Nepal, which nestles in the loftty terrains of the Himalayas, had an area of 1,47,181 sq kms and an estimated population of 18.25 million in 1991. In the north the majestic Everest and other high mountains separate it from Tibet, but in the south the Nepalese Tarai is distinguished from the Gangetic plains only by the boundary pillars along the boundary from extreme East
to extreme West. And all Nepalese rivers flow down ultimately to join the Ganges, sacred to the Napalese and the Indians  alike.

The social history part of the book examines the impact of several social factors on Napalese history like geography, racial complexion, society and religion, the Nepalese personality, art and literature, communications, trade and commerce, music, dance and drama, the position of women and the army, etc.

The political history part of the book starts with the ancient period and after covering the medieval period, addresses itself to more recent events, e.g. Nepal’s relations with the East India Company, the role of the queens and Ranas, political awakening, King Tribhuwan’s revolution and the quest for parliamentary democracy, King Mahendra’s opting for personal rule, King Birendra’s legacy of the partyless panchayats. It then goes on to examine Nepal in the 1980s and the final chapter, ‘A New Beginning’, brings the narrative upto the end of 1991.

The book is fairly different holds its own amongst other histories of Nepal. This indepth and impartial study brings out the abiding influences of social traditions and values on historical development and treats the subject in its geopolitical setting.