3 comments about Arrian: Anabasis of Alexander, Books 5-7. Indica. (Loeb Classical Library No. 269).

1. Arrian's Books, in two volumes, are perhaps the most informative and accurate existing account of the expeditions of Alexander the Great. The accounts are historical and also give insight into the personality of Alexander. Contrary to most histories, the texts are an easy read, with descriptions of places, people, and events giving the reader a good sense of the adventures encountered by Alexander and his men. The tale is told directly. Alexander's sexuality, the love of his troops for their leader, and all the other human qualities intermingled in a real life situation are presented without bias.
   The text is in greek and english, in flanking pages. The footnotes are helpful, providing clarity to definitions of words in their historical context. The second volume contains various Appendixes providing added information on Military Questions, India, Mearchus' Voyage (Alexander's Sea Captain), etc.
   For one wising to learn of Alexander, this is the best source available.



2. This book is one of two volumes written by Arrian on Alexander the Great. So many books have been written about this fascinating and charigmatic young man.Although most of the documents from Alexander's lifetime have vanished,this one is the closest that we can get to him.
   
   In my own opinion I think that the documents that vanished may have been in the Alexandria library,or possibly were the body or remains of Alexander are.
   
   What I liked the most in this book is the fact that the name of the cities and places that Alexander conquered are also named with today's actual names,making it easy for us lovers of history to relate to today's geography.
   
   The Theban battle is very well written with so many details, not only the amount of horses,companions,hypastis and so on but the way that Alexander he himself planned.How Alexander took care of the innocent people,and how he cared for them,example the battle of Agis. What he did to the citizens of Soli, giving their land and money back.Details of Darius' mother,wife and children.
   For instance I did not know that Dairus married his own sister.
   there is so much in this book that it is really worth having if you are a true historian buff of Alexander's time.
   
   The details of the army that conquered which tribe and city.How many horses, carriages, elephants, companions were used for each battle.
   
   The treason fo Philotas and the killing of Parmenio,are also detailed here.The revolt of Agis,India and the Persian Empire, plus detailes of Alexander's army.
   
   I enjoyed reading it very very much.I hope that you will do the same.



3. This is an excellent translation. The book contains a number of appendices which are superb analyses of different issues dealing with Alexander's history.
   As a professional historian I can recommend the book without hesitation.
   
   MJ Olbrycht

3 comments about Healthy Travel: Central & South America (Healthy Travel).

1. ...where to go in central and south america, then read this through. As with all Lonely Planets book, it got lots of information! I want to go to Guatemala or Ecuador, but I didn't really know too much about any of these countries. Reading this through helped me. I'm going to BOTH!



2. This is an excellent reference for the South American traveler. It shouyld be required reading for the newcomer and experienced traveler



3. If you have never traveled to developing nations in out of the way places then you might find this book useful. However, you can find much of this information through the U.S. CDC and W.H.O. websites.
   
   Most times the happy little diseases or maladies that travelers take home are things that cause diarrhea. This book clearly lacks information related to many important aspects of food handling, processing, and stomach wellness. However if you want to know about exotic illnesses you will probably never get than maybe this book is helpful.
   
   I would not recommend this book.

No comments about Sacred River: The Ganges of India.

2 comments about Portrait of India.

1. Portraits of India is a collection of essays and interviews that, when taken together, provide a rich picture of India and this century of its history. Mehta has access to many of India's national treasures, including Ali Akbar Khan and Mother Theresa (before she won the Nobel Prize). In addition, he is eloquent and opinionated on many of India's historical touchstones: Ghandi, the Muslim/Hindu partition (including some great historical background on Kashmir, relevant in light of the recent seperatist stirrings there), and religion. The book is easy to read. Each of the essays is self contained and absorbable in a sitting. They are grouped together coherently to form synergistic wholes that offer insight into this enormous country



2. Ved Mehta's a sharp, appealing guide to huge swaths of India c. 1965. He delivers deft portraits of politicians, saints, blast furnace workers, musicians, filmmakers, soldiers, economists and just about everyone in between in (mostly) perfectly-sized vignettes that straddle the line between journalism and I guess what we now call creative nonfiction. Mehta writes from the rare perspective of an Indian educated mostly abroad; he speaks the languages, but approaches Indian society with a tourist's distance and unflagging curiosity.
   
