"'As pungently aromatic as a Madras curry' Sunday Telegraph 'Books of the Year' 'Indian Balm sheds vivid and dramatic light on this unsung Indian province. A richly rewarding read.' John Keay 'Paul Hyland went off the tourist track and up the river his forebears adopted...His experiences - good, bad and never less than colourful - are revealed in Indian Balm which captures the spirit of this south eastern area of the subcontinent and makes a thoroughly engrossing read.' Choice, 'Book of the Month'"

Paul Hyland was born in Dorset a month after India gained independence. An award-winning poet and travel writer, his books Purbeck and Wight are modern classics. His African journey, The Black Heart, follows Joseph Conrad, Roger Casement and Dan Crawford up the River Congo. Backwards Out of the Big World takes him deep into the Portuguese psyche and his highly-praised Ralegh's Last Journey explores the last, bizarre weeks of Sir Walter Ralegh's life. Paul Hyland now lives in Dorset, but used to live in North Devon where W. Bowden's original 'Indian Balm' was made and marketed for eighty years.