Sudheer Sharma depicts a racy, comprehensive account of Nepal which traces the recent history of the country. It talks about the impact of the Maoist ‘people’s war,’ the palace massacre, the end of monarchy and developments in the Terai region. Sharma analyses the trajectory of Nepal – India relations and profiles all the major players involved. The past two decades was a turbulent, eventful era which had a transformative impact on the country. The author argues that poverty, unemployment and oppression drove the Maoist revolt and despite its ultimate failure, it played a decisive role in the socio- political transformation of Nepal.  This is a must read for all those interested in the contemporary events in the Indian subcontinent.