Bøker av Akhil Bakshi

In the Heart of America - Travels in Mexico and Central America takes the reader deep into the region's shared culture and brilliantly fuses its hoary antiquity with contemporary life. As he visits the ancient archaeological sites of Teotihuacan, Monte Alban, Mitla, Palenque, Bonampak, Yaxchilan and Tikal, the author celebrates the superior artistic and technical achievements of the flourishing pre-Columbian civilisations of Maya, Zapotec, Aztec, Mixtec and others - and rejoices at the present reassertion and rediscovery of native culture and traditions. His deep curiosity about evolutionary history and archaeological anthropology leads him to hypothesise the presence of a Negroid population in the Americas long before the arrival of the Mongoloid Asians from across the Bering Strait. It is a breezy satire of the region's troubled past shaped by marauding conquistadors, industrious clergy, ragtag revolutionaries and corrupt leaders who did nothing to help the lives of the poor - and describes the senseless suffering being wrought today by brutal gangs that pedal drugs, smuggle people and extort innocent citizens. People recount disturbing reminiscences about the horrors of civil wars and share their hopes for a more peaceful future. As he travels overland the length of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, the author observes the impact of global warming and highlights measures being taken by these countries to manage the looming crisis. Full of wit and humour, it has lively descriptions of the bewildering beauty of landscape and people - and entertaining accounts of the author's brushes with ladies of easy virtue, thuggish immigration officials, murderous teachers and nauseating cuisine. A deftly crafted travelogue on one of the most fascinating region of our planet, it is a light, fun read that will linger long in the mind. The text is enhanced with 91 colour photographs.

"Religion is the business of South Asia. Our temples, mosques and monasteries have no memory of being touched by a dark recession. The sun always shines on them and business is on a constant upswing," writes the author in the preface to the book. Akhil Bakshi has seldom been content simply with satiric bite or verbal brilliance: he has usually aimed to confront broad and challenging themes. In Power Places of South Asia, he covers territory where dust is raised, and tempers are quickly lost. His bold and entertaining accounts of his visits to holy shrines across South Asia are entirely satisfying, pertinent and entertaining. The revisionist versions of immortal religious epics and legends are hilarious. The imaginative yarns about gods and saints balance popular views. Descriptions of statues engaged in gynaecological probes at the Sun Temple, the revered rats of the Karni Mata Temple, bathing with an avalanche of three million sinners at Kumbh Mela, his struggles with the curses delivered by pick-pocketing priests of Ajmer Dargah - are full of wit and punch. The narrative about the magical powers of the Temple of the Tooth Relic at Kandy, the Sai temple at Shirdi, the Chilla of Baba Farid, and Milarepa's Cave in Tibet pulls you along, leaving you properly thoughtful. Power Places of South Asia will have a worthy place in an anthology of contemporary humorous writing.

Antarctica: Hell of a Place is a jovial account of the author's visit to the frozen continent on a Chilean warship. Through delightful conversations with sailors, scientists, and "straight-backed" veterans, he recounts the triumphs and tragedies of Antarctic explorers, and reflects on Antarctica's haunting history and apocalyptic future. A lively sense of danger always persists in his imagination as the ship battles turbulent waves, howling winds, and biting cold. Beautiful descriptions of the snowy wilderness, the imagery of celestial bliss and fiery damnation dazzle the mind. The reader is transported to the world of lazing seals and scandalous penguins. The beguiling book skilfully conveys the excitement of Antarctic travel.An essay on 'Scientific Diplomacy in Antarctica' is appended. 204 pages with 85 photos and maps.