No other land enjoys such a profusion of creative energies for the production of textiles as India. From the Rann of Kutch to the Coromandel coast, from city and village, handloom weavers, block printers, painters, dyers and embroiderers continue its flourishing textile traditions. John Gillow and Nicholas Bamard have travelled thousands of miles to gather firsthand information and colour pictures of cloths. They examine the cultural background: the history; the materials; and the techniques - weaving, printing, painting and tie-and-dye. They then give a detailed region-by-region account of traditional textile production. An array of photographs provides a display of the textiles. A detailed reference section completes this essential guide. John Gillow researches, collects, exhibits and lectures on the textiles of India and South-East Asia. He is the author of "Traditional Indonesian Textiles" (Thames and Hudson, 1992). Nicholas Barnard's publications include "Living with Kilims" (with Alastair Hull, 1988), "Living with Decorative Textiles" (1989) and "Living with Folk Art" (1991), all available from Thames and Hudson.