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India
The history of India is the engrossing story of an ancient civilization, reborn as a modern nation. More a continent than a single nation, India is home to over one-fifth of humanity, yet it remains a mystery to most non-Indians, barely appreciated and poorly understood. Stanley Wolpert's third edition of India provides a much-needed, concise overview of Indian history and culture. His new preface brings the book up to date, discussing the most recent national elections, the economic effects of the new globalization, and the consequences of joining the nuclear arms race.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 1964
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210 people want to read
About the author
Stanley Wolpert
23 books112 followersStanley A. Wolpert is an American academic, Indologist, and author considered one of the world's foremost authorities on the political and intellectual history of modern India and Pakistan and has written fiction and nonfiction books on the topics. He taught at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 1959-2002.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 15, 2012
I was so, so disappointed with this. The writing was not done well, the coverage was barely skimming the surface - and in a number of places, rather trite. I had to put it down (and create an "unfinished" shelf!) because I just couldn't take any more of his nonsense.
April 24, 2023
Stunning- The author repaid the time I spent reading his book handsomely.
He seems to be a highly intelligent man- many insights, open to both points of view.
And any discussion of India certainly benefits from that... was colonialism a good thing? which religion has the answers? Etc. These are not black-and-white issues, and Wolpert shows us many of the shades of grey.
His deep fondness... not infatuation... with the people, the culture, the history, the land comes through. But he doesn't shirk discussing the less commendable aspects of India or in her past.
The writing is concise, information-rich, and clear. There is even a quiet humor in the pages.
If you anticipate a trip to India as a tourist, I particularly recommend this to you. But it is a book many should read, given the country's importance in the world today... economically and as a nuclear power. It may, perhaps, be more than a sufficiency as a book to go on a school's compulsory reading list. But I'd enthusiastically endorse putting it on a list of recommended reading for bright 17/18 year olds. Certainly for any university students- whatever their course of study.
He seems to be a highly intelligent man- many insights, open to both points of view.
And any discussion of India certainly benefits from that... was colonialism a good thing? which religion has the answers? Etc. These are not black-and-white issues, and Wolpert shows us many of the shades of grey.
His deep fondness... not infatuation... with the people, the culture, the history, the land comes through. But he doesn't shirk discussing the less commendable aspects of India or in her past.
The writing is concise, information-rich, and clear. There is even a quiet humor in the pages.
If you anticipate a trip to India as a tourist, I particularly recommend this to you. But it is a book many should read, given the country's importance in the world today... economically and as a nuclear power. It may, perhaps, be more than a sufficiency as a book to go on a school's compulsory reading list. But I'd enthusiastically endorse putting it on a list of recommended reading for bright 17/18 year olds. Certainly for any university students- whatever their course of study.
April 24, 2023
A solid overview from the birth of a people through their conquests by Aryans, Moghuls, and the British empire.
- The first chapters can be skipped, as they are now dated
- The birth of Hinduism and the Aryan invasion could have used a bit more meat
- The most interesting part of the book was on the Mughals, from Babur to Akbar the Great to Shah Jahan and then the asshole dipshit Aurengzeb
- Turns out the British had competition from the French in colonizing India after the Portuguese and Dutch faded. I by turns felt pity and contempt for the British (routed in Kabul and who knows how many citizens defiled and murdered in an uprising ... but also tier one piece of shit Churchill starving untold millions and then Parliament giving an award to another guy who massacred hundreds in a town square for no reason)
- Interesting juxtaposition between Gandhi and Nehru
A hundred years from now this country may very well be on top, so nice to get a good intro history in, with 9 single-lined pages of notes saved
- The first chapters can be skipped, as they are now dated
- The birth of Hinduism and the Aryan invasion could have used a bit more meat
- The most interesting part of the book was on the Mughals, from Babur to Akbar the Great to Shah Jahan and then the asshole dipshit Aurengzeb
- Turns out the British had competition from the French in colonizing India after the Portuguese and Dutch faded. I by turns felt pity and contempt for the British (routed in Kabul and who knows how many citizens defiled and murdered in an uprising ... but also tier one piece of shit Churchill starving untold millions and then Parliament giving an award to another guy who massacred hundreds in a town square for no reason)
- Interesting juxtaposition between Gandhi and Nehru
A hundred years from now this country may very well be on top, so nice to get a good intro history in, with 9 single-lined pages of notes saved
July 1, 2023
This is a terribly written book specifically because of pacing and organization. Some paragraphs are sentences that just romanticize the culture, which is fine, but then the next paragraph will just be mangled information that is incredibly dense and doesn’t actually cover any meaningful depth. For example, one of the first sections in the book, which was to cover Rivers in India spends almost 15 pages talking about famous historical figures and spends maybe 3 pages actually detailing the river. This coincides with the lackluster organization of the book as well.
