Synopses & Reviews
The relationship between America and Pakistan is based on mutual incomprehension and always has been. Pakistanand#151;to American eyesand#151;has gone from being a quirky irrelevance, to a stabilizing friend, to an essential military ally, to a seedbed of terror. Americaand#151;to Pakistani eyesand#151;has been a guarantee of security, a coldly distant scold, an enthusiastic military enabler, and is now a threat to national security and a source of humiliation.
The countries are not merely at odds. Each believes it can play the otherand#151;with sometimes absurd, sometimes tragic, results. The conventional narrative about the war in Afghanistan, for instance, has revolved around the Soviet invasion in 1979. But President Jimmy Carter signed the first authorization to help the Pakistani-backed mujahedeen covertly on July 3and#151;almost six months before the Soviets invaded. Americans were told, and like to believe, that what followed was Charlie Wilsonand#8217;s war of Afghani liberation, with which they remain embroiled to this day. It was not. It was General Zia-ul-Haqand#8217;s vicious regional power play.
Husain Haqqani has a unique insight into Pakistan, his homeland, and America, where he was ambassador and is now a professor at Boston University. His life has mapped the relationship of the two countries and he has found himself often close to the heart of it, sometimes in very confrontational circumstances, and this has allowed him to write the story of a misbegotten diplomatic love affair, here memorably laid bare.
Review
Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute"This is a must-read book for anyone who seeks to understand geopolitics in the 21st century. Husain Haqqani provides a riveting insider's account of the complex, and critically important relationship between America and Pakistan. He knows both countries well, and his personal insights and objective analysis can help dispel the misunderstandings that are so dangerous."
Review
Mark Moyer, Wall Street Journaland#147;[Haqqaniand#8217;s] purpose isn't to narrate his service as ambassador or score political points but to outline the contours of American relations with Pakistan over time, with a final chapter depicting the 2011 collapse as a new instance of historical trends. While one might desire a fuller accounting of his ambassadorship, the book covers its chosen ground superbly.and#8221;
Richard Leiby, Washington Post
and#147;A solid synthesis of history, political analysis and social critique."
Lisa Curtis, National Interest
and#147;If you want a better understanding of why U.S. policy has failed so miserably in Pakistan, you should read Husain Haqqaniand#8217;s latest bookand#133; Fast-paced and highly readableand#133; Haqqani has provided a well-documented and interesting account of the policy disconnects between the United States and Pakistan. His book should make a tremendous contribution toward grounding U.S. policy toward Pakistan in more realistic assumptions that will help avoid future crises between the two countries.and#8221;
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
and#147;[An] insightful, painful history of Pakistani-American relationsand#133; Demonstrating no mercy to either party, Haqqani admits that Pakistan verges on failed-state status but shows little patience with Americaand#8217;s persistently shortsighted, fruitless policies.and#8221;
Library Journal
and#147;Haqqani uses his wealth of personal experience to present a detailed account of the genesis and evolution of U.S.-Pakistani relations over the last 60 yearsand#133; The book is a useful resource for academics, journalists, and policymakers at all levels.and#8221;
Publishers Weekly
and#147;Insightful if disturbing... Making it clear why he is persona non grata in his homeland, Haqqani concludes that military aid has undermined Pakistanand#8217;s democracy, converting it into a rentier state living off American money rather than its peopleand#8217;s productivity.and#8221;
Asian Age
and#147;The book is part memoir, part searing indictment of Pakistanand#8217;s flawed strategy of using jihadis to secure its strategic spaceand#133; [Haqqani proves] himself to be a diligent and tireless researcher who backs up almost every stinging commentary on Pakistanand#8217;s journey since independence to the present day, with fact.and#8221;
Madeleine Albright
and#147;Magnificent Delusions provides a fascinating insiderand#8217;s account of Americaand#8217;s important but troubled relationship with Pakistan. Ambassador Haqqaniand#8217;s purpose is not to fix blame, but to explain how two countries that have for 60 years described themselves as allies can nevertheless misunderstand each other thoroughly and repeatedly. Richly-detailed, this skillfully written narrative will enlighten scholars, entrance average readers, and give future diplomats much to contemplate. It is a timely, valuable and objective book.and#8221;
Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute
"This is a must-read book for anyone who seeks to understand geopolitics in the 21st century. Husain Haqqani provides a riveting insider's account of the complex, and critically important relationship between America and Pakistan. He knows both countries well, and his personal insights and objective analysis can help dispel the misunderstandings that are so dangerous."
Synopsis
A character-led history of the bizarrely ill-suited alliance between America and Pakistan, written by a uniquely insightful participant: Pakistan's former Ambassador to the U.S.
Synopsis
A character-driven history that describes the bizarrely ill-suited alliance between America and Pakistan, written by a uniquely insightful participant: Pakistans former ambassador to the U.S.The relationship between America and Pakistan is based on mutual incomprehension, and always has been. Pakistanto American eyeshas gone from being a stabilizing friend to an essential military ally to a seedbed of terror. Americato Pakistani eyeshas been a guarantee of security, a coldly distant scold, an enthusiastic military supplier and ally, and now a threat to national security and a source of humiliation. In their sixty-five year relationship, one country has become a global superpower, the other perilously close to a failed stateperhaps one of the most dangerous places in the world.
Husain Haqqani has a unique insight into Pakistan, his homeland, and America, where he was the Pakistani ambassador and is now a professor at Boston University. His life has mapped the relationship of Pakistan and America and he has found himself often close to the heart of it, sometimes in very confrontational circumstances, even under house arrest, which has allowed him to write the story of the two countries turbulent affair, here memorably laid bare.
About the Author
Husain Haqqani was Pakistanand#8217;s ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2011. A trusted advisor of late Pakistani prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, Ambassador Haqqani is as a professor at Boston University and co-chair of the Hudson Instituteand#8217;s Project on the Future of the Muslim World as well as editor of the journal Current Trends in Islamist Thought. He has written for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Boston Globe, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, and more. Follow him on Twitter: @husainhaqqani