In this highly readable collection of essays, Francis Jarman ranges over such different topics as race, sex, the Second World War, detective novels, Kipling, torture, widow-burning, the Great Indian Novel, travel writing, the Srebrenica Massacre, the Indian Mutiny, and the reasons why writers write. What all the contributions have in common is a concern with problems of perception and communication across cultures. Complete with Notes, Bibliographies, and detailed Index.