It is important to mention that the author takes liberty in making some sweeping claims about ancient India that just aren’t explained at all
It is important to mention that the author takes liberty in making some sweeping claims about ancient India that just aren’t explained at all
April 10, 2024
Amazing immersion into all that is India, especially Hindu, Sikh and Muslim; Pakistan, US, Soviet, British, Chinese and Sri Lankan relations and so much more. It is such a complex country with so many religious-cultural and geographic aspects to consider.
I was vaguely aware that Mahatma Gandhi was killed by an assasin, but I had forgotten that Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were also killed by assassinations
The Kama Sutra, atomic weapons, literature, pollution, the importance of family, imitation of and irritation with British rule, and so much more.
I was vaguely aware that Mahatma Gandhi was killed by an assasin, but I had forgotten that Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were also killed by assassinations
The Kama Sutra, atomic weapons, literature, pollution, the importance of family, imitation of and irritation with British rule, and so much more.
August 12, 2022
As it's subject is so broad and deep, Wolpert's India provides a good overview of the history, culture, and politics of India. One should not think all will be revealed, but the reader will gain a rough map of issues of major cultural import, of conflicts that happened in generations past, and of major personalities to investigate further. I recommend this to new students of India, be they professional or dilettante, as I myself am.
August 19, 2017
I believe this book is meant as a summary of India, and that's what it is. Wolpert often refers to people and places without explaining them, so the book is somewhat diificult to follow if you aren't familiar with India, particularly it's political history. The first chapter, which was supposed to be about the geography, was a jumbled mess. After that it got better. I also didn't care for his writing style, which was alternately fanciful and snarky, with an egregious overuse of quotation marks. His flowery metaphors were often vague and unhepful. Perhaps he fancies himself to be a poet. All in all, I wouldn't recommend this book.
May 7, 2023
Decent overview of India. Sometimes his passion for India comes through, but more often than not, it reads like a textbook.
February 7, 2024
Did not finish this book, partially because it was more meant for textbook purposes. There is no discrediting Stanley Wolpert's expertise especially in his histories of Gandhi.
November 26, 2007
A good basic background on Indian history, society, religion, politics, etc. Not just history.
Does not get bogged down in details, but still provides a coherent coverage of the fundamental issues mentioned above.
One major issue I have is that the book does not seem to have been updated since it was first written in 1991. Supposedly this is the 3rd Edition, but the only difference that I can observe is that a preface has been added for each "new" edition. In the short preface, Wolpert covers some of the major events that have occurred in the 16+ years since he wrote the book.
In my opinion, such a cursory approach is insufficient. Recent events are not placed within their suitable context along side the rest of the book's material, and the approach that was appropriate to events in 1990 is no longer so. Wolpert gives overdue emphasis & speculation on then current Indian politics, which no longer warrant such attention.
All said, this a quality book but it needs to be comprehensively updated to reflect the changes that have occurred in the near 2 decades since its effective publication.
Does not get bogged down in details, but still provides a coherent coverage of the fundamental issues mentioned above.
One major issue I have is that the book does not seem to have been updated since it was first written in 1991. Supposedly this is the 3rd Edition, but the only difference that I can observe is that a preface has been added for each "new" edition. In the short preface, Wolpert covers some of the major events that have occurred in the 16+ years since he wrote the book.
In my opinion, such a cursory approach is insufficient. Recent events are not placed within their suitable context along side the rest of the book's material, and the approach that was appropriate to events in 1990 is no longer so. Wolpert gives overdue emphasis & speculation on then current Indian politics, which no longer warrant such attention.
