I have started my History preparation one 3 weeks back. I started with reading the NCERT History books first. Then I directly started reading the standard books on Ancient History. The books I have choosen to read are 1) Historical Outline of Ancient History by D.N Jha 2) The Wonder that was India by A L Bhasham. I think the best way to start the preparation is to read the D.N Jaha book first. Jha,in his book, explained clearly, in simple words, every important aspect of the Ancient History. So reading the Jha's book will be the starting point to get an fair idea on the subject. Then start reading the "The Wonder that was India" by A L Bhasham. This book is somewhat tough to read. It contains complex vocabulary, complex sentences. If one starts reading the Bhasham's book directly, he may not grasp the essential details of the topics. Bhasham serves as a complement to the conceptual model framed by Jha. Also the Bhasham's. One must make decision of what to read and not to read from Bhasham, as Bhasham book is full load of facts, and analysis. The way I am reading this book is I am making a short summary beside each of the paragraph. In this way, it helps to put lot of things in mind. Thanks.