Thanks for all the great suggestions.

Regarding Movies: I cannot beleive no one mentioned the wonderful movie - Gandhi!

I want to thank you, Cicerone, for recommending A Princess Remembers. I was able to get it from my public library and have just begun reading it. Having recently visited India, I questioned how much power the maharajas had and how the British originally acquired their stronghold. This book explains it through the eyes of the granddaughter. Although the family lived in splendor, they were literally nothing more than puppets of the British. This is a fascinating study!

Another film (actually three) worth watching is the poignant trilogy, The World of Apu. It is set in India in the 50's. It takes Apu through one life cycle. Most libraries can order it for you, but be sure to order the DVD, because the titles are illegible on the video.

My favorite India filmed movie is Heat and Dust! it shows the British culture and the Indian too, and how they can collide.

ttt

great info, thank you.

I have read quite a few of the books on Cicerone's wonderful list. I bought 'A Princess Remember's' in India in 1991.

At the moment I am reading Vikram Seth's 'Two Lives' which I purchased just two weeks ago on my stopover at Singapore Airport.

I have very much enjoyed reading the list and have noted many of the titles which hopefully will be in my local library.

India and it's history is a never-ending and mysterious subject to read about. I also love my Lonely Planet book on India and I have a copy of 'A History of India' by John Keay.

I also enjoy books about China and I have a hard back copy of 'From Emperor to Citizen' the autobiography of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi that I actually purchased in the Forbidden City when I was in Beijing which makes it more of a treasure.

aussieR

How about any film documentaries on the history of India? Preferably something on ancient history or art or religion. Anything produced by the BBC, PBS, or something a bit more academic?

Thanks.

I've read many of the books on Cicerone's extensive list. I've actually just started A Suitable Boy ( I think its more like 1200 pages!)

Anyways, just thought of a book I read a while ago - Holy Cow by Sarah Macdonald which hasn't been mentioned here. Its humorous, interesting and informative.

Thank you for some reminders of a few old favorites and many intriguing recommendations.

CHINA

Are there two books entitled WILD SWANS or did a cut-and-past mishap affect the description of this title?

I say this in genuine bewilderment because years ago I thought I saw a book about the Soong sisters entitled WILD SWANS. Yet Jung Chang's book, which I read a couple of years ago and which you cite here, is an autobiographical story of three generations of women in one family, not a three sisters account. The tag line in Cicerone's list sounds more like a description of Emily Hahn's book about the Soongs but there may indeed be two books entitled Wild Swans.

A couple of other titles to add to the China book list. Both are set in southwestern China, the first in Yunnan province and the second in Hunan province. Both are human interest stories and an absolute delight to read.

1. LEAVING MOTHER LAKE: a Girlhood at the Edge of the World by Yang Erche Namu and Christine Mathieu will introduce you to the Moso people, the "country of daughters," walking marriage, matrilineal society.

2. SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN by Lisa See will introduce you to nu shu -- secret women's writing.

INDIA

Yes, Arundhati Roy's book THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS was quite popular here in the US awhile back. I loved it.

A SUITABLE BOY has been sitting on my "To Read" pile for two years. This Harper Perennial edition has 1474 (count 'em) pages so I have been wary of it. Is it truly worthy of that time commitment in your opinion? Just looking for a little encouragement, I suppose.

Thanks again for very thoughtful lists.

topping

I am especially trying to find out if A SUITABLE BOY has vigorous champions.

Thank you.

A Suitable Boy is one of my FAvorite books of all Time!!!! it is a superb book to read to gain understanding to idnia! iT GOES fAST, do not worry about the numbers..

I also love love love, Rohinstn Mistry's a Fine Balance,. Beautiful and tragic..

I also love the writer, Geeta Mehta, anything she writes about India, for example snakes and Ladders, and a River Sutra..

Also love a new book, Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts, about bombay!

And for a great travelogue..I love Holy cow by Sarah McDonald.

Thank you, thank you!

Your list and Cicerone's make a great resource.

Your welcome.
I also love the writer Willaim DAlrymple. He wrote a few great books, namely city of Dijinns and Age of kali!

For the backpacker scene, a great book is called Are u Experinced. It is by William Sutcliffe.

Oh, also Gita Mehta's karma Cola!

And don't forget anything by Salman Rushdie, specifically Midnight;s Children..

I also realy like Shashi Tharoor's book called Indian Unbound, and A.L. Basham wrote a great book called the Wonder that was India..

And of course, Gandhi, My Experients with truth..
namaste, happy reading..I have many more books i love about India, but these are what are comming to mind.

Best books about India:
1. Culture Shock: India - part of the Culture Shock series. Very practical stuff for staying there long-term.

2. Being India by Varma. Delves deep into the Indian psyche and says lots of unpopular stuff I've been saying for ages. I guess it took an Indian to say it in a manner people found acceptable.

3. Empire of the Soul by Paul W. Roberts. My personal favourite Indian travelogue - such great perceptions and laugh-out-loud hilarity at the same time.

Best books about India:
1. Culture Shock: India - part of the Culture Shock series. Very practical stuff for staying there long-term.

2. Being India by Varma. Delves deep into the Indian psyche and says lots of unpopular stuff I've been saying for ages. I guess it took an Indian to say it in a manner people found acceptable.

3. Empire of the Soul by Paul W. Roberts. My personal favourite Indian travelogue - such great perceptions and laugh-out-loud hilarity at the same time.

4. A Passage to India by EM Forster. Covers disturbing issues that have changed very little ("is it really possible to be friends with 'them'?" - this, from both sides of the fence).

5. Plain Tales from the Raj - the first oral history project on the survivors of the British Raj. A great, vernacular account of lives of the colonials.

Visit The India Diaries - www.sirensongs.blogspot.com

A month or so back, I read a very good review in the NY Times of a book on India by a young Indian author (not sure he was born there, but ethnic Indian). It's a non-fiction book on the history/contemporary politics/economics of India. I searched for it online in the NY Times site, but couldn't locate that review. Does anyone know about this book?

Are you talking about a book called Maximum City? This is about Mumbai mostly. I have not read it yet and can't recall the author's name, but I just left Mumbai and several people there were talking about it and recommnded it to me.

Bookmarking for reference as my husband and I think about different places around the world to relocate to! What a fabulous list -- thank you!

Cicerone, Maximum City sounds like an interesting read too, at least from the reviews.

I think this is the book I had in mind. Found the review on the NYTimes website. Temptations of the West:How to be Modern in India, Pakistan, Tibet, and Beyond by Pankaj Mishra

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/23/bo...eb&ei=5070