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A Press Release on Sir Mark Tully’s latest book

“In everything he writes, Tully’s sympathy and knowledge of India shines through”
The Guardian

MARK TULLY

Sir Mark Tully

INDIA: THE ROAD AHEAD

Published by Rider Books on 1^st September 2011, £18.99 hardback

Sir Mark Tully’s perspective on India is unique.  He has lived in India for decades and his work as Chief of Bureau for the BBC in New Delhi made his voice and his views known around the world.  Loved for his warmth and modesty as much for his wide experience of all quarters of India, there is no commentator better placed to reveal what is really happening in the sub-continent. Twenty years ago Sir Mark Tully published his acclaimed work No Full Stops in India, an incisive collection of essays which shone a spotlight onto Indian life.   As he wrote the book the Indian economy was liberated from bureaucratic, socialist controls and a country once renowned for the backwardness of its industry and commerce became feted as one of the potential global economic leaders of the twenty-first century.  Two decades on, Tully has once again travelled the length and breadth of the sub-continent to examine the effects of these changes and provide a fascinating account of an emerging superpower at a pivotal moment in history.

With his exceptional insider’s perspective, Tully turns his attention to the many unanswered questions about the sustainability of India’s economic growth and its effects on the stability of the nation.  Through a series of ten essays, each focusing on the country’s most pressing concerns, India: The Road Ahead assesses whether India possesses the necessary traits and qualities to reap the full benefit of economic advancement, or whether rapid progress will come at a price. With a gift for finding the human stories behind the headlines, Tully has interviewed Indians from all walks of life including captains of industry and subsistence farmers, politicians and untouchables, spiritual leaders and bandits.  Drawing on their insights, he considers whether the changes have had any impact on the poor and marginalised, and how the development of the country’s creaking infrastructure can be speeded up to match its huge advances in technology and industry.

From the survival of India’s languages and protection of wildlife such as the tiger, to the nation’s thriving industries and colourful public affairs, India: the Road Ahead is a testament to India’s vibrant history and incredible potential, offering an unforgettable portrait of this important country.

Praise for Sir Mark Tully’s previous works

No Full Stops in India:

‘An unsentimental tribute to India by its best-loved Englishman’ Sunday Telegraph

‘Wonderful…whether describing a village wedding or a 15-million strong religious

festival he’s a brilliant reporter’ Mail on Sunday

India’s Unending Journey:

‘Acute and formidably well-read… Tully is untouchable’ Daily Telegraph

‘Deeply thoughtful’

Spectator

Sir Mark Tully was born in Calcutta, India in 1935.  He was the Chief of Bureau, BBC, New Delhi for twenty-two years, was knighted in the New Years Honours list in 2002 and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2005. Today, his distinguished broadcasting career includes being the regular presenter of the contemplative BBC Radio 4 programme ‘Something Understood’. His books include No Full Stops in India, India in Slow Motion (with his partner and  colleague Gillian Wright), and India’s Unending Journey.  He lives in New Delhi.

Sir Mark Tully is available for interview