The best impressions of a city are often those recorded by outsiders. Shaped over three centuries, this most vibrant of cities has always held a special fascination for British visitors, and this collection recalls their impressions of Calcutta's people, history, buildings, culture, and daily routine from the days of Job Charnock to the present. Drawn from a wealth of letters, journals, poems, and other writings, this is an intriguing portrait of both the city and the English abroad.