---
product_id: 652049358
title: "India: A History. Revised and Updated"
price: "$U3494"
currency: UYU
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reviews_count: 10
url: https://www.desertcart.uy/products/652049358-india-a-history-revised-and-updated
store_origin: UY
region: Uruguay
---

# India: A History. Revised and Updated

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## Description

Buy India: A History. Revised and Updated Illustrated by Keay, John (ISBN: 9780802145581) from desertcart's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

Review: A one volume history that ably delivers - John Keay, in writing a one volume history of one of the world's largest and oldest civilizations set himself a gargantuan task, and has pulled it off rather well. The work is not perfect, but it's merits far outweigh any defects. To begin with, the early part of the book covering the ancient times is perhaps the most difficult to follow, but when one reaches around AD 1,000 it becomes more readable. The early years, chronicling the early settler civilizations such as the Aryans and the Dravidians at times resemble a travelogue, and one may find themselves lost as some of these peoples are not adequately characterized. Perhaps the most monumental figure of ancient India, Ashoka, gets too little mention. He does receive a chapter, but such a key figure deserves much greater depth. Having said this, the book becomes far more readable and informative when it reaches the Mughal Empire, and the coverage of the British conquest, rule and ultimately independence is superbly done. A particular strength is that Keay does not take the easy way out post 1947 and simply chronicle the Republic of India, rather he gives a full coverage of the key events shaping all 3 successor states, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It must be said that Keay's chronicling of the modern history of the Indian subcontinent is superb, and if he follows through with a modern history of India (a possibility he hints at in the introduction) I will certainly read it. However, the book, as a complete history of India succeeds, and delivers a reasonably objective and impartial account. For those who are interested purely in modern India, this book is still highly recommended as the modern section is superb. However, any enthusiast of India should at the very least attempt John Keay's chronicle of this spellbinding civilization.
Review: Comprehensive - A very detailed history. Some bits are a bit dry but overall a good read. Hasn't quite got the flair of Tom Holland or Peter Frankopan

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | 854 in History (Books) |
| Customer reviews | 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,247) |
| Dimensions  | 15.24 x 5.08 x 22.86 cm |
| Edition  | Illustrated |
| ISBN-10  | 0802145582 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0802145581 |
| Item weight  | 975 g |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 640 pages |
| Publication date  | 12 April 2011 |
| Publisher  | Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press |

## Images

![India: A History. Revised and Updated - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/914IqHav6IL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A one volume history that ably delivers
*by A***H on 6 January 2016*

John Keay, in writing a one volume history of one of the world's largest and oldest civilizations set himself a gargantuan task, and has pulled it off rather well. The work is not perfect, but it's merits far outweigh any defects. To begin with, the early part of the book covering the ancient times is perhaps the most difficult to follow, but when one reaches around AD 1,000 it becomes more readable. The early years, chronicling the early settler civilizations such as the Aryans and the Dravidians at times resemble a travelogue, and one may find themselves lost as some of these peoples are not adequately characterized. Perhaps the most monumental figure of ancient India, Ashoka, gets too little mention. He does receive a chapter, but such a key figure deserves much greater depth. Having said this, the book becomes far more readable and informative when it reaches the Mughal Empire, and the coverage of the British conquest, rule and ultimately independence is superbly done. A particular strength is that Keay does not take the easy way out post 1947 and simply chronicle the Republic of India, rather he gives a full coverage of the key events shaping all 3 successor states, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It must be said that Keay's chronicling of the modern history of the Indian subcontinent is superb, and if he follows through with a modern history of India (a possibility he hints at in the introduction) I will certainly read it. However, the book, as a complete history of India succeeds, and delivers a reasonably objective and impartial account. For those who are interested purely in modern India, this book is still highly recommended as the modern section is superb. However, any enthusiast of India should at the very least attempt John Keay's chronicle of this spellbinding civilization.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Comprehensive
*by R***1 on 30 November 2024*

A very detailed history. Some bits are a bit dry but overall a good read. Hasn't quite got the flair of Tom Holland or Peter Frankopan

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ More readable than other reviewers say!
*by C***N on 25 August 2012*

I should explain that I only read the second half of this book, from about 1600 when the British became involved. I bought it because I wanted to know more about the British East India Company, and also wanted an overview of the history since partition. For these purposes the book was great. On Amazon.co.uk many reviews refer to the book being hard work to read, and many American reviews describe it as dry. I found it neither, although it did take me thirty or forty pages to tune into the author's style, which is really high-grade journalism, not to question his scholarship. It reads like an articulate lecture by someone who thoroughly understands his subject. One reviewer said you need some prior knowledge. Perhaps you do. I came to the book with knowledge of post-independence India being only what I had gleaned from newspapers over the years, but that was enough. I had also many years ago read Gandhi's autobiography, which is a book that sticks in the mind. Regarding the East India Company and the development of British rule, Keay dispels any notion of the British as avuncular colonists. When push came to shove they were decisive and at times brutal. We Brits like to appear as nice imperialists. Effective yes; nice, not unless it was convenient. Having said that the Brits and Indians appear to have had a certain mutual regard. The story since independence is complex and fast-moving and I felt Keay told the story with conviction. He doesn't burden his text with footnotes, jargon or prevarication and plonks his opinion down on the page, which is just as well given how much he has to tell. He has a tendency to try and see the positive in authoritarian actions by different rulers, for example Indira Gandhi and Bhutto. Gandhi instituted a rule of emergency but according to Keay she did it temporarily in order to sort out a raft of administrative disasters, which she did before returning the country to democracy. I enjoyed what I read of this book very much and would recommend it.

## Frequently Bought Together

- India: A History. Revised and Updated
- India After Gandhi Revised and Updated Edition: The History of the World's Largest Democracy
- The Anarchy

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*Store origin: UY*
*Last updated: 2026-03-08*