The book provides a first hand account by a retired British official of conditions in the north of the Indian subcontinent on the eve of the British departure in 1947. The author during the course of a horseback journey of over 1400 miles from Peshawar to the Central Provinces, between November 1946 and April 1947, talked with hundreds of peasants and local wayside travelers and officials. The final part of the book which was written after independence and the creation of Pakistan pulls together the insights these interviews raised with respect to politics, economic conditions and changing social attitudes and family life.
The book provides a unique insight into Indian conditions and attitudes on the cusp of the British departure. The author because of earlier journeys and long service in the ICS is able to contextualize the conversations with the local populace and assess the truth behind some of the claims which are made.