Rating: 
Summary: A good introductory overview of the nation and its history
Review: Keay has received a fair amount of flak already for his discussion of the Aryan invasion theory which has been vehemently discredited by contemporary Indian historians. But the book is still a very readable, very enjoyable overview of Indian history, and should serve as a fine study for the beginning scholar. His prose is intelligent and shows its biases quite fairly and with some real flair, and he is often witty and incisive.
Rating: 
Summary: Sweeping
Review: Keay takes on the daunting task of summarizing 3,000 years of history in about 500 pages. Amazingly, he comes up with a winner. His writing style is sophisticated yet fluid and enjoyable. Ample maps are provided, both political and geographic, so we know what is going on and where. Special attention is paid to the architectural feats of India, complemented by photographs and a thorough index. This book would serve as a fine introduction to either students or casual readers who want to begin to delve into the Asian subcontinent.
Rating: 
Summary: Weak
Review: Keay, as is common of his historical writing fails uttering in this survey. If you are honestly interested in the subject try Sugrata Bose's Modern South Asia. This book is tainted by the authors affair with Hoary History
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Keays... is no doubt an accomplished author, historian.. that has brought a detailed, and rich view of India's history..This however, has been tarnished, with the continuing affirmation of the Aryan/Euro invasion of India.. I really hope that he does a revised edition to this book that will account for the emerging view of India's REAL non-Aryan history.
Rating:
Summary: Great book overall
Review: One of a very few books that cover 5000 years on history of india in one book. There may not be any proofs of some of the ancient history such as Aryanisation. However, the author has been very forthcoming about making clear that there is no facts/information that prove any theories. It is a daunting task to cover 5000 years of history in 500 pages and author has done a good job at it. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in knowing about India's history.
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Summary: A Macro-level treatise of Indian History
Review: Readers who peruse this book should combine the 30,000 foot perspective that Keay provides in this book with the 'in the trenches' view of societies one gets - for example, by reading V.S.Naipaul's essays on his travels through ancient societies. I think both views are necessary and complementary to get a good grasp of why certain civilizations are as they are today. A micro-level perspective cannot do justice to interplay of the plethora of ethnic subcultures that exist in India today which are offsprings of dynasties and kingdoms of yore. The macro-level perspective of Keay enables one to gain insights into this interplay. One understands for example why there is a pre-dominance of vegetarianism in Karnataka today as opposed to the other South Indian states of Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. One could attribute it to the influence of Jainism in Karnataka which can be traced to Chandragupta Maurya who converted to the Jain faith and settled down with his followers at Sravanabelagola in Karnataka. I find insights to this ethnic interplay very fascinating since my own childhood was a story of constant relocation from one part of India to the other and being constantly exposed to new sights and sounds and tastes of various parts of India. Keay's treatise adds new dimension to my childhood experiences in that it enables me to connect historical events of India's past to my memories of India and her people. I would heartily recommend this to Indians as well since this panaromic view would put into perspective the little snippets of Indian history learnt during the school years to meet the demands of an examination based curriculum. If read with genuine intellectual curiosity to learn about the past of their country, it will leave the reader eminently literate about their own heritage. I think Keay's effort goes a long way in being objective and dispassionate and amazingly free of any cultural bias. Its like listening to the BBC. It is a Eurocentric view but thankully not as self-absorbed like the American media.
Rating: 
Summary: Good writing but bias is heavy...
Review: This book is a good one, though it would seem to fit an earlier era of historical writing, rather than the early 21st-century. Keay is a good writer and does a good job of stringing together a vast amount of information, while generally keeping it interesting. However, his Euro-centrism is a little disturbing and very obnoxious. Indian civilizations were great in their own right, in a completely different context than of European civilizations, and I think he fails to make this point. Reccommended, but be weary of bias.
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Summary: Superb General History of India
Review: This book is by far the best general history of India which I have found(I can only speak of English texts). Keay covers the full sweep of Indian history without spending two thirds of the book on the last two hundred years. Most other Indian historis focus too much on the colonial era. Moreover, when they describe pre-colonial times they mainly talk about the great "highpoints" such as the the Mauryan empire, the Gupta empire and the Great Moguls. Yet these highpoints only lasted for a small portion of the timeline of Indian history and usually left large portions of the subcontinent outside their way. The book has a superb graph which illustrates this point. Keay explicits states that he wants to avoid the common practice of treating Indian history as different. Most other histories deemphasize chronology and emphasize religion and society (especially the caste system). They almost treat India as timeless. While religion and society are very important topics, I found it very refreshing to read Keay's book with its greater emphasis on chronology. I strongly feel that he found a much better balance than I read in other popular histories of India. Keay expertly strings together the various threads of India's history. This is no easy task given what at times is a plethora of dynasties and rulers. He was able to strike a good balance in giving a lot of information, without making the text tedious. "India: A History" is a book of which I have already reread portions, and I am sure I will consult it many times in the future.
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Summary: Excellence At It's Best
Review: This book is excellent. It tells, with fine detail, how India developed. From the Indus Valley years to its discovery, it's all here.
Rating:
Summary: Good read for beginners of Indian History
Review: This book provides a overview of Indian history from the very earlist to modern history. That is the books greatest strength and weakness. I liked learning about the ancient history of Indian. That put the more modern history into better perspective. The down side is that parts are very brief. At times it was like reading the "begats" in the Bible. But by the time the reader is done, the reader will have a good understanding of Indian history. On the whole it is well written. Many of the complaints in some of the reviews seem to be from people that did not make past the first couple of chapters. As for the complaints about the "Eurocentric" view point, all histories have view points. The only way to develop a sound opinion is to read several books from various viewpoints. Then make up your own mind. I recommend reading this book.
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