Book Description
The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the TalibanÂ's backyard
Anyone who despairs of the individualÂ's power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of PakistanÂ's treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles MortensonÂ's quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.
Customer Reviews:
Couldn't put it down.......2007-10-18
This amazing story will capture your heart and keep you glued to your chair turing page after page. Hats off to Dr. Greg and all who help allieviate the worlds problems one person at a time.
Great Book.......2007-10-18
This is a great novel, I also recommend "Detained Differences" by J. Robert Rowe. That is also a great Afghanistan novel as well.
Three Cups of Tea.......2007-10-17
It was a book required to read in an English class. The book has a good message.
Admire the Commitment and Accomplishments, but..........2007-10-15
What Mortensen accomplished with commitment and perseverance is undoubtly a great humanitarin effort. However, the book is irritating to read. Mortensen's name is used so many times over and over it is distracting. "Mortensen this" and "Mortensen that"! It reads like Mortiensen is a demi-god and it really presents like this when you realize he is a coauthor. Why not write this inspiring story in "first person"?
The humanitarian effort is inspiring if you can get through the book!
A book every American should read.......2007-10-15
An excellent story and very well written. It is particularly timely today given what is going on in that part of the world. It certainly gives much to think about. I would recommend this to everyone I know.
Book Description
This book examines the rise of religious extremism in Pakistan, and analyzes its connections to Pakistan Army's policies and the fluctuating U.S.-Pakistan relations. It includes profiles of leading Pakistani Jihadi groups with details of their origins, development, and capabilities based on interviews with Pakistani intelligence officials, and operators of the militant groups. The book contains new historical materials on Operation Gibraltar (1965 War with India), conspiracy behind General Zia-ul-Haq's plane crash in 1988, a botched military coup by fundamentalists in army in 1993-4 and lastly about how General Musharraf handled the volatile situation after the 9/11 attacks. Besides General Musharraf's detailed profile, the book evaluates the India-Pakistan relations vis-à-vis the Kashmir conflict, and Dr. A Q Khan's nuclear proliferation crisis. The book offers predictions for Pakistan's domestic and regional prospects.
Customer Reviews:
Very good book.......2006-03-04
Hassan Abbas has written this book in a interesting way such that it is fun to read. However, the intended audience of this book is mostly the American scholars/students as they will find this book somewhat along the lines of what they hear on TV but not too radical, however there are other realities which are not mentioned in this book which are extremely important. It does provide a good picture of politics in Pakistan but not the complete picture.
The book describes very clearly the threats, killings, rapes, abductions and lawless politicians but one finds no mention of the police. Army is shown as the interferer in every aspect of government. The real question is where is the law enforcement agency known as Police.
Hassan Abbas should write his next book on this subject and reader will realize what lead Pakistan to this point. As a Pakistani I can tell you that Pakistani police is one of the most corrupt and dangerous dept in the world. Simply put, if you need to have someone murdered, you contact the police and they'll do it for you, of course for a price. The Pakistani police is not only involved in corruption, but also other crimes such as smuggling of arms and ammunitions, narcotics, torture & rape cells, cover ups, kidnapping , you name the crime and Pakistani police is the leader in it. And most important of all the crimes against women are so common because the criminal can easily pay the police and get away.
I'd love to blame the army but its not army's job to enforce local law and order. Although a lot of blame goes to the army and the mullahs but the Pakistani police had an equal if not bigger hand in the plunder of the country and were the biggest protectors and collaborators of the local mullah's.
I would highly recommend this book.
Very relevant to what's happening today in South Asia/Pakistan.......2006-02-18
Very intriguing and bold work - exposes how religious bigots and fundamentalists have entrenched themselves in Pakistan. It doesn't spare anyone - Pakistan army and its intelligence, American foreign policy blunders, Indian intransigence and failure of Pakistan's political elite - a very balanced treatment. I read the book as a required text for a course on South Asia and conflict resolution and its best part is that its written in a story like fashion, so its actually fun to read the book.
