Brian on the Brahmaputra is a day-by-day account of an actual wildlife expedition to Assam, by means of a boat trip down the Brahmaputra, and the extension to this expedition in the form of an excursion to the Sundarbans – the mangrove-covered islands in the mouth of the Ganges, south of Kolkata. However, it is a great deal more than this.It is the tale of two dozen middle-aged amateur naturalists from England and their encounter with a very unusual world, as seen through the eyes of one of the group. This fairly insecure, misanthropic member of the party, Brian, records his thoughts and his feelings about not just the unfamiliar parts of India through which he travels, but also about those with whom he is travelling. In this way, a picture is painted of a largely unknown area of the world and of a largely unknown pastime, namely that of an organised ‘nature trip’ – and of course, of the sort of people who participate in such trips.The account is factual, but overlaid with a large helping of humour, a number of quirky perspectives and some poetic licence. The result is an amusing and informative story, which is at the same time unavoidably caustic and provocative.Brian on the Brahmaputra will appeal to fans of travel writing, in particular those with an interest in human behaviour. It is part of a seven-part series which details Brian and Sandra’s travels to Assam, Namibia, Syria, Borneo, Cape Verde, Botswana and Morocco – and in due course, Zambia.

Despite Brian’s longstanding aversion to cruises, there was no way he could pass up the opportunity to join an ‘expedition cruise’ to Melanesia. After all, this little known corner of the Pacific Ocean included any number of delectable destinations, not least the myriad islands that made up New Caledonia, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. So Brian and Sandra signed up – for two weeks at sea in the MS Caledonian Sky, and what would turn out to be two weeks of discovery as this pocket cruise ship made its way north from New Zealand up through Melanesia to Papua New Guinea. Along the way would be encountered isolated communities, novel cultures, lush tropical vegetation, volcanoes – and, if one was Brian, a series of self-induced melancholic episodes that threatened to ruin the whole trip. Whether it was a contemplation of the failing of friendships, the malignant nature of political correctness or just the trials of old age, Brian just couldn’t help immersing himself in gloom – despite his far from gloomy situation. Indeed, so relentless were these attacks of melancholia that Brian was obliged to resort to a remedy once used by Captain Cook’s crew when they were in this same part of the Pacific. Because to relieve the tedium of their long voyages, they would set about the composition of any number of crude limericks… So, Melanesia, Melancholia and Limericks provides not just an insight into the fascinating islands of Melanesia (and the not-so-fascinating depths of Brian’s melancholia) but also fifty brand new and not in the least bit melancholic limericks. Most of which Sandra found profoundly crude. Inevitably.

There was a keen lover named Claude Whose technique with women was flawed And that’s why, you see He had turned sixty-three By the time he had finally scored This book does what it says on the tin – and more. It not only provides 366 original ribald rhymes, but with this armoury of new 21st century limericks, it also fights a rearguard action against the forces of political correctness, wokeness, unwarranted respect – and decency. Ideal for Baby Boomers, A Leap Year in Limericks is not for the faint-hearted...

Absolutely Galápagos provides an insight into every feature of that famous archipelago – warts and all – and a further insight into the unique and confused mind of Brian. And, of course, he is more ‘at sea’ in this book than in any of those that have gone before… It has to be admitted that Brian’s interest in the place that inspired Charles Darwin’s ground-breaking On the Origin of Species was first inspired not by the islands themselves but by the image of a boat. He was simply enthralled at the prospect of sharing a two-week voyage at sea with fourteen other like-minded souls – and with Sandra, of course. So, off they both went – to discover that not only was the boat all they’d hoped it would be but also that the Galápagos Archipelago really was like nowhere else on Earth. His fourteen new companions hadn’t, of course, expected Brian – and his thoughts on matters as diverse as the mystery of how classic literature was produced before the days of creative writing courses. Oh, and Sandra hadn’t expected a daily Brian lecture on some of the more interesting aspects of every single country in South America...

The question of whether China and India can cooperate is at the core of global geopolitics. As the two countries grow their economies, the potential for conflict is no longer simply a geopolitical one based on relative power, influence and traditional quarrels over land boundaries. This book assesses the varying interests of China and India in economics, environment, energy, and water and addresses the possibility of cooperation in these domains. Containing analyses by leading authorities on China and India, it analyses the nature of existing and emerging conflict, describes the extent of cooperation, and suggests possibilities for collaboration in the future. While it is often suggested that conflict between the giants of Asia is the norm, there are a number of opportunities for cooperation in trade, international and regional financial institutions, renewable energy development and climate change, and shared rivers. This book will be of interest to researchers in the fields of Asian Studies, International Relations, and Asian Politics.