This is the second in this series that I have read and I highly recommend them for a good overview of the history of a holiday destination country. The books start with an overview of the geography and make-up of the country and then provide a succinct but thorough overview of the history from pre-history to contemporary politics. One criticism is that the discussion of 20th century history was almost entirely centred on the path to independence. I would have liked more about the impact of WWII on India, separately from the independence movement and I also have read enough of the history of the British empire to know that there are alternative viewpoints on the course of events that this book did not present. But it is only a relatively short book and still well worth taking on holiday. ( )