Informative but slightly tilted.......2006-02-05
This novel is basically written as two different nonfictional thrillers in one. The first is the historical upbringing of a young nation and the events that led to the aggressions between Pakistan and India. In my opinion this part of the book is nicely written and is more of a historical outline rather than an opinionated article, even though the authors do put some witty comments explaining these past events. The second part of the novel is a little more opinionated, explaining the current drift of Pakistan with religious factors involved. This part of the book seems a bit one sided and doesn't put all the perspectives on the table. I have lived in Pakistan and the religious extremism is defiantly does not represent the majority of the country. This is a good reference book to read in order to understand the current situation with Pakistan and the American so called War on Terrorism but is defiantly not the only source on should use to understand such a deep topic.
Analyze Yourself.......2005-09-11
Surprise, Surprise: " Lal Krishna Advani, apologises for the destruction of the Babri mosque during a visit to Pakistan; Gohar Ayub Khan, son of Field Marshal Ayub Khan, pinches some of the headlines with the titillating claim that an Indian brigadier sold India's 1965 war plans.Who is this top spy? Mr Khan refuses to reveal the identity but strews the path with teasing hints. The spy is still alive." says MJ AKBAR, Editor, The Asian Age.
If you've found Mj's Byline (Surprise,Surprise)Interesting read on the facts of three surprises in the war of 1965, here is a book on Kashmir by MJ Akbar that you will find an interesting read on Kashmir History.
But, 'Here is an engaging book on terrorism's largest growing market:Pakistan'This books comes from Hassan Abbas, a Harvard fellow and former officer in President Pervez Musharraf's anti-corruption police force. He is also a PhD. candidate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. The book is rated at Amazon and stand Top 100 at Barnes and Nobles. Abbas examines the rise of religious extremism in Pakistan and analyzes its connections to Pakistan Army's policies and the fluctuating US-Pakistan relations. It includes profiles of leading Pakistani Jihadi groups and gives details of the conspiracy behind General Zia-ul-Haq's plane crash in 1988, a botched military coup by fundamentalists in army in 1993-94 and lastly about how General Musharraf handled the volatile situation after the 9/11 attacks.
Hassan Abbas exposes failure of 'Operation Gibraltor' and is a pure historical narrative about India and Pakistan. He has analyzed crisis in terms of capabilities of terrorist groups, impact of Musharraf's bold decisions to reform and policy prescriptions about how a constructive change is possible.
For those interested in India-Pak issue and Muslim states and society, the book is an additional read to MJ Akbar's books and bylines and derive to the factual understanding and knowing the History - the crosscurrents of history sweeping through the larger stage!
Intriguing and courageous.......2005-07-06
If you have to read just one book on Pakistan, this is it. Extremely well written and powerful - I have been teaching South Asian history for a decade but haven't come across a book on the country that is so clear in its perspective, so bold and most importantly written by someone who is not only a scholar but one who witnessed the scene firsthand. Its certainly a important contribution to the field.
I have just one suggestion and one criticism for the writer - he could have given more detailed profiles of the Islamic parties that Pakistan inherited in 1947. Secondly, the book requires a chronology of important political events of Pakistan for the Western readers. But despite these limitations, the book is head and shoulders above other contemporary works on the subject.
Book Description
In June 2002, journalists throughout the world began to hear of the gang rape of a Pakistani woman from the impoverished village of Meerwala. The rape was ordered by a local clan known as the Mastoi and was arranged as punishment for indiscretions allegedly committed by the woman's brother. While certainly not the first account of a female body being negotiated for honor in a family, and (sadly) not the last, journalists and activists were captivated. This time the survivor had chosen to fight back, and in doing so, single-handedly changed the feminist movement in Pakistan. Her name was Mukhtar Mai, and her decision to stand up to her accusers was an act of bravery unheard of in one of the world's most adverse climates for women.
