His tales of India are fresh yet age-old; the scents, sights andanguor of the Indian scene have rarely been captured with such ease and authority''-National Herald ''Ruskin Bond has a magnificently simple and immensely moving style, compassion and aove and reverence forife''-Indian Express ''A writer of great gifts.''- New Statesman One of the country''s foremost writers.''- Sunday Chronicle ''The country''s best-loved English-language storyteller...seldom disappoints his readers... If you want the...pleasures of a good story, you can''t go wrong with Bond.''-ive Mint One of India''s best-loved storytellers.''- The Hindu The twenty-one stories in the book are the greatest pieces of fiction written by Ruskin Bond. Chosen by the author himself, from a body of work built over fifty years (starting with his award-winning first novel, The Room on the Roof, and ending with Tales of Fosterganj) this collection includes well-known masterpiecesike ''The Night Train at Deoli'', ''The Woman on Platform No 8'', ''Rusty Plays Holi'' (from The Room on the Roof), ''Angry River'', ''The Blue Umbrella'', ''The Eyes Have It'', ''Most Beautiful'', ''Panther''s Moon'', as well as newer storiesike ''An Evening at the Savoy with H.H.'' (from Maharani) and ''Dinner with Foster'' (from Tales of Fosterganj). Taken together, the stories in A Gathering of Friends show why Ruskin Bond hasong been regarded as one of the pillars of Indianiterature. This is a book that will delight hisegions of fans as well as thoseucky few who are new to his fiction.