   At times I wished he'd step out from behind the impeccable prose to give us a more personal impression; a lot of the pieces pull up just shy of a moral or philosophical point to charge on to the next stop. It's only in the short preface to the second edition that he reveals he's been blind since childhood. I can see why he thought it would be a distraction to include that in the book, but it points to a kind of reserve or desire to hold something important back that keeps this I think from being a real classic. But as a portrait of a particular moment in India's history--and as an example of what literary journalism at its best can be--it's still an absorbing read.

1 comments about The Vale of Kashmir.

1. From Moghul emperor Jahangir to rock star George Harrison, Kashmir has been declared a paradise on earth for centuries. Only in more recent history has it made negative news for the conflict fought over its territories by India and Pakistan.
   In his photographs, John Isaac not only captures the breath-taking beauty of Kashmir but the peace-loving soul of its people--an everyday, intimate Kashmir removed from the media, a Kashmir he came to know well and love over the year he spent there to make this book. You are invited to rediscover the natural and human treasures of Kashmir!

5 comments about City of Joy.

1. No other book I had ever read has ever made me more proud about the fact that I am an Indian or importantly, a human being. The moving story, that the author claims is based on facts is probably based on a true one. What is truly remarkable though, is the fact that this is probably not an unusual story or for that matter even an uncommon one! It happens, more so in India that anywhere else, despite 200 years of British rule the Western had not been able to take from these people what they prize most, their dignity. People trying to live a decent life, who hope to live with at least an ounce of self-respect going to great extremes to attain it.
   
   It doesn't surprise me to know this today, nor does it surprise me to know it took so long for the world to know this. What amazes me is that so many Indians have written such bad reviews about this book. It seems ironic that a book that tells a story about the majority of Indians who are uneducated is not appreciated by the minority that are. It makes sense though. This book doesn't directly attempt to glorify India's culture, its traditions or values. Instead it speaks about the bitter realities of a ghetto that almost all educated Indians with a modern outlook likes to pretend don't exist. These are the people that Westerners mostly interact with, these are the people who want to impress India to the rest of the world, and the truths in this book are not what they would think is impressive. It still impressive none the less. In fact it is more than impressive that even at the lowest of low of economic degradation a man can still try to live a life of dignity - the kind that every human being deserves to live with.
   
   IF AFTER READING THIS BOOK YOU SHED A TEAR, either of joy or sorrow, GO TO THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE MOST AND TELL THEM HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM, thank them for who they are and after that thank God for the beauty that is your life and lastly thank yourself because you are a wonderful human-being.



2. "...The 'City of Joy' shall be remembered as the best account of the life of the people in Calcutta's slums; of the city's never-say-die attitude. The book presents a very emotional account of the daily lives of the poor in the city, and makes the reader fall in love with these little heros, who daily fight the battle of life to mete out a subsistence existence. The book is an eye-opener to the people who have never faced the adversities of life. The author has done a brilliant job in portraying the poor with compassion and empathy. A true masterpiece..."



3. One of the reviewers below described the book as "cardboard cut-out disease porn" and that is the most apt, succint way to describe "City of Joy". The book dives into rampant filth, disease and raw physical suffering with about as much preamble and relish as any porn video dives into sex. It is about as uplifting as self-flagellation, and as inspiring as Fear Factor.



4. One of the best boooks of Dominique La Pierre, makes you see reality as is, the acceptance with joy of the life you are to live.



5. An outstanding book. Highly recommended as essential reading for any thinking person and any person who truely cares about the world and the plight of humanity.

1 comments about Cool Hotels: India, Maldives, Sri Lanka.

