It was the summer of AD 1399 that disaster struck a small principality of southern India. Mahisuru, which later went on to become Mysore, had lost its chieftain and was vulnerable to the machinations of a cunning upstart. At around the same time, two
The earliest recordings of Indian music are characterised by the high-pitched announcement, 'My name is Gauhar Jaan.' This declaration epitomised a milestone in the history of Indian classical music, one that would forever change its content, structu
In American Book Award winner Chitra Divakaruni’s new novel, Oleander Girl (Simon and Schuster), a young woman from a distinguished and orthodox Bengali heritage falls in love with a man from a nouveau-riche business family in Kolkata, a city buffete
Behind the walls of a house in a North Indian town a whole world thrives—of the joint family, their attendants, their visitors. Three generations of women and their men live different strategies of adjustment and achievement to accommodate or challen
'I am Rani Jindan, Mother of the Khalsa. That is my identity. That is my fate.' While we have all heard tales of Rani Lakshmi Bai and Padmavati, not many of us are familiar with another Indian queen. Daughter of the royal kennel keeper, the bea
French Lover is the story of Nilanjana, a young Bengali woman from Kolkata who moves to Paris after getting married to Kishanlal, a restaurant owner. Kishanlal’s luxurious apartment seems to be a gilded cage for Nilanjana, and she feels stifled withi
In Shodh unlike her other novels, Taslima Nasrin seeks to revolutionize the concept of love and marriage in the so-called elite yet tradition-bound societies. She effects this through a transformation of roles assigned to women - as lover, wife, moth
One of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists. Spring, 1971, East Pakistan. Rehana Haque is throwing a party for her beloved children, Sohail and Maya. Her young family is growing up fast, and Rehana wants to remember this day forever. But out on t
For more than fifteen years, Robin Sharma has been quietly sharing with Fortune 500 companies and many of the super-rich a success formula that has made him one of the most sought-after leadership advisers in the world. Now, for the first time, Sharm
In this anthology, which comprises some of Khushwant Singh's best writing, you can look forward to some talk of sex, a little of Scotch and much Scholarship. The collection attempts to mirror the author's concerns and passions-his love of nature, his
The Small House At Allington (1864) is Anthony Trollope's fifth novel in the sequence that has become known as the Barsetshire series. Set against the vividly imagined backdrop of the cathedral town of Barchester, it is the story of the embittered ol
Not every story has a happy ending, but is a perfect ending all that matters? Armaan is a young television writer and seems to have it all – a dream job, ample money and a good place to live in Mumbai. Despite all that, his heart lies somewhere in hi
Some love stories are soul stories. Dr. Radhika Sharma is what girls of today aspire to become – educated, financially independent and a woman of substance. But within, she is a broken person who is yet to come to terms with her past, her first love
From being a petty chieftain to becoming the most powerful Indian ruler of his time, Ranjit Singh's empire extended from Tibet to the deserts of Sindh and from the Khyber Pass to the Sutlej. His army was one of the most powerful of the time in Asia a
A book that talks about health.
Truth, Love And A Little Malice, the autobiography of the famous author and journalist Khushwant Singh, was published by Penguin India as new edition in 2003. He chronicles in this book some of the seminal historical and political events that have ma
What makes you proud to be Indian and what makes you ashamed to be one? What makes a Hindu a Hindu? Why are Indians such champion sycophants and name-droppers? And does love really matter in an Indian marriage? In his sharp and funny dissection of di
Humour is something very subtle and therefore eludes precise definition, it is not hurtful. On the contrary, it is an antibiotic against hate. That’s as close as I can get to defining a sense of humour. Khushwant Singh had the unusual ability to laug
The Imam and the Indian is an extensive compilation of Amitav Ghosh's non-fiction writings. Sporadically published between his novels, in magazines, journals, academic books and periodicals, these essays and articles trace the evolution of the ideas
This is written by one of India's widely known author Khushwant Singh. The book is an enjoyable celebration of love, sex and passion. The book talks about a millionaire businessman, Mohan Kumar who is separated recently from his wife who had been