By July 2002, Mai's case was headline news in Pakistan and under international scrutiny, the government awarded her the equivalent of 8,500 U.S. dollars in compensation money (a historic settlement), and her attackers were sentenced to death. Mukhtar Mai went on to open a school for girls in an effort to ensure that future generations would not suffer, as she had, from illiteracy.
In this rousing account, Mai describes her experience and how she has since become an agent for change and a beacon of hope for oppressed women around the world. Timely and topical, In the Name of Honor is the remarkable and inspirational memoir of a woman who fought and triumphed against exceptional odds.
Customer Reviews:
Honor is your name.......2007-01-30
If courage has a new meaning it would be Mukhtran Mai; a simple woman caught up in a storm of malevolence. The village council verdict of "gang-rape" in retaliation for falsified accusation of her brother's questionable frolic rendevouz with the tribal leaders daughter. Mai was quarentined for a ruthless gang-rape by savages of our times. Against all odds she stood up and fought back for justice and is redeemed. Her revenge on the society that shackled her down was a gesture of kindness by setting up a school by all the earnings she received as compensation for her struggles. A school where the family of the savages do attend. In her you find the spirit of forgiveness and mercy. I salute you Mukhtar Mai; for you a semblance for all the goodness left in our society.
To the readers i recommend this highly.
A Story of Extraordinary Courage in the Face of Monstrous Adversity.......2006-11-17
This is an astounding story of a simple ordinary Pakistani woman raised in poverty and illiteracy, who has courageously managed to fight against the violence and gender discrimination directed at her and countless other women, with an insistence on justice, education, and gender equality. Mukhtar Mai, who herself has been a victim of one of the many `honor punishments' still widely prevalent in rural Pakistan, was 'justifiably' gang-raped as a punishment for a crime neither she nor her family committed. To have such a rape-victim in the family is considered a social taboo and most of the women who are in similar situations end up committing suicides. But Mukhtar Mai did something different. In spite of getting thoughts to commit suicide, she chose the more difficult path - she decided to live and fight against the injustice inflicted upon her and her family. With the help of the media and various national and international NGOs, Mukhtar Mai's case gained worldwide popularity and in a matter of days a poor illiterate woman living in absolute obscurity in one of the remotest parts of Pakistan gained international fame. This story is a personal rendition of the many trials and tribulations Mukhtar Mai has gone through in the process of obtaining justice in one of the most chauvinistically male-favored justice systems in the world. It is also a story of a stupendous victory at a personal level wherein Mukhtar Mai uses the aid she gets from all over the world to establish a school in her village so that girls living in her village and the surrounding villages can use literacy and education to fearlessly protect themselves from similar injustices. This book would obviously be any feminist's favorite but more than that it is a must-read for anyone interested in the sociological and gender-related issues in the subcontinent.
Book Description
According to Time magazine, Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf holds "the world's most dangerous job." He has twice come within inches of assassination. His forces have caught more than 670 members of al Qaeda in the mountains and cities, yet many others remain at large and active, including Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahiri. Long locked in a deadly embrace with its nuclear neighbor India, Pakistan has come close to full-scale war on two occasions since it first exploded a nuclear bomb in 1998. As President Musharraf struggles for the security and political future of his nation, the stakes could not be higher for the world at large.
It is unprecedented for a sitting head of state to write a memoir as revelatory, detailed, and gripping as In the Line of Fire. Here, for the first time, readers can get a firsthand view of the war on terror in its central theater. President Musharraf details the manhunts for Osama and Zawahiri and their top lieutenants, complete with harrowing cat-and-mouse games, informants, interceptions, and bloody firefights. He tells the stories of the near-miss assassination attempts, not only against himself but against Shaukut Aziz (later elected prime minister) and one of his top army officers (later the vice chief of army staff), and of the abduction and beheading of Daniel Pearl -- as well as the forensic and shoe-leather investigations that uncovered the perpetrators. He details the army's mountain operations that have swept several valleys clean, and he talks about the areas of North Waziristan where al Qaeda is still operating.
