Posts Tagged “India”
The Al Thani Collection Treasures of the Mughals and the Maharajas, published on the occasion of the extraordinary exhibition of the Al Thani Collection in Venice, allows readers to enjoy, at least from a little distance, the jeweller’s crafts and traditions of the Indian subcontinent, from the pre-Raj Mughal period to more recent times. The…
Calamity and Courage – A Heroine of the Raj is another in my collection of fascinating books about India and all things Indian that I love so much. It also gave me a surprise as the setting for the aforementioned heroism is in fact the very part of India that my father knew so well…
This might be your first big trip and the success of that adventure might well lay in preparation and planning. You’ll want to be informed of things to avoid and others not to be missed. Rajasthan – Lonely Planet is an ideal tool to supply some travel needs. You’ll want to get the most from…
I am, at first sight, overwhelmingly English. Yes, well, no, not quite. I have a family connection to India which is distant yet strong. That little bit of sub-continental exotica manifests itself in the guise of a passion for Indian food and that of the Punjab. One might assume that I have spent endless time…
I enjoy almost every book that crosses my desk (now a uni-leg computer stand from a Swedish lifestyle emporium). Some are simple but informative volumes, others are attractive and what I would describe as gift quality. Tasting India is in the second category but has raised the bar on that little phrase. It truly is…
Raghu Rai may not be a name familiar to you unless you are a photography professional. He has, however, had a career which has been so noteworthy that he was awarded the Padmashree in 1971, one of India’s highest civilian awards. Raghu’s National Geographic article “Human Management of Wildlife in India” won him high praise…
India is large, colourful, and sumptuous, and any other superlatives you care to mention. It’s a luxurious encyclopaedia of the subcontinent and covers pretty much every aspect of life, art and culture of this marvellous country. India – The Ultimate Sights, Places, and Experiences is a weighty tome but it’s true to say that the…
This wasn’t, to be honest, what I expected. It has a bright and evocative picture on the front cover but this isn’t a book about colourful textiles, it’s about how the sari is worn and the place it holds in Indian society. It’s a simple length of cloth but to suggest that is all it…
Thames and Hudson are famed for their high-quality books and this is another fine example of the style of book we have come to expect. It’s large format, full colour and stunning but more than that, it’s an archive of a disappearing world. India is a confident country with high expectations. It is growing and…
We British tend to think that we invented gardens and the concept of those spaces as areas of leisure. English gardens are mimicked the world over and even in countries whose climates are unsuitable for even the notion of a cottagey, green and lush space. In horticultural terms India would be the head gardener and…
This is a unique perspective from a west London lad who takes a voyage of discovery, a voyage to discover heritage, roots, amazing differences and surprising commonality. Sanjeev Bhaskar has straddled both British and Indian societies with their many complexities and contradictions. Sanjeev had a childhood to which so many of us can relate. Home…
My passion for Indian art started in the 1960s when UK shops were filled with all manner of Asian textiles, pictures and ornaments. These were the years of pop art, Hari Krishna and tie-dye. Made in India reflects “real” popular Indian art, that is to say the art available to the masses via advertising hoardings,…
You know by now that I have a love of all things subcontinental so it’s no surprise that I read and enjoyed Feeding the Gods – Memories of Food and Culture in Bengal. Chitrita Banerji has written a charming and very personal reflection on her life and the spiritual part that food has played in…
Can there be a land that has given more to style than India? I admit I have a bias but it is evident that we in the West and particularly in Britain have long embraced all things Indian. Melba Levick is the photographer for India Color. She has several other books under her belt… well,…
This book is stuffed with the best looking people around. The author, Bulbul Mankani, introduces us to the glamorous world of the Indian film industry and it has a dreamlike quality. These actors and actresses are almost too good to be true and if you believe that they eat these wonderful dishes every day then…
This gorgeous large volume deserves to be right alongside your encyclopaedia and atlas. Tea – A Journey in Time, Pioneering and Trials in the Jungle has a classic, almost Victorian, feel and it is a visual pleasure. The author is a gentleman by the name of John Weatherspoon and it’s only by the turn of…
“I should recommend anyone with a taste for Victorian gastronomic literature to snap him up…His recipes are so meticulous and clear, that the absolute beginner could follow them, yet at the same time he has much to teach the experienced cook.” That’s from the great Elizabeth David. Culinary Jottings for Madras was written by WYVERN…
If you are about to go off to India then buy this book. Buy this book and read the first 80 or so pages before you pack, and then dip into relevant chapters by destination. You will be glad you did. Why read the first 80 pages first? Well, it’s not just because they are…