Synopses & Reviews
andldquo;An enthralling and largely firsthand account of the war in Afghanistan.andrdquo;andmdash;Financial Times and#160;
Few reporters know as much about Afghanistan as Carlotta Gall. She was there in the 1990s after the Russians were driven out. She witnessed the early flourishing of radical Islam, imported from abroad, which caused so much local suffering. She was there right after 9/11, when the US special forces helped the Northern Alliance drive the Taliban out of the north and then the south, fighting pitched battles and causing their enemies to flee underground and into Pakistan. She knows just how much this war has cost the Afghan people. And she knows just how much damage can be traced to Pakistan and its duplicitous government and intelligence forces. Combining searing personal accounts of battles and betrayals with moving portraits of the ordinary Afghans who were caught up in the conflict of more than a decade, The Wrong Enemy is a sweeping account of a war brought by American leaders against an enemy they barely understood and could not truly engage.
and#160;
andldquo;A strong, well-crafted account by an informed observer.andrdquo;andmdash;The Economist
and#160;
andldquo;Gall is perhaps uniquely positioned to tackle the troubling questions she raises about Pakistanand#39;s alleged support of terrorism . . . a must-read.andrdquo;andmdash; Christian Science Monitor
Review
"
The Wrong Enemy is a timely survey of a military and diplomatic undertaking that has exacted a stiff tribute from Afghans and NATO forces in lives, treasure, and national prestige. Gall is right to confront the uneasy truths involving Pakistans double-dealing while also identifying coalition shortfalls...When it comes to informative, credible reporting from Central Asia over the past decade, Gall ranks with journalists like Dexter Filkins and David Rohde who have written about Afghanistan with authority and context. But Gall is perhaps uniquely positioned to tackle the troubling questions she raises about Pakistan's alleged support of terrorism...As the US and NATO prepare to possibly withdraw all forces from Afghanistan at the close of this year, Galls book qualifies as a must-read."
--The Christian Science Monitor "The author offers a compelling account of the attack on bin Laden's compound, the repercussions of which are still being felt. Gall admirably never loses sight of the human element in this tragedy." --Kirkus
Review
"A valuable contribution to a hefty body of work on the American war in Afghanistan that has become stale and somewhat hackneyed. It provides a raw, unvarnished and important look at one of the darkest and least understood parts of the Afghan warand#8230;.Ms. Gall, a reporter for The New York Times in Afghanistan and Pakistan for more than a decade, beginning shortly after Sept. 11, is in an extraordinary position to write this important and long overdue book." --
The New York Times "
The Wrong Enemy is a timely survey of a military and diplomatic undertaking that has exacted a stiff tribute from Afghans and NATO forces in lives, treasure, and national prestige. Gall is right to confront the uneasy truths involving Pakistanand#8217;s double-dealing while also identifying coalition shortfalls...When it comes to informative, credible reporting from Central Asia over the past decade, Gall ranks with journalists like Dexter Filkins and David Rohde who have written about Afghanistan with authority and context. But Gall is perhaps uniquely positioned to tackle the troubling questions she raises about Pakistan's alleged support of terrorism...As the US and NATO prepare to possibly withdraw all forces from Afghanistan at the close of this year, Galland#8217;s book qualifies as a must-read."
--The Christian Science Monitor "Gall's long years of reporting for the New York Times from the front lines of the war are clear in this book, particularly in her vivid reconstruction of how things went rapidly downhill after the easy U.S.-led victories over the Taliban at the end of 2001...To her credit, Ms. Gall gets the most important thing right. She underscores the danger of the U.S. turning its back on Afghanistan, which, while still fragile, shows more signs of modernity than ever before. The repercussions of the U.S. drawdown 'are already inspiring Islamists, who are comparing it to the withdrawal of the Soviet Union' after its defeat at the hands of the mujahedeen. Unlike the Obama administration, Ms. Gall recognizes that radical Islam can't be ignored or wished away."
-- The Wall Street Journal "A strong, well-crafted account by an informed observer." --
The Economist "The author offers a compelling account of the attack on bin Laden's compound, the repercussions of which are still being felt. Gall admirably never loses sight of the human element in this tragedy."
