Vivid Portrait Of An Animal That Has Captured The Imagination Of Humans For Millennia Elephas Maximus, The Majestic Asian Elephant, Is Still Revered In Indian Religion And Culture. Yet, Unabated Ivory Poaching Conjures Up Fears Of A Future When Tuskless Males May Be All That Survive And Conservationists Are Fighting To Preserve Its Endangered Habitat As Settlements Expand. Fascinated By This Regal Animal And Its Unique Relationship With Humankind, Stephen Alter Travelled Extensively Across India To Explore Its Natural Home, And Its Place In History And Myth. Alter'S Search Takes Him From National Parks Where He Observes Elephants In The Wild To The Annual Sonepur Mela Where They Are Bought And Sold, To Kota Where They Once Played A Unique Role In Royal Festivals. He Charts The Elephant In Art, Religion, Folklore And The Everyday World Of India, Bringing To Life The Complex Past And Troubled Present Of This Majestic Creature While Offering Hope For Its Future.

A lively portrait the state of India today and an investigation of what the future holds for the world's fastest-growing country, as told by those in the thick of the action

From the author of What Elephants Know, a 2017 ALA Notable Children's Book and winner of the 2017 South Asia Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, comes this stunning companion novel about the complex relationship between people and nature coexisting in the Borderlands of 1970s Nepal. Thirteen-year-old Nandu lives in the newly established Royal Elephant Breeding Center on the edge of the jungle. Here, the King's elephants are to be raised under the protective watch of the stable. Nandu-along with his adoptive father Subba-sahib, his mentors, friends, and the rest of the elephant drivers-is tested by man and nature as earthquakes, drought, wild herds, and rumors of poachers threaten the Center. When Nandu's world is thrown into turmoil, so, too, is the world of Hira Prasad, the Center's powerful bull elephant. An unbreakable bond of brotherhood drives Nandu and Hira Prasad together as they struggle to maintain the delicate natural order of life in the Borderlands. Dinerstein's poetic prose and scientific expertise come together in this breathtaking tale that transports the reader to the center of dangerous conflicts and heartbreaking friendships.

Abandoned in the jungle of the Nepalese Borderlands, two-year-old Nandu is found living under the protective watch of a pack of wild dogs. From his mysterious beginnings, fate delivers him to the King's elephant stable, where he is raised by unlikely parents-the wise head of the stable, Subba-sahib, and Devi Kali, a fierce and affectionate female elephant. When the king's government threatens to close the stable, Nandu, now twelve, searches for a way to save his family and community. A risky plan could be the answer. But to succeed, they'll need a great tusker. The future is in Nandu's hands as he sets out to find a bull elephant and bring him back to the Borderlands. In simple poetic prose, author Eric Dinerstein brings to life Nepal's breathtaking jungle wildlife and rural culture, as seen through the eyes of a young outcast, struggling to find his place in the world.

A comprehensive treatise on international military interventions. A hand-to-hand fight by a young officer against the LTTE and another unit’s bloody pitched battle while encircled by LTTE cadres, facing certain annihilation. An officer and a jawan have a premonition of their impending death. The unit's unflinching support mitigates a widow’s trauma of losing her husband in the face of a callous state government. A brigade commander, a staff officer, and a unit commanding officer share lessons during the command and management of troops in war under ambiguous circumstances. The aviator’s daredevil role of rescue and support in the face of enemy fire. A naval officer’s poignant race, while on a ship, to reach out in aid of his dying army colleague. A VIP heli- landing into an LTTE-infested area almost comes to grief, but for the courage of a few good men. A doctor’s unique bond with troops when the latter virtually denies his leave request. A risky raid, by an infantry column into a thickly forested enemy camp, amidst repeated ambushes. An IAF pilot deftly handles the IL76 to fly in the T-72 tank into an uncharted overseas destination. An attack helicopter pilot shares the unique experience of handling the MI 25, with its deadly firepower, in the jungles against LTTE while minimising collateral damage. Veterans quest to resurrect the IPKF legacy by covering 6,500 Km in 23 days motorcycle expedition to the North East. 28 compelling accounts. By the Authors of ‘ Valiant Deeds, Undying Memories.’ Careless of eye and coarse of the lip, They marched in the holiest fellowship. That heaven might heal the world, they gave Their earth-born dreams to deck the grave. -Marching Men, by Marjorie Pickthall