Yet the war on terror is just one of the many headline-making subjects in In the Line of Fire. The full story of the events that brought President Musharraf to power in 1999 is told for the first time. He reveals new details of the 1999 confrontation with India in Kashmir (the Kargil conflict) and offers a proposal for resolving the Kashmir dispute.
He offers a portrait of Mullah Omar, with stories of Pakistan's attempts to negotiate with him. Concerning A. Q. Khan and his proliferation network, he explains what the government knew and when it knew it, and he reveals fascinating details of Khan's operations and the investigations into them.
In addition, President Musharraf takes many stances that will make news. He calls for the Muslim world to recognize Israel once a viable Palestinian state is created. He urges the repeal of Pakistan's 1979 Hudood law. He calls for the emancipation of women and for their full political equality with men. He tells the sad story of Pakistan's experience with democracy and what he has done to make it workable.
Customer Reviews:
Good read but sensationalist and opinionated!.......2007-06-01
Disclaimer - I support no political organization and do not have an 'Indian' mindset. I was born in Pakistani middle class, educated family (just like Musharraf) and consider myself 'Pakistani' to the core.
Review - This book is an interesting read but one should not expect a sitting head of state to publish a book that is 'honest'. For that matter, its naive to expect any politician to write a book that details facts honestly and analyzes them objectively.
The book is a narrative of the 'great' things Musharraf is doing for Pakistan. Its a narrative of self-praise and vitriolic spite for enemies. I would take all facts stated with a pinch of salt.
Finally, the timing of the book, when YOU are the sitting head of a country, is a way to make a quick buck with blatant disregard of the ruckus your self-eulogy will cause.
The facts speak for themselves:
1. Musharraf continues to remain a sole monarch where the Chief Justice, the guardian of law and order, is forced to resign by men in uniform.
2. Poverty and inflation are rampant at the same time. The rich drive inflation high and the poor become more poor.
3. Crime is rampant, people get mugged, shot at during daylight. Every urban family has experienced a car-jacking at gun point.
4. Corruption has permeated every government and semi-goverment organization. Religious clerics have declared bribery justified because without it nothing gets done.
This is the 7 year legacy Musharraf intends to leave behind, assuming that he intends to or forced to leave, ever. The same legacy left by Bhuttos' or Nawazs'
Read between the lines.......2007-05-27
Chinua Achebe once said that ,"Until the lions write their own history, story of hunt will only glorify the hunter", and in the dense forest of Pakistani politics no one can say who is hunting whom or who deserves the glorification? . Reading the chapter Coup where Nawaz Sharif is the hunter and Musharraf the glorious lion who will came out victorious luckily and eventually was real fun. As I did not approach the book in search of some political truth so i did not get my heart swell or mind numb in an attempt to weigh the truth________ burning In The Line of Fire! However i felt like coining new words such as 'stubborn confidence', 'humble pride', and above all 'dictocracy'. Despite his secret prayers to serve the country as a President( to seek sole power) he remains innocent as to why God has chosen him for this difficult task of steering the nation aright. Little did he know that with pains men come to greater pains and this was exactly what he had come to. And one wonders why a man has to be a president to serve his nation why not serve any other way...or perhaps its the juicy seat after all!
Worth appraisal are his views regarding education, economics , women's emancipation and tourism. No doubt they are well articulated but how you achieve them is as important as how you say it. Just hope he has wits enough to translate these ideas into practice rationally. I must quote :
"To speak now of the true temper of empire, it is a thing rare and hard to keep; for both temper, and distemper, consist of contraries. But it is one thing, to mingle contraries, another to interchange them." (Bacon)
I wish that a cultural unification is achieved through media and spirit of Nationalism is inculcated one that is in keeping with our ideologies. This is to say that Musharraf must take care in not interchanging national values and interest . Pakistan needs a mingling of contrary elements(such as secularism ,fundamentalism etc ) in order to produce a moderate decent state. After reading the book i could see that Musharraf wants to inculcate nationalism to project 'soft image' of Pakistan through the means of cultural unification and polarity. The thought is brilliant but on the other hand the wise man himself is seeing in to the vast breach between civilian politicians and Army and then again in the army itself!
