Rating: 
Summary: Hopelessly outdated
Review: A lot of dramatic archaeological discoveries make the early chapters of the book totally outdated. For example, it has been discovered that there exists a rock art tradition in India that goes back to 40000 BC. The Harappan tradition itself goes back to about 8000 BC. Archaeologists have abandoned the idea that the Indian civilization is a result of some invasion or immigration. The chronology of the Vedic texts is thus an open question. The more recent material is likewise very weak, slanted overmuch toward a liberal-Marxist view that the ``official'' Congress historians have espoused. The least Mr Wolpert can do is to give the book a new, major revision, lacking which it will remain hopelessly outdated.
Rating:
Summary: A Poor History of India
Review: A New History of India by Stanley Wolpert is a one-volume history of India. Unfortunately, it is not a very good one. It appears to be written as a textbook and has many of the faults of textbooks covering such a vast subject. I often felt I needed an expert on Indian history to fill in the gaps. While one can empathize with the tremendous task of writing a one volume history of any country, the great failing of this book is that it does not give the reader a good overall perspective on the political and socio-economic development of the country. Additionally, there are poor linkages between one era and the next as the book moves from ancient to more modern times.
This history starts by providing an ecological setting and tracing the history of the Indus peoples from circa 2500 BC forward. These chapters are very short and bereft of the details one needs to understand the development of the culture, politics, and economics of the country. There is a lot more to be said about early Indian history than is provided here. Often the book jumps from one theme or era to another without adequate connections to provide an understanding of the significance of events. This is even true of the chapters on the Mughal Empire, although here the text does a slightly better job.
The book is on much firmer ground when discussing modern Indian history, starting with the gradual absorption of India into the British Empire. There are fuller details and linkages between events leaving the reader with a better understanding of this era in Indian history. Nevertheless, there are still gaps in providing the reader with enough information and insight to fully appreciate India's development.
As a result of these shortcomings, I cannot recommend this book to the general reader.
Rating: 
Summary: Broad, Brief and Impartial. sort of...
Review: Despite an out-dated view towards the Indus Valley civilization, Wolpert provides the most up-to-date history of India upto Narasimha Rao's PMship, (I think). Covers Indira and Rajiv particularly well, and impartially (IMHO). Excellent primer to India's history.BTW, what is this BS about Marxism? Anyone who has ever actually READ Marx would never make such stupid comments.
Rating:
Summary: really out of date
Review: Except for chapter 26, the contents of this book would suggest that writing about the history of India stopped in the 1970s. There has been an enormous amount of scholarship in the last quarter century that should be incorporated into any serious history of South Asia. If the author is unwilling to do so, OUP should find another scholar able to update this very readable but now terribly antiquated volume.
Rating: 
Summary: Ideal Introduction
Review: I am not sure how a serious student of Indian history would rate this book but for me as a novice it was ideal. It is very concise yet quite readable which is a great feat for any survey style book. I picked it up because I was curious to know more about India of antiquity after reading about Alexander the Great's war with king Porus. Not only I filled in those gaps but learned a great deal more because the book turned out to be fun to read. It covers everything from the most ancient times of pre Indo-European Harpalla and the city of the dead to Ghandi. I recommend to any novice who just wants to quickly learn essential facts of Indian history.
Rating:
Summary: More Info on Indian Culture
Review: I found the other reviews very helpful, but wanted to suggest that if you want to know more about Indian culture, go to an Indian Temple to observe a worship service. Also, there are numerous festivals that are celebrated at various times of the year which are often celebrated at the temple. If you go, you will be asked to remove your shoes before entering the shrine...there is usually a room right before going in where everyone take off shoes (Leather belts also may need to come off..ask!). I just visited a temple during a celebration of Indian Independence from Britain that had about 2 hours of performances of dances and folk songs from each of the Indian states, followed by a pot-luck dinner afterwards. It was a great experience.
An interesting point about the event was the pride Indians take in the diversity and unity in India and the US. In fact, the Independence celebration was begun by singing the National Anthem's of both India and the U.S.!! I did not expect to hear the Star Spangled Banner, but it was sung beautifully!!
Rating:
Summary: A surprisingly complete history on such a vast culture
Review: I was very surprised on how much I learned from Mr. Wolpert in this history book. It is an excellent book for beginners looking to understand more about Indian history. Most of the information is accurate and well-documented. As for traditionalist who have yet to come to the truth about archaeoligical dates and times, I would not recommend reading this book. It is based on FACT (scientific documentation) to support its allegations.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Introduction to the History of India
Review: I've always wanted to learn about my Indian heritage. They don't teach India's history in grades 1-12 (very European focused). This book was great in giving me that introduction. The book tries to cover all of India from 2500BC to 1998. Eventhough I thought it was a great book, I wish there were more maps of India during the different time periods. With the number of changes and cities mentioned it would have helped to follow along a little better. I've learned a lot about India's History and I also realize I still have a lot more to learn about it. I've been recommending this book to all my friends.
Rating: 
Summary: Choose a different history book
Review: my first problem with this book was the amount of art Wolpert discusses, yet the only pictures are maps that are hard to read. There are pictures of harappan seals, but not in this book. My second problem is his Hindu bias, Bramin are supressive people, but he glosses over supression campaigns in India by declairing them proof of Hinduisms openness to new ideas. There were others too, but oh well.
Rating:
Summary: Well documented work on a complex land and culture
Review: Stanley Wolpert devoted to the study of the history of the Indian sub continent has produced a remarkable book on India. If you have just enough time to read only one book on India, I will definitely recommend this one. The history and the pluralistic culture of India are indeed complex. Wolpert provides a panoramic view of the development of Indian culture that has been formed through amalgamation and mixing of many cultures, races and religions. And he has done quite well. I am also very impressed with the fact that he has not adopted the usual western paternalistic attitudes towards his subject. Wolpert's book should be read not only by the historians, but also people in the field of business, particularly those gurus of globalization who chaff at the slow pace of changes in countries like India. Wolpert provides a well-documented story of the plunder and subjugation of the Indians carried out in the name of international trade. After all East India Company was just another multinational company. To save the interests of the Company and its members the British government had to take over India. But one can't blame the British for the take over. The late eighteen century saw India as a divided nation, various factions based on religion, caste and regional roots made it ripe for foreign invasions. What happened in India also linked to the wider scene in other part of the world. Lord Cornwallis who suffered a humiliating defeat in New York, appeared in India as the powerful general and did all he could to establish his might. Fights among the different kings in Europe had direct bearing on their fights in India. To his credit, Wolpert has carried his story right up to the present time and made a heroic attempt to portray the current happenings in simplified ways. I however, detect a pro- American bias in this part of his book. The Nobel Peace Prize Winner Kisinger had a role in pushing the India- Pakistan war leading to the creation Bangladesh, but that was glossed over. Instead, Wolpert portrays Indira Gandhi choosing Russia over the western alliance and thus deviating from her father's policy of non-alignment. As a person who lived in the USA during the Nixon, I vividly remember how this Metternich of the US nudged the sub continent to war. In any case, Wolpert has produced a very good book free from ideological preaching. It is a good book to read and have.
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