--Kirkus and#160;
Review
Named an Amazon Best Book of the Year So Far andldquo;[A] fast-moving and highly readable account of the violence that accompanied that partitionandhellip;In its finest moments, Midnightand#39;s Furies is the story of what happens when a composite society comes apart.andrdquo;
andndash;The New York Times Book Reviewand#160;andldquo;[A]n engaging and incisive contribution to the vast literature on partition and its aftermath. Mr. Hajari writes with grace, precision and an unerring eye for detail. andlsquo;Midnightandrsquo;s Furiesandrsquo; is the best of recent offerings.andrdquo;
andndash;Wall Street Journal
andquot;A pacey new narrative history of Partition which makes the complex and tragic story of the great divide into a pageturner: no mean feat.andquot;
andndash;Guardian,and#160; Best Summer Reads 2015and#160;andldquo;A clear, accessible and compelling account of the events during partitionandhellip; gifted storytelling. It is through his vivid description of small moments that Mr Hajari transforms an overwhelming event into an intimate experience...a gripping, skillfully crafted account of an awful period of South Asian history. It deserves a wide audience.andrdquo;
andndash;The Economistand#160;andquot;It has often been said that this is the golden age of nonfiction books. As if to prove the validity of that statement, Nisid Hajari has offered us Midnightand#39;s Furies, a compelling read, both dramatic and suspenseful . . . With the sensibilities of a novelist, Hajari artfully draws portraits of the various historical personalities involved, making the book thoroughly engaging.andquot;
andndash;Seattle Times
andquot;Hajari explores the roots of this tension in a beautifully written, deeply intelligent book about that crucial moment when Britain once again drew bad borders with calamitous consequences.andquot;
andndash;Fareed Zakaria, CNNand#160;andquot;[A] fast-paced new narrative history of partition and its aftermath . . . One of [the bookand#39;s] virtues is its more balanced portrait of Jinnah.andquot;
andndash;William Dalrymple, The New Yorker
andquot;Hajariandrsquo;s book is a superb and highly readable account of not just the mayhem, but the political machinations that preceded Partition, including the three-way negotiations between Britain and the leaders of what were to become India and Pakistan.andquot;
andndash;The New York Review of Booksandquot;Hajari offers a ringside view of history with compelling psychological portrayals of those who made it . . . The politics of 1947-48 is so chillingly contemporary that it induces a sense of deja vu.andquot;
andndash;Times of India
andquot;[Hajari] has a riveting story to tell and he tells it well . . . The strength of this book is in its narrative, its marshalling of facts, and its objectivity in presenting them . . . And Hajariand#39;s fine ear for dialogue seldom lets him down.andquot;
andndash;The Wire (India)
andquot;[Hajari] frames the events surrounding Partition like a Greek tragedy, with epic, larger-than-life figures . . . [He] succeeds in vividly depicting the psychological scars that have dogged Pakistan and India.andquot;
andndash;Shelf Awareness
andquot;A well-researched tale of the last years of colonial rule on the Subcontinent . . . We could well be in the midst of a deadly thriller; Hajari maintains a tension that would please a novelist.andquot;
andndash;Open
andquot;Ideal . . . An authentic account of what led to partition and its riots . . . The research is impeccable.andquot;
andndash;Business Standard
andquot;This harrowing tale of political miscalculation and misunderstanding is recommended for all readers of history, politics, and current affairs.andquot;
andndash;Library Journalandquot;A fine unwinding of an epic event.andquot;and#160;
andndash;Booklistandquot;Hajari skillfully picks through this perilous history...A carefully restrained and delineated account makes for chilling reading.andquot;and#160;
andndash;Kirkus
andquot;Pakistan is perhaps the worldand#39;s most dangerous country andmdash; a combustible mix of nuclear weapons, jihadis, bloody borders, and a dysfunctional state. You can only truly understand the country by going to its roots. Nisid Hajari does just that in this powerful, intelligent, and beautifully-written book. He finds in Indiaand#39;s partition and its aftermath mistakes, compromises, and cowardice as well as all the ideology, venom, and violence that have now erupted onto the global stage. Hajari presents the history like a detective story and you will be swept along. Except in this case, none of us knows how it will end.andquot;and#160;
andndash;Fareed Zakaria, author of The Post-American World
andquot;History is about grand cultural and geographical forces within which individual leaders must, nevertheless, take moral responsibility for better and worse outcomes. Nisid Hajariandrsquo;s meticulous study of Indiaandrsquo;s birth captures this dichotomy brilliantly.andquot;and#160;
andndash;Robert D. Kaplan, author of Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Powerandquot;Indiaandrsquo;s partition in 1947 was a traumatic event unparalleled in its human toll since World War II. Its legacy continues to haunt both India and Pakistan and threaten global security. Yet the train of events that culminated in the paroxysm of violence and partition have remained shrouded in mystery. Midnightandrsquo;s Furies relies on fresh historical sources to go beyond the familiar debate about why Hindus and Muslims were at odds over the future of India, and shows how decisions by leaders reacting to unfolding events sealed the fate of united India and produced the cycle of violence that forever marked the peoples and governments of the region. Well-researched and eminently readable, this haunting account puts into the proper perspective both history and current events.andquot;and#160;
andndash;Vali Nasr, author of The Shia Revival and The Dispensable Nationandquot;Nisid Hajari brings new research, deep involvement, and a keen intelligence to write a history that brings so many people to life and will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Today, with Pakistan facing unprecedented extremist violence and a hardline right wing government in New Delhi that wants no dialogue with Islamabad, we could be on the brink of more furies being unleashed. A must read.andquot;
andndash;Ahmed Rashid, author of Pakistan on the Brink and Taliban
andquot;The Partition of British-ruled India in 1947 was a momentous event in world history, which has impacted the war on terror as well as the politics and economy of Asia to a degree that is still not fully understood. Nisid Hajariandrsquo;s book illuminates it with a rare political acuity, narrative verve and stylistic elegance. Unravelling canonized reputations and highlighting obscure ones, he shows how a large part of humanity came into its political inheritance, and the wounds this violent process left on the body-politic of India and Pakistan. Anyone wondering howand#160;nuclear-armed South Asia came to be vulnerable to religious extremism will find clear and profound answers here.andquot;
andndash;Pankaj Mishra, author of From the Ruins of Empire
and#160;
Synopsis
A sweeping history and powerful indictment of America's longest overt war, by the veteran New York Times journalist who was stationed in-country throughout the entire conflict.
