Author Guide · Nonfiction
Books Written by
Suketu Mehta left Bombay as a teenager and returned more than twenty years later with his family, to write about the city he had lost. He spent two and a half years with Hindu and Muslim gangsters, policemen, bar dancers and Bollywood filmmakers, and wrote one of the great portraits of a modern city. Fifteen years later he wrote a passionate argument about immigration. This guide covers both of his books in order, and where to start.
By Lisanne Swart · 2 books · Nonfiction · 2004–2019 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Suketu Mehta has published two books: Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found (2004), a Pulitzer Prize finalist, about Mumbai's underworld, police and film industry; and This Land Is Our Land: An Immigrant's Manifesto (2019).
Where to Start with Suketu Mehta
If you want the famous one
→ Maximum City (2004).
If you want an argument
→ This Land Is Our Land (2019).
All 2 Suketu Mehta Books, in Order
Maximum City
Mumbai through the people who run its hidden worlds: gangsters and the police who hunt them, rioters, a bar dancer, Bollywood directors and a family that renounces its wealth to become Jain monks. It was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
This Land Is Our Land
An argument for immigration, drawing on his own family's migrations and on reporting around the world, which claims that migrants are owed a place in the countries that profited from their homelands.
How Many Books Did Suketu Mehta Write?
Two books, in 2004 and 2019.
- Reportage — Maximum City (2004). Read the entries →
- Essay — This Land Is Our Land (2019). Read the entries →
In What Order to Read Suketu Mehta
The two books are very different: the first is immersive reportage, the second an argument, and each can be read on its own.
A reading path
1. Maximum City (2004)
2. This Land Is Our Land (2019)
Quick facts about Suketu Mehta
- Born
- 1963, Calcutta
- Grew up
- Bombay, then New York
- Teaches
- Journalism at New York University
- Recognition
- Pulitzer Prize finalist; Kiriyama Prize; Whiting Award
- Books
- 2, in 2004 and 2019
How Suketu Mehta Writes: The Returning Native
Mehta writes as both insider and outsider, a son of the city returning after years away, which lets him explain Mumbai to foreign readers while getting close to people few outsiders meet.
He spent years building trust with his subjects, from gangsters to policemen, and lets them speak at length.
Frequently asked questions about Suketu Mehta's books
How many books has Suketu Mehta written?
Suketu Mehta has published two books: Maximum City (2004) and This Land Is Our Land (2019).
What is Maximum City about?
Maximum City (2004) is a portrait of Mumbai through its gangsters, police, bar dancers and film world. It was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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