1. Students of architecture, hotel and commercial building design, and travel will all find much to attract in Cool Hotels: India, Maldives, Sri Lanka: it features the best hotels of the region, from rustic to big city, and discusses craftsmanship, artistic d‚cor, and landscaping qualities which make each hotel exceptional. The meat of Cool Hotels lies in its full-page color photos of both interior and exteriors of featured hotels.

1 comments about Nanda Devi: Exploration and Ascent.

1. This is truly the most spectacular book I have ever read in my life. There are two parts in the book. The first one "Exploration of Nanda Devi" by Shipton is outstanding. He takes you through the each and every step of their exploration in 1934 which led to discovery of route to Nanda Devi inner sanctuary. Also contains complete histroy of attempts to Nanda Devi and the discovery of route from badrinath to kedarnath. The second part - "Nanda Devi Ascent" is by Tilman - the first one to climb nanda devi in 1936. This part is also good, but he doesn;t seem to have the kind of admiration and love for mountains that shipton shows in his work.

   An outstanding book - indeed.

4 comments about Everest: The Unclimbed Ridge (Adrenaline Classics).

1. Heart-breaking, tense and on some level maddening, this is the story of Pete Boardman and Joe Tasker's last expedition. Copious quotes, especially from Pete's diary, give it its emotionally touching quality. Bonington chillingly describes the survivors' long wait and gradual realization that something has gone terribly wrong. No one really knows what happened to Boardman and Tasker, especially since their bodies were later found, indicating they were not killed in a fall as Bonington surmised. This book cannot illuminate the mystery, but can illustrate the magnitude of our loss.



2. "Everest: The Unclimbed Ridge" is the story of the 1982 British attempt on the then-unclimbed Northeast Ridge of Mount Everest. Co-authored by Sir Chris Bonington and Charles Clarke, it illustrates both the thrills and deadly perils of extreme high altitude alpine-style climbing.
   
   Bonington put together a light but elite team for his 1982 expedition, featuring himself and accomplished climbers Pete Boardman, Joe Tasker, and Dick Renshaw, backed by two support climbers, Adrian Gordon and Charles Clarke. The first part of the book is a quick recap of previous climbing on Everest, following by a fascinating narrative of the team's journey to its base camp on the North side of Everest.
   
   The struggle to forge an alpine-style route up the Northeast Ridge is candidly portrayed by Bonington and Clarke. Their narrative is supplemented by quotes from Pete Boardman's diary and letters. The team, climbing at over 8,000 meters without oxygen and with only limited use of fixed ropes, makes slow and painful progress over challenging terrain.
   
   After weeks on the mountain, things begin to go wrong. All the climbers are physically deteriorating from too much time at high altitude. Chris Bonington, then in his late 40's, discovers he can no longer keep pace with his younger counterparts. Dick Renshaw suffers two minor strokes and must be evacuated to medical care. Pete Boardman and Joe Tasker make one last try at the summit, and disappear.
   
   The bodies of Boardman and Tasker would be found years later on the ridge near where they were last seen from a distance by Bonington and Gordon. The Northeast Ridge would finally be climbed, with fixed ropes and supplemental oxygen, in 1995. These facts were obviously unknown to Bonington and Clarke when they closed out this narrative in 1983. The reader is left with a poignant mystery and the enduring question of high altitude climbing: was it worth it?
   
   This book is highly recommended as a fascinating and well-written narrative of a high altitude expedition and its effects on the climbers.



3. I am not a climber but become hopelessly addicted to the mystery of Everest nonetheless. I enjoyed reading this heartbreaking tale of Everest as it opens another window into what climbers face on the mountain. Honest and informative, at times it painted a very different picture of a journey onto Everest. If you have an interest in Everest, climbing or enjoy the thrill of adventure than you will enjoy this book!



4. Wonderful book. Great photography. Stunning story. If you like Mt. Climbing books.. it is a must buy

No comments about Indian Style: Landscapes, Houses, Interiors, Details (Icon (Taschen)).