To chronicle the 19-season first-class cricket career of Bishan Singh Bedi and trace the evolution of this monumental cricketer - from his humble background to scaling the heights of glory on cricket fields all over the world - is a challenge that at the very least, is daunting.

'When it comes to Bishan, there is no grey. It is either black or white.' This is what India's greatest all-rounder, and cricketer of the century, Kapil Dev says. He's been a man unafraid to speak his mind, even if at times it bordered on the intemperate. But as Mike Brearley the former England captain, stressed, 'Bishan was no diplomat.'

It was his bowling that mesmerized batsmen and seemingly lured them to their doom. His methods were unique and he copped his share of criticism, but his technique and delivery were faultless.

Bishan Singh Bedi was the proverbial 'enigma wrapped in a mystery' as a cricketer and a human being. This book, to commemorate his 75th birthday, is an effort to separate the chaff from the grain; and try and spread the flavour and spice, of a unique talent.

With contributions by: Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Ramachandra Guha, Rajdeep Sardesai, B.S. Rattan, W.P. Sharma, R. Sriman, Suresh Menon, Vijay Merchant, B.S. Chandrasekhar, Venkat Sundaram, Rahul Banerji, V.V. Kumar with Aditya Bhushan, Anil Kumble, Murali Kartik, Kirti Azad, Satwender Singh, Saad Bin Jung, G. Rajaraman, Ayaz Memon, Michael Holding, Greg Chappell, Michael Brearley, Michael Coward, Clayton Murzello, Gundappa Viswanath with Aditya Bhushan, Abbas Ali Baig, Raju Mukherji, Qamar Ahmed, V. Ramnarayan, Aditya Bhushan, Arunabha Sengupta, H.R. Gopalakrishna.