This is evidently the first coffee table publication profusely illustrated with colour maps and laden with useful data— on our defence forces, including the coast guard.

It is a laudable idea to collate and publish at one place all the intelligence about the nation’s defenders, as perceived by authors who are not mere scholars and experts but actual combatants of varying ranks and with a wide experience. 
 
The celebrated security expert, K Subrahmanyam, who retired after long years as Director of the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), is the first civilian— he is an IAS Officer seconded to the IDSA— to master the ins and outs of national security in the kaleidoscopic global context. He has also initiated laypersons like me into understanding and articulating what was then an esoteric subject.

There is a story, not apocryphal, of Mahavir Tyagi, as junior defence minister under Nehru, addressing even Lieutenant Generals as Captain. When one of them told the minister that he had risen six ranks above Captain, the minister thinking Brigadier General was the top rank in the Service elevated him to that position. The officer then respectfully informed the Hon Minister that that rank had not yet been introduced into the Indian army! 

Shedding light
The rank structure, the chain of command, field formations and static formations in the Army are described; light is similarly shed on data of a corresponding nature in the other two Services. Of special interest are particulars of the recent two Army Commands— South-Western Command, Jaipur, Army Training Command, Shimla, in addition to the initial Northern, Western, Eastern, Southern and Central Commands at Udhampur, Chandigarh, Kolkuta, Pune and Lucknow respectively.

The authors are Captain Bharat Varma, Vice-Admiral G M Hiranandani, who has also a Doctorate and Air Marshal B K Pandey. Captain Bharat Varma, as editor of the Indian Defence Review, is an established writer on security issues, while the Vice-Admiral has appropriately written about the coast guard.

The Indian Coast Guard, as the youngest of the Services, was set up in 1978. It has its headquarters in New Delhi with regional headquarters in Mumbai, Chennai and Port Blair. It has an Air Wing as well.
Finally, there is a bonus description of our geo-political situation, with a listing of the strengths and location of the defence forces, their armament and brief overviews of roles in hostilities since Independence. In short, it is a gold mine of substance sans subjectivity. As welcome as the publication of the data is the preparedness of the country to have it done.