Hinduism is both a way of life and a highly organized social and religious system, but in the modern world its essentials, perhaps more than those of any other major religion, are undergoing a process of redefinition. Professor Zaehner's book traces these concepts through the four-thousand year development of Hinduism, and explains the enduring foundations from which it continues to flourish and grow.
Robert Charles Zaehner had a gift for languages and became an expert in Oriental languages. As a result, he was chosen as a British counterintelligence agent in Tehran, Persia during World War II and an MI6 agent there after the war. He returned to academia and became Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of All Souls College, writing numerous books on religion, both eastern and western.
Information adapted from Wikipedia and the back cover of The Bhagavad-Gita which he translated and authored
I needed a simple introduction to the beliefs and practices of Hinduism. This, however, is an account of the evolution of Hinduism in all its many forms, replete with historical details and directed at an audience already familiar with topic. Complicated concepts get short shrift in academic terms. For the right audience, this might be a great book. But for a beginner like me, it is not helpful.