This large-format, beautifully prepared volume runs the risk of being thought of as a ``coffee-table book,'' but readers who confine themselves to a quick perusal of the photos will miss its subtle power and compelling message. The text is in the form of a reminiscence by former UN Ambassador Singh; it gives a vivid account of the events surrounding his creation of the 96 duotone photos that are the main focus of the volume. The time period is the late 1940s during the agonizing partition of India, and the photos are of the diverse types who comprise the common people of that country. The book was left unpublished in the West until now, and what was born of an immediate and unique situation proves to have a timelessness and a striking relevance to the human condition. Recommended for art and photographic arts collections and for collections with an interest in Asian history.-- Mark Woodhouse, Gannett- Tripp Lib., Elmira Coll., N.Y.