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In 1469 the tiny village of Talwandi, forty miles south-west of Lahore, witnessed the birth of one of the greatest spiritual leaders of mankind and the founder of India's youngest major religion, Sikhism. Born into a society caught in the throes of orthodoxy and ritualism and further crippled by child marriage, infanticide and a rigid caste system, Guru Nanak was to become the harbinger of a period of social, spiritual and religious enlightenment. Deeply spiritual from an early age, Nanak spent his early years in meditation and in the company of hermits, and is believed to have attained enlightenment at the age of thirty. His teachings, which stressed the omnipresence of the One God, and the importance of love, equality, compassion and community service, appealed to Hindus and Muslims alike. Along with his companion and disciple, Mardana, Nanak spent twenty-three years in travel, which took him to places as far a field as Sri Lanka and Mecca, to spread his message.

Drawing upon the various legends contained in anecdotal biographies and Bhai Gurdas's first heroic ode, and placing them in as precise a historical framework as possible, The Book of Nanak reconstructs the main events of Nanak's life, throwing new light on the life and teachings of a phenomenal seer. The last section of the book also contains original translations of some of Nanak's best known hymns that continue to inspire millions the world over.