This Biography Is Written With A Deep Sense Of Empathy With Jim Corbett And His Life In The Hills. It Is Evocative And Perceptive, With Delightful Insights Into The Legend That Was Corbett.

7 July 1924. Sultana Daku, notorious leader of a gang of bhantu dacoits that terrorized the towns and villages of the United Provinces, awaits Lt. Col. Samuel Pearce’s arrival in Haldwani jail. It is Sultana’s last night. In the morning he will be hanged. Wrapped in a haze of charas and nostalgia, the daku speaks all night as the Englishman listens. He recounts tales of incredible feats and narrow escapes, of the camaraderie he shared with his bhantu companions, of his love for the nautanki dancer Phulkanwar, and of the shocking betrayal that brought him to the gallows. But even as Pearce and the reader are drawn into Sultana’s confession, the contradictions that emerge reveal the daku’s own demons—his fears, superstitions and ruthless excesses—and an unshakeable belief in his criminal destiny that clashes all too often with his secret longings and hopes. Combining swashbuckling adventure with a moving story of human frailty and fortitude, The Confession of Sultana Daku is a grand narrative that is as mesmerizing as it is unsettling. Told with remarkable flair, passion and a rare sensitivity, it seals Sujit Saraf’s reputation as a master storyteller.

Jim Corbett's classic stories of hunting the man-eating tigers of India have thrilled generations of readers and made him famous world-wide. Born in India in 1875, Corbett was at home in the jungles from an early age, killing his first leopard when he was only eight. Tigers were his most sought after prey but, in time, he began to turn toward conservation. From the mid-1920s he stopped shooting tigers for sport, only killing the man-eaters that plagued many Indian villages. In 1936 Corbett was instrumental in creating India's first tiger reserve--perhaps the world's first "big-game park"--and was a devoted conservationist for the remainder of his years. The Carpet Sahib is the story of this remarkable man. Martin Booth, who spent ten years of research on this definitive biography, follows Corbett's footsteps through the Himalayan jungles and foothills that provided the backdrop for some of his most hair-raising adventures. Booth brings to life a man of inestimable courage and integrity whose love for India, her people, and her natural treasures was intense. Today, Jim Corbett is revered in Northern India as the legendary holy figure who fought the devil in his disguise as a man-eating big cat, and by those who have so enjoyed his gripping collections of tales. This is the first book to reveal the man behind the myth.

The tiger moved restlessly around the narrow space into which it was penned. There was light and air beyond the long thick stick things that kept it back but no sign of grass. Just a bare stretch of flat stone. Leaf shadows moved across the empty clearing in front with the gusts of wind. Apart from the rustle of the leaves there was no other sound. Nor were there smells of anything on the air. All the tiger could scent were a few stale smells of people and those died when the wind dropped. No scent of monkeys or deer or any of the other jungle creatures he was used to. It was a young tiger barely old enough to hunt for itself. It was still very confused as to how it had got itself into this narrow space. A tiger is kidnapped and so is a girl - though not at the same time. They find themselves sharing isolation in a hunting lodge that is rumoured to be haunted, at the mercy of an unknown enemy. Who has locked them in and why? What happens when a young tiger is terrified out of its wits and a girl finds herself locked in and forced to fend for herself? Perhaps call for a ghost to come to the rescue? Anjana really does get into the tiger’s skin to bring us never seen before insights into the big cat’s world. - Paro Anand

Rohan and his mother are holidaying in the Kumaon Hills. Rohan should be studying his maths because he failed in his exams, but he is spending a lot of time reading Jim Corbett’s Maneaters of Kumaon and wandering the hills with a village girl called Manjul who goes to herd her cows every day. The two become friends because Rohan admires the way she can jump streams like a little cat and her knowledge of the woods. Into their lives comes a tiger who is apparently killing cattle in the nearing villages. And then there is a mysterious man with a moustache who materializes at night and seems to be able to talk to both children and tigers. Rohan is convinced that he is Jim Corbett’s ghost. Manjul is unconvinced. Whoever the mysterious man is, his task is to save the tiger from poachers and herd it back into the National Park. The result is a story of mystery and magic.

The Rough Guide to India is the essential travel guide to this fascinating country. It covers all the major areas, from Delhi's Paharganj to Havelock Island in the Andamans, with reviews of the best resorts, hotels, restaurants and nightlife for every taste and budget. The guide includes practical advice on exploring all the attractions, like the stunning temples, mosques and museums, and details all you need to know about the country's history, religions, wildlife and predominant language, Hindi. The Rough Guide to India has dozens of easy-to-use maps, covering all the states, major cities and other areas of interest to travellers. Plus, superb photography across sections show India's highlights and a basics section covers essentials such as social and etiquette tips. Make the most of your trip with The Rough Guide to India. Now available in epub format.