional religious education at 3 years of age. By the time he was 14 he had mastered many of the traditional Islamic sciences and was giving fatwas!

What made him different from others of his age was 1) his genius 2) his interest and mastery in non-religious sciences as well, such as mathematics and astronomy 3) at a time when the trend was towards a reformation of Islam based on modern Western models, he vigorously defended the mainstream, moderate, voice of Sunni Sufi Islam from the attacks of the reformers, especially the Wahabbis 4) his devotion to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) 5) the volume of his writings. He has authored nearly a 1000 books and treatises. His magnus opus, Fatawaa al Rizviyya, is 12 volumes of 1000 pages each!

Himself a noted Sufi Shaykh of the Qadiri Order of Sufis he was adamant in defending the Sufis from the attacks of the neo-Kharijite Wahabbis.

He is best-known for the following

1) His fatwas--12 volumes! 2) His Urdu translation of the Qur'an 3) His divan of poetry in praise of the Holy Prophet written in Urdu and Persian 4) His refutation of the Wahabbi movement

This excellent book by Usha Sanyal gives the english speaking world it's first real in depth study of this important Muslim figure and is therefore of great importance. It looks at all the areas of his life mentioned above as well as his attitude towards the British colonists and how he is viewed by his opponents and supporters. The book is well balanced and refutes many of the slanders attached to this great scholar and sufi. A must read.

Michael Leifer's Dictionary of the Modern Politics of South-East Asia is one of those reference books treasured by those with a broad professional interest in the subject. It's concise, accurate, nicely cross-referenced and has a useful further reading list.

All of which make it an even greater disappointment that Leifer and his publisher have not seen fit to publish a revised edition to encompass developments post-July 1997

If your interest in embroidery extends to the anthropolgy of women's work, then this book is one you should read. It's not as accessible as "Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years" but well worth the read. This book is about the contemporary conditions under which embroiderers work in India.