This book, begun by Michael Ward (of the 1951 and 1953 Everest expeditions), was completed following by Richard Sale. The book has a Preface written by Michael Ward, intended to begin the work he had planned on the Pundits. The book keeps to Michael Ward's original plan: It begins with details of early journeys made by Europeans to the Himalayan kingdoms of Afghanistan and its neighbouring emirates, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan, before moving on to the work of the Survey of India and the Great Game, these
being precursors to the work of the Pundits. The Pundits are then covered individually, with such biographical information as is known and details of the their journeys. Michael Ward was interested in both the work of the Pundits and their techniques. During his involvement with the 1951 Everest Reconnaissance expedition, while he did not use Pundit techniques, he did carry out some survey work, the results of which were incorporated into maps of the region. Later, on two trips to Bhutan as a medical advisor to the king, he was given permission to trek in the remote Lunana district and used Pundit techniques to prepare the first accurate map of the area. The two chapters on Michael Ward's time on Everest in 1951 and Bhutan in 1964 & 1965 draw extensively on his diaries for these trips, making available information for the 1951 Everest expedition not published before, and reproducing survey maps that Ward produced on these occasions.