Kargil event is one example of the gulf between the politicians and the army . I cant see how in a country where everything is divided good will can multiply? This is not provocative cynicism but awake one to the need of unity. Anyhow Kargil heroes i believe deserved the glorious justification that has been given to them. Moving on words the chapters narrating his choice to help America in anti-terror war were not convincing. The lines in the review that he is doing "single most crucial job in the global war on terror',... were mostly likely written to attract the readers all over the world. The fact however is that Musharraf's ambivalence has baffled all__the reader ,the Nation and the World! This is what i think makes him a true politician.
Take it with a grain of salt.......2007-05-23
Musharaff is an important figure, and he has an interesting tale to tell. He begins when he was about five years old, and Pakistan was breaking away from India. Musharaff tells of his life story, from the time he left India to live in what is now Pakistan, to the time he spent in Turkey, to his return to Pakistan, and his rise to power. Along the way are several frightening attempts on his life. The book is readable and informative.
The big question is whether you want to believe anything Musharaff says. I do not know enough to question any of the specifics, but some of what he says seems self-serving, e.g., his account of a border skirmish with India which he claims he "won" and his rise to power. My sense is that he is not to be trusted, but I just do not know enough to say. If you are willing to keep an open mind, however, it is an interesting read.
One small thing that bugged me -- Musharaff claims to be a math wiz, yet he keeps making the same simple mistake over and over. If something grew from 5 to 10, he says it grew 200%. I suppose if it "grew" from 5 to 5, he would claim it grew 100%. I know that sounds petty, but here is a man who claims to be best in his class in math, and to understand how to run an economy, and he keeps making the same silly mistake!
HE IS ARROGANT FOR GOOD REASON !!.......2007-04-30
It is interesting to note that most of the people writing the review on this book are indians . Their hatred for pakistan has deep rooted historical reasons. I am a pakistani born american living in California, and am well aware of what Musharaff has done for Paksitan and America alike.
He has single handedly redefined the fate of a nation.
Economic Progress (7% in the last 5 yrs)
Free Media (from one state owned tv channel to 43 pvt ones right now) Automobile Production rising from 40,000 cars per year in 2001 to 250,000 per annum in 2007.
Karachi Stock Exchange capitalisation was $5 billion dollars in 2001 . It stands at $57 billion right now.
These are all hardcore achievements. Which need to be celebrated. Thankyou !!! Mr. President .
Interesting perspective from the "other side".......2007-04-09
Being from the Indian side of the sub-continent, I bought this book to get a historical perspective from the other (Pakistani) side. The General writes with candor and provides interesting insights about his early life and upbringing. He also provides a unique perspective on the role of the army in the Pakistan national life. His narrative of Kargil had its elements of fiction and self-righteous posturing. Same with the treatment of the 1971 war. It was disappointing not to learn more about Zia's demise. Overall, an interesting read.
Book Description
After September 11, 2001, Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, vowed to fight extremism in his country and has since established himself as a key ally in America's "global war on terror." But as veteran Pakistani journalist and commentator Zahid Hussain reveals in this book, Musharraf is in an impossible position. The Pakistani army and intelligence services are thoroughly penetrated by jihadists. In fact, the current government came into power through its support of radical Islamist groups, such as those fighting in Kashmir.
Based on exclusive interviews with key players and grassroots radicals, Hussain exposes the threads of Pakistan's complex political power web and the consequences of Musharraf's decision to support the U.S.'s drive against jihadism, which essentially took Pakistan to war with itself. He recounts the origins and nature of the jihadi movement in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the long-standing and often denied links between militants and Pakistani authorities, the weaknesses of successive elected governments, and the challenges to Musharraf's authority posed by politico-religious, sectarian, and civil society elements within the country.
