In the past decade Pakistan has become a country of immense importance to its region, the United States, and the world. With almost 200 million people, a 500,000-man army, nuclear weapons, and a large diaspora in Britain and North America, Pakistan is central to the hopes of jihadis and the fears of their enemies. Yet the greatest short-term threat to Pakistan is not Islamist insurgency as such, but the actions of the United States, and the greatest longterm threat is ecological change.
Anatol Lieven's book is a magisterial investigation of this highly complex and often poorly understood country. Engagingly written, combining history and profound analysis with reportage from Lieven's extensive travels as a journalist and academic,Pakistan: A Hard Countryis both utterly compelling and deeply revealing.
Anatol Lievenis professor in the War Studies Department of King's College, London, and a senior fellow of the New America Foundation in Washington D.C. His books includeChechnya: Tombstone of Russian Power?;America Right or Wrong: An Anatomy of American Nationalism; and, with John Hulsman,Ethical Realism.
Yet for drama, colour and complexity, [Pakistan] is hard to beat; and Anatol Lieven captures the richness of the place wonderfully. His book has the virtues of both journalism and scholarship...
Foreign Policy's The AfPak Channel blog, April 11, 2011
“The release of Anatol Lieven's latest book, Pakistan: A Hard Country, could not be timelier. This insightful, comprehensive portrait of Pakistan is the perfect antidote to stereotypical descriptions of the country as the most dangerous place in the world… Pakistan: A Hard Country has the power to dampen the paranoia about Pakistan's security complex, put terrorism in perspective, and humanize Pakistanis.”
Foreign Affairs, May/June 2011“Challenging the notls!
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