From the Buddha and Alexander the Great to Genghis Khan, Akbar the Great and Mahatma Gandhi, an acclaimed historian offers a sumptuously illustrated history of five-thousand years of India.

In the 13th Century, Marco Polo described India as "a land of wonders," and his observation is no less true today. India is the world's largest democracy, a nuclear power, and a rising economic giant--but also the world's most ancient surviving civilization, with unbroken continuity stretching back into prehistory. It is a land of tremendous spirituality punctuated by terrible religious violence, of vast deserts and Himalayan peaks that disappear into the sky, of remote Mughal forts and jam-packed megacities, and of the world's most glorious architectural splendors: the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, and Luyten's Delhi.

An epicenter of trade and a land of extraordinary riches, India has played a prominent role in world history. At the beginning of the 21st century, India has once again become a leading player on the world stage.

In India, Michael Wood leads his audience on six eye-opening journeys into the subcontinent, where he uncovers the fabulous sights and sounds, the dazzling achievements, and the dramatic history of the world's most influential civilization. This sumptuously illustrated book is a magical mix of history and travelogue, and an unforgettable portrait of India--past, present, and future.

• HistoryIndia