The jihadi madrassas of Pakistan are incubators of the most feared terrorists in the world. Osama bin Laden himself is believed to be hiding close to the Pakistani border. Although the country's "war on terror" has so far been a stage show, a very real battle is looming, the outcome of which will have grave implications for the future security of the world., reviewing a previous edition or volume
Customer Reviews:
Great book - in touch with ground reality.......2007-06-14
This is a first serious effort by someone to expose the ground realities in Pakistan. I was expecting it to be a dry book but was pleasantly surprised at the content - it was hard to put it down! Zahid Hussain has done an excellent job at presenting the facts (a lot of it) and still maintain the readers interest. He provides an excellent insight on the state of affairs in Pakistan since it's creation in 1947 - the nexus of Government and terrorist organizations, and Pakistan's efforts to keep alive the Kashmir issue per its own personal agenda.
Pakistan's impending war with its own self.......2007-03-27
Zahid Hussain touches on an important topic: Pakistan's ongoing and impending war with its own self and the tough choices ahead of President Musharraf.
The support from Public Opinion in Pakistan for terrorism as a tool to further beloved causes is worrying. The ease with which sundry pet agendas could be converted into beloved causes is twice worrying.
In order to contain global terrorism emanating from Pakistan or having a safe haven in Pakistan two things need to be done:
(a) Public opinion will have to undergo a change in Pakistan. Public opinion is useful only when it derives from the "wisdom of the crowd". This benefit would not arise unless opposing thoughts and beliefs can "co-exist peacefully". Good leaders "discredit" public opinion if it denies room for such peaceful co-existence. Mahtma Gandhi did. Bad leaders, on the other hand, whip up public opinioin to radically extreme positions using intolerance. Adolf Hitler did. Military rulers in Pakistan are guilty of whipping up public opinion to take a self righteous radical form that destroys opposing thoughts, reasons and emotions.
(b) Defending one's religion is one's right. Giving one's life for one's religion, one's country or one's society is a noble deed. This is true for Americans dying for the Flag and Muslims dying for their holy causes. However, immature leadership is quick to provide its pet agenda a higher purpose to merit the label of a "noble cause". In Pakistan this seems to be too easy. Military, whether in rule or not, has used religious leadership to provide the "emotional ammunition" to enlist support for every thing including a proxy fight against Soviet Union on behalf of USA, a proxy fight against the perceived foreign policy of USA, a proxy fight against one faction of freedom fighters in Afghanistan in favour of another, a proxy fight on behalf of Pakistan's army itself in various engagements in/with India.
As a result, the postal address for global terrorism is somewhere within Pakistan.
President Musharraf is now forced to:
(a) appear to the outside World to be firm in dealing with relgion based terrorism and
(b) appear to Pakistanis to not succumb to international pressure and to support the radical public opinion in Pakistan.
Quite a funambulation even for the skillful Musharraf. Musharraf does appear sincere in attempting to weed out terrorism; but does not appear sincere in having a go at modifying public opinion in Pakistan. His challenges in doing so cannot be underestimated.
Zahid Hussain is the Pakistani correspondent of The Times, The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek. His dispassionate insightful analysis of Pakistan's struggle with militant Islam is excellent. As with most books about Pakistan, there is excellent analysis of the present but no thought from anyone in Pakistan on how to solve the problem. The absence of an alternative thought or the unwillingness of such thought to express itself is hardly Zahid Hussain's fault.
Pakistan - A Social and Political Explosion Waiting to Happen.......2007-03-12
This is an excellent book; well researched, well written, and a compelling read!
Author Zahid Hussain, Pakistani correspondent for the "Times of London", "The Wall Street Journal", and "Newsweek" exposes Pakistan's close ties with the Taleban and al Qaeda. Pakistan's Directorate of Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) is literally the founder of the modern-day Taleban.