All said, this a quality book but it needs to be comprehensively updated to reflect the changes that have occurred in the near 2 decades since its effective publication.
June 10, 2013
Maybe when this book first came out in 1991 it provided some insight into a culture Westerners knew little about, but in 2013 in a globalized world, it just seems outdated. In addition to lacking any meaningful information about Indian society or politics after, say, 1980, the author's perspective towards "Mother India" and "her people" is annoyingly antiquated. In fact, the tone of the whole book has more in common with condescending imperialism of the British Raj (which was still in place during this author's youth) than it does with objective modern scholarship. If you know NOTHING about India, this might work as a general overview. However, if you are at all familiar with Indian geography, history, literature, or film, then I would recommend something more up to date, such as Akash Kapur's *India Becoming.*
April 25, 2012
I thought this book was very helpful in my preparation to visit India. I had been reading other books that were very heavy and detailed, and I kept feeling like I needed an "india for dummies" kind of book. Well, I am not really a dummy but this book is basic enough to summarize the essentials of India while giving detail to keep it interesting. It helped solidify some ideas in my mind; for instance, it was nice to read a succinct history after slogging my way through about 600 pages of history in another book. It reminded me of pertinent ideas and important people. I think this is a great introduction to India.
August 14, 2014
A dense and somewhat dry but very informative history of India, which I read in preparation for an upcoming trip. Wolpert's book includes the history of the Indian subcontinent's anthropology, religion, arts, science, politics, and involvement with the west, dating from civilization's origins to contemporary politics. There were a few points where the language seemed outdated or mildly bigoted, unfortunately, but overall I think this was a good introduction to a vast continent of complicated, amazing cultures.
February 10, 2016
Every single page of this book was stuffed with fascinating information about India's history and culture. I'm in awe of Stanley Wolpert for being so knowledgeable about such a wide range of Indian topics. I HIGHLY recommend this for anyone going to India. Now if I can remember a fraction of what I learned from this book when I go there, I'll be in great shape!
December 16, 2007
This book is a brillant overview of India--religion, society, politics, history, etc.
So well written, it is a joy to read and reread. Some parts are a bit "tongue in cheek" and added levity to the subject.
An excellent birds eye view of a great country....
So well written, it is a joy to read and reread. Some parts are a bit "tongue in cheek" and added levity to the subject.
An excellent birds eye view of a great country....
April 27, 2008
This is actually a very readable history of India- not too dense, and very interesting. Actually, it belongs to my friend Nicole! Nic, would you finally like your book back, after so many years? Who knew it would come in handy with my final paper!
:)
Thanks!
:)
Thanks!
April 4, 2012
This was a good splattering of information of India loosely organized in chapters. It gave a lot of breadth, but very little depth, which was ok for me. One thing I didn't really like was that Wolpert digressed a lot, and would give random information which took away from the point he was making.
October 1, 2012
informative, but my brain isn't up to this level of non-fic -- a bit too flowery for my brain to plow thru. So I've given up. Maybe i'll do better when I get back from India and have more experiences to hang things on.
February 7, 2016
A great deal of scene setting information. At times I found it to be confusing as he will use terms like U.P. Without defining them (U.P. = Uttar Pradesh not upper peninsula a common American use of the abbreviation- and India does have a huge peninsula.
February 27, 2009
Great introduction to India. Easy to read. Could use more detailed information on the various wars and how India came to be united.
September 5, 2010
A dry sort of read but I was going to India for two weeks of vacation and wanted something more than a tourist book. It certainly got me interested in the country more and I was glad I read it.
didnt-finish
March 1, 2012Oh let's be honest, I'm not actually going to finish this one.
July 31, 2012
Very informative, though hard to follow at times. This guy knows his stuff though. Helpful for understanding the context of the places we visited.
April 27, 2014
Nice overview of India
July 22, 2015
difficult to read, but India is very complicated. I think this would be a good reference book for future referral. He covers everything from culture, arts, geography, politics, history, etc.
May 18, 2008
Amazingly thorough view of the history of India politically and culturally in a very compact form.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews