'This sweeping study covers South Asia's environmental past from ancient times to the contemporary period; it will now become the standard text on the subject. Fisher's special ability to place environmental issues in larger contexts makes this book valuable to general classes on South Asian history as well as to advanced courses and professional scholarship.' Douglas E. Haynes, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire
'This environmental history of India, from ancient times to the present, synthesizes vast amounts of research in readily accessible prose to bring public history and sophisticated scholarship into a congenial dialogue. Novices and experts alike will learn a lot from the lightly-worn erudition of the author and enjoy the smooth-flowing river of stories the book provides.' K. Sivaramakrishnan, Yale University, Connecticut
'So, three cheers for a new book by one of the world's most distinguished environmental historians … deserves a place on the shelves of secondary schools, colleges and universities throughout the English speaking Commonwealth, of which India is such an important member … Cambridge University Press should be congratulated for including so many excellent maps, diagrams and illustrations which make even more compelling the text of this well-written, beautifully presented but at times most chilling of books.' Trevor Grundy, Asian Affairs