Having lost control of both al Qaeda and the Taleban, Pakistan, which is under the control of President Pervez Musharraf (who has pledged his full support to the United States in the War on Terror) is running out of time.
"Despite the backing of the army and America, Musharraf is living on borrowed time,' writes Hussain. "He has spawned a system that is a hybrid of military and civilian rule. It is not a democracy."
And here lies the problem: "The war against militancy Islamic extremism can be best fought - and won - in a liberal democracy. Musharraf's authoritarian rule has blocked any hopes of a democratic process taking root."
Yet the restoration of democracy in Pakistan is not an American priority, because a leader in uniform is perceived as being capable of delivering far more than one who is democractically elected. "An army general ruling Pakistan does not trouble the West, so long as he happens to be an effective ally in the war against terror," observes the author.
Musharraf and Pakistan have been an effective ally, killing and capturing hundreds of key Taleban and al Qaeda leaders and fighters.
But Musharraf's support for the US-led war on terror, his tactical cooperation with various militant groups, and his refusal to embed a culture of democracy and accountability have intensified social, ethnic and religious differences in Pakistani society.
"These are the faultlines from which a geo-political earthquake could at some point erupt," warns Hussain, "an earthquake which would make the current reegional security situation look positively calm by comparison. Pakistan's battle with itself is far from over."
Let us hope someone with the intelligence, ability and authority to make the right things happen is listening to Hussain's warning.
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ASIN: 1740591666 |
Book Description
Annyong haseyo! you say, and gently nod a greeting to your new, han-guk ch'in-gu, who comments on how well you speak Korean. You modestly reply chal mot'aeyo…
With this phrasebook, you can chat with your hosts in the minbak, let your hair down and sing along in a noraebang, or enjoy the stories of friendly farmers and mysterious monks as they guide you around. With a few words in the local language, you'll be savouring Korea's disarming hospitality at its best.
- all the words and phrases for a great stay in Korea
- a heaped serving of food terms ensures confident menu ordering
- buy knick-knacks at the market in the local language
- all there is to know about Korean etiquette and body language
- easy to use phonetic transliterations of the Hangul script throughout
- plenty of phrases to join in the friendly fun at soccer games
Customer Reviews:
Good book.......2007-10-15
This is a real helpful book with a lot of key phrases. I really recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn the basic phrases.
Lonely Planet Korean Phrase Book.......2007-10-05
This pocket book has alot of great info packed inside. Something for almost everything that might come up. I am very happy with it
Good book - difficult language.......2007-07-27
I have been in Seoul off and on - for business - for the past year. Despite rumors to the contrary, I find this an extremely difficult language. Most Koreans under the age of thirty have a working knowledge of English. Ordering coffee at Starbuck's is certainly not a problem, restaurants are often a problem, department stores pretty impossible. Once you get used to the sections in this book, at the very least you can point. Certain phrases are just good to know. It may seem stupid, but being able to say "Hello" or "Thank you" is extremely endearing to Koreans and it seems to me that this is the very least we can do. The size makes it easy to carry around and it's the least expensive phrase book I've found.
Satisfied customer.......2007-01-20
This book was very useful. It is laid out well and has detailed information about what you needed to know to get around in Korea.
Poorly organized and not very handy.......2006-03-17
If your looking for an easy-reference, traveler's phrasebook...this certainly isnt for you. Buying this as a quick-reference guide to help me get through Korea for 2 weeks, I was rather dissapointed that all the phrases are kind of scattered throughout the book, while the whole first half is dedicated to grammar. If I wanted to actually learn the language, I'd have bought a text book, not a "phrase" book. At any rate, the organization of the book certainly made it hard to find what I was looking for when I needed it. And, while everything else is over descriptive, theres a very frustratingly small amount of info on numbers. They go into a lot of depth about the etimology of the numbers, but say only a few word on when to use what(i.e. these numbers are used over 100....well, how do I say 11,225...do I use all "Sino-korean" or do I mix in "Pure Korean">) In a country whose currency is set up such that few things cost lower than 1,000 won, a bit more explanation on numbers over 100 would be appreciated...and the "Quick Reference" number guide on the inside-back cover, since it only goes up to 100, is entirely worthless. Oh well, I guess I should've know since it's Lonely Planet.
