India: In Word and Image, Revised, Expanded and Updated Hardcover – September 24, 2013

Celebrated photographer Meola is as intrepid a colorist as a master painter. The opening shots in this large, chromatic, and exciting volume include a close-up of a man’s many-hued, pigment-spattered shirt during Rang Gulal, the Hindu “festival of colors” and a photograph of a woman walking through a field of yellow flowers, cuing us to the deep pleasure Meola takes in this vast, varied land in which he has traveled for more than a decade. “As a photographer,” he writes, “I am drawn to India because of the psychedelic colors that seem to permeate every facet of life.” His roaming yet intimate lens captures the drama and radiance of people, flowers, fabric, temples, and animals. In her introduction, Bharati Mukherjee observes that Meola “uncovers the beauty (and ballet) of survival embedded in the daily lives of ordinary citizens.” Among the magnificent photographs are found gracefully selected and placed excerpts from the writings of Rabindranath Tagore, R. K. Narayan, Salman Rushdie, Anita Desai, Amit Chaudhuri, and Jhumpa Lahiri. This breathtaking, exquisitely curated volume is a feast for eye and mind. --Donna Seaman

PRAISE FOR THE ORIGINAL EDITION:

"[An] exotic five-star vacation in itself. The portraits, landscapes, and photographic studies of flora and architecture are more art than documentary, and are accompanied not by history lessons, but by masterly prose...Such words can hold their own with any pictures, even Meola's glorious photographs."
-- New York Times Book Review

"It’s not cheap, but if you’re looking for an immersive armchair travel experience in the company of a master photographer, this ticket to India is a bargain." – Murali Kamma, Khabar Magazine, December 2013

"It is clear Meola adores India. His photos capture not only images of common daily living in cities and countryside, but also fantastic religious festivals and rituals, gorgeous animals, the unintended beauty of pedestrian life, and also the ancient and irreplaceable monuments, temples, and fortresses around the nation. While it is well known India harbors more than her share of human pain and sorrow, Meola’s images capture the side of life we all appreciate, which is sweet, simple, and uplifting, with grainy depth. If you can’t visit India personally, this book will open the doors to your soul in that very special way." —Allyson Gracie, Wellness Specialist, Pilates & Yoga Instructor for – Retailing Insight Magazine

"Like the first edition of India, the book benefits from a confluence of things that lift it into the stratosphere of fine publishing: remarkable photography by a master of color, elegant design, superb production quality, and the inclusion of writings by some of the most eloquent literary voices of India, past and present...a remarkable achievement. Somewhere, Lord Krishna is smiling."  – Rob Atkins, photographer and author, Neon Mesa: Wonders of the Southwest, September 29, 2013

"If you want to dream almost hallucinatingly about visiting India.  Or remember the best of the India you did visit.  Or find the perfect Indian book gift.  Then at long last you can.  Big, luscious, delicious, exuberant – and of course saturated in colour –, Eric Meola’s photographs roam around this astoundingly rich and varied land with a fresh eye.  Dropped in among his pictures are short passages from some of India’s best-loved writers.  Nirad Chaudhuri’s memory of a monsoon shower (page 147) is perfection; you can hear it, see it, smell it.  Befitting such luxurious content, ‘India’ has its own saffron-yellow box to keep those dreams wrapped up safe, just as India’s maharajas kept their precious miniature paintings wrapped and protected.   There are thousands of books about India, but none quite like this."
--Louise Nicholson, an art historian, writer and journalist whose special fields are India and London.

"[An] ambitious and distinctive pairing of pictures and prose...The images are seductively beautiful; the texts are well-chosen and adroitly placed...What the book aims to convey by this weave of image and word is something essential about the cultural experience of India...the result is exhilarating and highly engaging."
--Color Magazine

"Absolutely exquisite...unbelieveable color jumps off each page. I would highly recommend for anyone who has ever been to, planning to go to or is simply fascinated by India." -- Mel, Amazon.com customer review

"Undeniably exciting...the color images are gorgeous, also, there is text by such writers as Salman Rushdie and Jhumpa Lahiri. This is more than just a book of pictures."
--The Wall Street Journal

"Meola has a fine eye for detail and devotes equal attention to the grand and the humble...Suffused with light and color, his images sidestep cliche to achieve an intimacy and spontaneity that readers will relish. Excerpts from such writers as Arundhati Roy, Salman Rushdie, and V.S. Naipaul round out this breathtaking book."
--Publishers Weekly

"Eric Meola, the photographer who shot the cover photo of Bruce Springsteen's 'Born to Run' album, has been traveling to India for more than 10 years, recording its people, landscapes, culture, and art. He sifted through 25,000 pictures from his journeys to select more than 200 images for this dazzling book."
--San Francisco Chronicle

"Eric Meola is one of those particularly inventive and imaginative artists."
--Rangefinder Magazine

"From temples to color-washed images of people, India: In Word and Image presents an outstanding splash of cultural insights and color combinations...very highly recommended."
--Midwest Book Review

"[Meola] is truly a grand master of color photography...He has the true eye of an artist. I feel he painted the festivals, the humanity, and the landscapes of India with a most compassionate eye...This book should be on everyone's coffee tables."
--Frank Stefanko, author of Patti Smith: American Artist

"India...is a lavishly illustrated and captivating coffee table book, its colorful and compelling photographs by Eric Meola interspersed with text from a variety of India-themed writings through the ages. We see people, landscapes, decorations, celebrations, poverty and excess, joy and sorrow, and all of it combines to tell the story of a nation that equally embraces its past and its present. 'India' would be a nice addition to a holiday wish list for travelers who have been or long to go."
--The Denver Post

"Eric Meola has gone to India and photographed every inch of it. He has brought back a vision of color unmatched anywhere on earth. When a master of color photography meets India's festival of colors, we have the ultimate magical mystery tour!"
--Pete Turner, photographer

"A strong sense of graphic design and brilliant saturated colors have always identified Meola's photographs...and now it comes as no surprise he's added his tender sense of humanity to the pictures in this breathtaking book, India."
--Anthony Edgeworth, photographer

"As the years have gone by Eric Meola has deepened his vision. India is altogether a stunning book with indelible images."
--Jay Maisel, photographer

"Eric Meola's India is a stellar collection of images and a must-have for the coffee table. It offers the reader a rare view of Indian culture filled with emotion, vibrant color and history. With this book, Eric has outdone himself. He has once again produced a book with images that are truly memorable. Eric brings back a collection of images that most photographers would have missed even if they were standing next to him. The composition, color, and graphic appeal are a testament to one of America's best photographers. This is a must-have book."
--Seth Resnick, photographer

"INDIA: In Word and Image is a breathtaking visual celebration of this incredibly diverse country. With an introduction written by award-winning, Indian-born author Bharati Mukerhjee, and photographs by Eric Meola, this book showcases the beauty of India from the Himalayas and monasteries in the north to the temples of Tamil Nadu in the south, from the color and pageantry of Rajasthan in the west to the tea plantations of Darjeeling in the east."
--Mona Sharma, SiliconIndia.com

"Filled to the brim with sumptuous color photographs from all over India. No matter the subject, Meola's photos are an invitation to share in Meola's skill with the camera and his love of India."
--lotusreads.blogspot.com