India and Pakistan: A General and Regional Geography (Routledge Library Editions British in India)

This book, first published in 1954 with this revised edition published in 1972, was recognised as the standard work on Indo-Pakistani geography. Part 1 focuses on climate and soils; Part 2 provides a synopsis of the social complexities of the sub-continent; Part 3 examines planning and development; Part 4 is devoted to detailed regional description, both urban and rural.

Oskar Hermann Khristian Spate was a geographer best known for his role in strengthening geography as a discipline in Australia and the Pacific. In 1967 he became the director of the Australian National University's Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies (RSPAS). He served in this capacity until his retirement in 1972, when he took up a position in the Department of Pacific History