Nepal emerged as a unified state over two hundred years ago, centred on the Kathmandu Valley with its two thousand years of urban civilisation. While John Whelpton's history focuses on the period since the overthrow of the Rana family autocracy in 1950–51, the early chapters are devoted to the origins of the kingdom and the evolving relations of its diverse peoples. By drawing on research on Nepal's environment, society and political institutions, the author portrays a country of extraordinary contrasts, which has been constantly buffeted by its neighbours, the two Asian giants, China and India. Economic and political turmoil over the last fifty years came to a climax in the massacre of the royal family in 2001, when the country erupted into civil war. The book, first published in 2005, is comprehensive and its accessible approach will appeal to students, professionals and those visiting the region.

'A History of Nepal will be of interest to any student of South Asian studies, since it fills a serious lacuna in scholarship on the region. … Whelpton's text is the first accessible overview of Nepal's political history published by a university press in English. … Whelpton deserves much praise for rising to the challenge of writing a comprehensive yet orderly history of a nation … Whelpton succeeds on all accounts. As a result, A History of Nepal is a compelling narrative introduction to this frequently misunderstood country.'

Source: The Times Higher Education Supplement

'… very well written and organised, … an excellent one-volume up-to-date history of Nepal in addition to being an extremely good reference book.'

Source: The Britain-Nepal Society Journal

'… Whelpton's History of Nepal is a valuable introduction to that country. It will be useful to all non-Nepalese specialists interested in South Asia: it gives a good and accurate account of the historical events and provides general information on a wide range of quite disparate topics.'

Source: Contributions to Nepalese Studies