Pakistan: In the Shadow of Jihad and Afghanistan
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| Pakistan: In the Shadow of Jihad and Afghanistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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An eyewitness account by an acclaimed New Yorker reporter
Wedged between India and Afghanistan, Pakistan is the second-largest nation in the Islamic world, and is situated in what is currently one of the most volatile regions on earth. It has assumed a commanding role in militant Islam, a frightening portent being its creation of Afghanistan's bizarre fundamentalist student militia, the Taliban; and with some fifteen private Islamist armies and at least twenty nuclear weapons, it is considered to be one of the most terrifying places in the world. Its disintegration would pose an unthinkable threat to the United States and the West, and the man who will determine Pakistan's future course is the little-known, enigmatic General Pervez Musharraf. Mary Anne Weaver presents her personal journey through a country in turmoil, reconstructing, largely in the voices of the key participants themselves--Generals Musharraf and Zia, and Benazir Bhutto--the legacies now haunting Pakistan in the aftermath of the U.S.-sponsored jihad of the 1980s in Afghanistan. Fusing geopolitical choices with a vivid portrait of a land--of its people, its mystery, and its clans--Pakistan: In the Shadow of Jihad and Afghanistan, provides an essential background for those seeking to understand the problems the international community now faces, and poses some deeply disturbing questions about the future of conflict in South Asia. |
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| Reader Reviews Below Sorted by Newest First | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03-04-04 | 5 | 5\11 |
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Pakistan is both a terrorist haven, a den of corruption, and the probable battlefront of Islamic terrorists. This report considers its pivotal role in world politics, blending a history of the country through two decades of eyewitness reporting with portraits of its leaders. Pakistan In The Shadow Of Jihad And Afghanistan is an excellent source for any seeking an understanding of the history and politics of modern Pakistan.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-11-24 09:27:07 EST)
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| 12-29-03 | 4 | 7\9 |
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Much has been written about Pakistan since September 11th. But as Ms. Weaver points out in her wonderful book about the only Islamic Republic in the world, much harm could have been avoided if only we were more aware of this country and its problems BEFORE the terrorist attacks. Weaver's experiences as a journalist in this country form the basis and the strength of this book. Having covered this country for two decades, she provides a depth of experience in tracing the recent social and political ills of this nation. Her basic thesis is simple and seems chillingly accurate given current events. She convincingly states the case that U.S. foreign policy set up the country for much of its woes by at first supporting Islamic violent jihad in Afghanistan in the 80's, then abandoning the country completely after the Soviets withdrew and the Cold War ended. While it would be unfair not to assign some responsibility for their current predicament on the Pakistanis themselves, especially their failure to achieve economic growth and political stability, Ms. Weaver's writings on how the situation in Afghanistan destabilized Pakistan to the point where it is now practically as ungovernable as its neighbor is well taken.
Of course, other nations in the region can share the blame for this as well. The chapters on rich Gulf Arab states and the conflict with India in Kashmir are particularly revealing to see how this country has been neglected by other muslim nations and neglected by the United Nations which has been horribly inept in dealing with Kashmir problem. (One can make a convincing argument that Kashmir is the U.N's greatest failure, but that's for another book). Also, the chapter on the Saudi Bird Hunting parties should be read by anyone with an interest in the Middle East. I heartily recommend this book for anyone traveling to Pakistan, and wishes to learn a bit about this country prior to their visit. It's very well written and succinct. Overall an excellent read. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-12 08:58:46 EST)
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| 07-11-03 | 5 | 1\8 |
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Up close and personal -- terrific intro to the country.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-12 08:58:46 EST)
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| 02-17-03 | 4 | 2\6 |
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I've never read anything about Pakistan, and I know little about its history, and I wanted to know more about that area in general, especially with all that's going on today, so I read this book.
As someone who just doesn't know anything about Pakistan, this book was a little hard to follow. Weaver jumps from present day events to Zia's rule in the 80's, to his death and Sharif and Benazir Bhutto's struggles for power in the 90's, with little setup, assuming that the reader should already know what she's talking about. So in that sense, it was difficult to know sometimes, in what time frame certain events were supposed to be taking place. Weaver jumps around a lot and then returns to earlier subjects that I had forgotten about, bandying about all these names that I had no idea who they were. Basically, Weaver sketches her impressions of Musharraf, Zia, and Bhutto, which are the 3 major parts of the book. She gives their histories and her impressions from interviewing them. While sometimes confusing, the book is very informative and I did learn a lot about Pakistan's recent history and about why Pakistan is such a chaotic place. I wish Weaver would have written more about the CIA involvement in the Afghan war and about US policy in Pakistan, she only touches on those things pretty generally. I would say that her book is a good book to learn about Pakistan, and after having read it, I feel I have a pretty general handle on Pakistan's history, but just a little hard to follow. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-12 08:58:46 EST)
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