Synopsis
Carlotta Gall has reported from Afghanistan and Pakistan for almost the entire duration of the American invasion and occupation, beginning shortly after 9/11. She knows just how much this war has cost the Afghan people, and how much damage can be traced to Pakistan and its duplicitous government and intelligence forces.and#160;Now that American troops are withdrawing, it is time toand#160;tell the full history of how we have been fighting the wrong enemy, in the wrong country.
Gall combines searing personal accounts of battles and betrayals with moving portraits of the ordinary Afghanis who enduredand#160;a terrible war of more than a decade. Her firsthand accounts of Taliban warlords, Pakistani intelligence thugs, American generals, Afghani politicians, and the many innocents who were caught up in this long war are riveting.and#160; Her evidence that Pakistan fueled the Taliban and protected Osama bin Laden is revelatory. This is a sweeping account of a war brought by well-intentioned American leaders against an enemy they barely understood, and could not truly engage.
Synopsis
andldquo;Provides a raw, unvarnished and important look at one of the darkest and least understood parts of the Afghan war . . . [Gall] is in an extraordinary position to write this important and long overdue book.andrdquo; andmdash; New York Times andldquo;A strong, well-crafted account by an informed observer.andrdquo; andmdash; Economist
Combining harrowing personal accounts of battles and betrayals with searing portraits of the ordinary Afghans who endured a terrible war of more than a decade, veteran New York Times correspondent Carlotta Gall reveals the full history of how the United States has been fighting the wrong enemy in the wrong country. Gall has reported from Afghanistan and Pakistan for almost the entire duration of the American intervention, beginning shortly after 9/11. She knows just how much this war has cost the Afghan people, and American and NATO soldiers, and how much damage can be traced to Pakistan and its duplicitous military and intelligence forces. The Wrong Enemy is a sweeping account of a war brought by American leaders against an enemy they barely understood, and could not truly engage.
Synopsis
Like the Rape of Nanking, the partition of India was aand#160;dramatic, bloody crisis that remains a key historical faultline today.
Synopsis
Aand#160;and#160;few bloody months in South Asia during the summer of 1947 explainand#160;the world that troubles us today. Nobody expected the liberation of India and birth of Pakistan to be so bloody andmdash; it was supposed to be an answer to the dreams of Muslims and Hindus who had been ruled by the British for centuries. Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhiandrsquo;s protandeacute;gandeacute; and the political leader of India, believed Indians were an inherently nonviolent, peaceful people. Pakistanandrsquo;s founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was a secular lawyer, not a firebrand.and#160; But in August 1946, exactly a year before Independence, Calcutta erupted in street-gang fighting. A cycle of riots andmdash; targeting Hindus, then Muslims, then Sikhs andmdash; spiraled out of control. As the summer of 1947 approached, all three groups were heavily armed and on edge, and the British rushed to leave. Hell let loose. Trains carried Muslims west and Hindus east to their slaughter. Some of the most brutal and widespread ethnic cleansing in modern history erupted on both sides of the new border, searing a divide between India and Pakistan that remains a root cause of many evils. From jihadi terrorism to nuclear proliferation, the searing tale told in Midnightandrsquo;s Furies explains all too many of the headlines we read today.
About the Author
NISID HAJARI is the Asia editor for Bloomberg View. Prior to Bloomberg, he spent a decade at Newsweekandnbsp;as Asia editor, foreign editor, and eventually coeditor at the top of the masthead.andnbsp;He has appeared frequently as a commentator on foreign affairs on NPR, NBC, and CNN, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Table of Contents
Forewordand#8195;xiPrologueand#8195;xv
1.and#160;The Taliban Surrenderand#8195;1
2.and#160;The People Turnand#8195;22
3.and#160;Pakistanand#8217;s Protand#233;gand#233;sand#8195;39
4.and#160;The Taliban in Exileand#8195;56
5.and#160;Al Qaeda Regroupsand#8195;78
6.and#160;The Wrong Enemy in the Wrong Countryand#8195;93
7.and#160;The Taliban Returnand#8195;119
8.and#160;The Suicide Bomb Factoryand#8195;147
9.and#160;Militancy Explodes in Pakistanand#8195;163
10.and#160;The Taliban Close Their Gripand#8195;182
11.and#160;Karzaiand#8217;s Turnand#8195;200
12.and#160;Obamaand#8217;s Surgeand#8195;223
13.and#160;Osamaand#8217;s Safe Havenand#8195;241
14.and#160;Springtime in Zangabadand#8195;265
Acknowledgmentsand#8195;291
Notesand#8195;295
Indexand#8195;309