This book was good enough to provide me with lots of information about living in- South Korea. Although I mostly used the information for my report, it also provided me with a new intrest in South Korea. This book gave me first-hand information about South Korea. I enjoyed it, certainlly not the best..but pretty good. ( This book does not include many statistics)

I am a scuba diver who has a passionate to any kind of marine life. This book is not a complete reference, however, if you need to know a specific fish's name you found in Indonesia and other area nearby then this is the book you must have.

John Beames was not a major historical figure, but this book should appeal to anybody who has an interest in British India. Beames describes his early life as the son of a minister in England and his college days at Haileybury, as part of the last generation of young men to pass through the East India Company's private college. The majority of the book is taken up with his career in the Indian Civil Service between 1858 and 1893. Beames is notable for his clean command of the english language - which was considered exceptional for the times he was writing in - hardly a phrase of purple prose in sight. He was also notable because he was considered to be an ordinary man, one of the civil servants who did their duty very well and to the best of their ability, contributed to history, but yet are not remember as many of the Viceroys India who had far shorter careers, often far less distinguished.

One of the historical gems in the book is Beames' description of Calcutta. For him it was womderful city of palaces and parks, of high society, young woman keen on romance, and young men with too much leisure on their hands. These descriptions present such a contrast to the images of Calcutta today.

In his descriptions of Indians and Anglo-Idnains Beames is perhaps a perfect man of his times in that he often displays the usual prejudices of the British in India. At the same time, however, he was not overtly racist and would acknowledge that individuals should be judged as individuals. In this respect some of the most entretaining passges are reserved for those of his english colleagues in Indian who he considered to be incompetent fools despite their often high standing in that society.

A wonderful book for anybody who wants an insight into those times.

Lt Gen Gul Hasan write very candidly about his last command - the Pakistan Army. The took over as its Commander-in-Chief when it was facing its darkest hout -- a defeat in war with India in East Pakistan which led to the creation of Bangladesh. His account of his resignation on a matter of principle with ZA Bhutto is enlightening. One missing thing in the book is how General Hassan feels about the Pakistan Army of the present day. Surely he must have maintained contacts with his regiment - Probyn's Horse. All in all, a good book and provides a good insight into the role of the military in politics in Pakistan.

ABOUT THE AURTER AND REVIEW THE BOOK ALSO COMMENT

This is essential reading for anybody who wants to know why Pakistan is impoverished, broken and bankrupt and once again under military rule. This is the compelling story of one man's fight to prevent that happening and the failure of fledging institutions to stand up to the subversive activities of a ruthless and corrupt elite. Its scholarly too so prepare for a challenging read. This is a break through in sub-continental history - no "Orientalism" here to bewitch the Western reader; unpalatable facts, of which there are many are served up plain and unvarnished - what an achievement!"

This book has all the practical and background information -- and more -- that any backpacker or ecotourist would need to visit this mindblowing destination, truly one of the wildest, most exciting, and most remote places left on the planet (recently renamed Papua or West Papua). This place has it all -- some of the most pristine and richest rainforests anywhere, amazing and vibrant tribal cultures (some, like the Asmat and Dani are retain many of their traditional customs), loads of interesting, colorful, and strange critters (ex. Birds of Paradise), and some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. (Irian/Papua has the tallest mountains between the Himalayas and the Andes). Muller gives ample and well researched descriptions of the natural history, political background, and cultural context of Irian/Papua, as well as what any traveller will naturally want: practical tips on where to stay, what to do and see and how specifically to do it. There is also other essential stuff on recommended travel items, medical info, and other key stuff you'll want to have handy. There simply is no other book that gives so much background material as this one. For that matter, Muller's other guidebooks on Indonesia are similarly excellent. The Lonely Planet and Moon guidebooks to Indonesia are OK for other parts of the country, but very inadequate when it comes to Irian, so if you're headed there or thinking of going, this book is definitely the one you want. The pictures are also great, and will get you rearin' to go. I would have given it 5 stars, except for the fact that it doesn't have much info on several interesting parts of Irian -- but that's not Muller's fault, there are just some places that are just about impossible to get to. That said, there is more than enough data here on the obvious places (Baliem Valley, Jayapura, Biak, Asmat, Birds Head) that a first, second, or third time traveller to Irian/Papua will want or need.

A helpful introductory text for students of contemporary South Asia. Worth purchasing.

I had this author recommended to me by a friend who knew of my interest in other cultures, so I found this book in a local library and started reading. I find it to be amazing, especially for a journal of her travel experiences. She uses language which gives the book almost a flavor of fiction (I find that many nonfiction authors use very simple and often dry language, making such books harder to read). Occasionally she seems to have the perspective of a stereotypical European, but in general she manages to have a neutral viewpoint and tries to explain Indian customs from the point of view of Indians, as well as her reactions and those of her five year old daughter.

As far as I'm concerned, one of the best parts of this book is the way that it describes various parts of India in amazing detail, as well as giving some background on the area. Unlike many tourists, Murphy is not content merely to wander around seeing usual sites; instead, she tries to get to out-of-the-way places, and to experience life as much like an Indian as she can (while acknowledging that this can never be fully accomplished). This is perhaps one of the best "outsider" descriptions that I have read, as she really makes and effort to understand her new surroundings.

I picked up this book at the library based on the title and the pretty neat cover photo and artwork. It figured to be a reasonably interesting travelogue about an area I wasn't overly familiar with. It only took a few pages to realize that I was quite mistaken. The author, a former Washington Post correspondent covering South Asia from 1989-92, has written a variably readable introduction to the political and social dynamics of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal. By far the most attention is given to India and Pakistan, as these are the two areas he appears to have spent the most time in. The best parts of the book are those in which he relates little vignettes which serve to underscore a broader point or illustrate a particular nuance of a region. Unfortunately, there are also long dry spells which threaten to glaze one's eyes. By far the most compelling portion is the 26 pages in which the author recounts his investigation into the 1988 plane crash which killed the Pakistani leader, General Zia, many of his top military aides, and US Ambassador Arnold Raphel. This disturbing chapter is a page-turner which ends with no resolution, but is deeply affecting. As a whole, this is good reading for someone who wants a casual introduction to the forces at work in South Asia. Amazingly enough, you will have to provide your own map, as the publishers didn't see fit to include any.