A River of Life, Book 1: Travels in the North (A River of Life: Travels through Modern India)

Buses, trains, sacred cows, gurus, saddhus, holi and more: like the subcontinent itself, this travelogue is chock-full of life and incident. The first leg of a complete tour of India, Book 1 cover the travels across the Gangetic Plain, from Delhi in the north to Calcutta in the east, threading a way through the cities of Agra, Gwalior, Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, and Patna. The encounters with Indians of all walks of life are countered by historical observations and anecdotes, setting modern India side by side with its historical counterpart, creating a rich background for travels through this most beguiling and fascinating of countries.