It started off well, but the ending was rather boring. I also found the book was too Delhi-Centric. Otherwise, I found lots of new information about Indian History and the theory that the Aryans came from Central Asia and destroyed the Harappan Civilization is probably a myth. ( )

It started off well, but the ending was rather boring. I also found the book was too Delhi-Centric. Otherwise, I found lots of new information about Indian History and the theory that the Aryans came from Central Asia and destroyed the Harappan Civilization is probably a myth. ( )

Did the Great Flood of Indian legend actually happen? Why did the Buddha walk to Sarnath to give his first sermon? How did the Europeans map India? The history of any country begins with its geography. With sparkling wit and intelligence, Sanjeev Sanyal sets off to explore India and look at how the country's history was shaped by, among other things, its rivers, mountains and cities. Traversing remote mountain passes, visiting ancient archaeological sites, crossing rivers in shaky boats and immersing himself in old records and manuscripts, he considers questions about Indian history that we rarely ask: Why do Indians call their country Bharat? How did the British build the railways across the subcontinent? What was it like to sail on an Indian Ocean merchant ship in the fifth century AD? Why was the world's highest mountain named after George Everest?

It is suprising that a book that claims to look at India's history through the prism of geography makes absolutely no mention of the Khyber pass - one through which masses of armies - from Alexander to the Mughals have passed to attempt at conquering the subcontinent. That and other omissions make the title of this book seem very misleading. Chapters relating to mapping of India are perhaps the only places where this book lives up to its name. To the author's credit, this book is a good overview of India's history - something that a beginner to the subject would enjoy but those slightly more aware of India's past would already have come across elsewhere. 2 stars. ( )