Amazon.com
For more than a decade following the end of World War II, Eric Newby toiled away in the British fashion industry, peddling some of the ugliest clothes on the planet. (Regarding one wafer-thin model in her runway best, he was reminded of "those flagpoles they put up in the Mall when the Queen comes home.") Fortunately, Newby reached the end his haute-couture tether in 1956. At that point, with the sort of sublime impulsiveness that's forbidden to fictional characters but endemic to real ones, he decided to visit a remote corner of Afghanistan, where no Englishman had planted his brogans for at least 50 years. What's more, he recorded his adventure in a classic narrative, A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush. The title, of course, is a fine example of Newby's habitual self-effacement, since his journey--which included a near-ascent of the 19,800-foot Mir Samir--was anything but short. And his book seems to furnish a missing link between the great Britannic wanderers of the Victorian era and such contemporary jungle nuts as Redmond O'Hanlon.
At times it also brings to mind Evelyn Waugh, who contributed the preface. Newby is a less acidulous writer, to be sure, and he has little interest in launching the sort of heat-seeking satiric missiles that were Waugh's specialty. Still, A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush is a hilarious read. The author excels at the dispiriting snapshot, capturing, say, the Afghan backwater of Fariman in two crisp sentences: "A whole gale of wind was blowing, tearing up the surface of the main street. Except for two policemen holding hands and a dog whose hind legs were paralysed it was deserted." His capsule history of Nuristan also gets in some sly digs at Britain's special relationship with the violence-prone Abdur Rahman:
Officially his subsidy had just been increased from 12,000 to 16,000 lakhs of rupees. To the British he had fully justified their selection of him as Amir of Afghanistan and, apart from the few foibles remarked by Lord Curzon, like flaying people alive who displeased him, blowing them from the mouths of cannon, or standing them up to the neck in pools of water on the summits of high mountains and letting them freeze solid, he had done nothing to which exception could be taken.
Newby also surpasses Waugh--and indeed, most other travel writers--in another important respect: he's miraculously free of solipsism. Even the keenest literary voyagers tend to be, in the purest sense of the term, self-centered. But A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush includes wonderfully oblique portraits of the author's travel companion, Hugh Carless, and his wife, Wanda (who plays a starring role in such subsequent chronicles as Slowly down the Ganges). There are also dozens of brilliant cameo parts, and an indelible record of a stunning landscape. The roof of the world is, in Newby's rendering, both an absolute heaven and a low-oxygen hell. Yet the author never pretends to pit himself against a malicious Nature--his mountains are, in Frost's memorable phrase, too lofty and original to rage. Which is yet another reason to call this little masterpiece a peak performance. --James Marcus
Book Description
Ranked 16 out of 100 on National Geographic Adventure's list of top 100 adventure books of all time
Feeling restless in the world of London's high-fashion industry, Eric Newby asked an old friend to accompany him on a mountain-climbing expedition in the wild and remote Hindu Kush, in north-eastern Afghanistan. And so they went - although they did stop first for four days of climbing lessons in Wales - becoming the first Englishmen to visit this spectacular region for more than half a century. Newby's frank and funny account of their expedition to what is still amongst the world's most isolated areas is one of the classics of travel writing.
Customer Reviews:
A short walk that wasn't short enough.......2007-04-11
Unlike other critics, I had a hard time dealing with Newby's commitment to sticking to the facts and his telling the story free of any detours into what it meant to him or what he had learned about himself or his countrymen along the way. Perhaps an appreciation for his style comes after one has read enough travel books that he/she sees the kind of wistfulness for which I had hoped as useless, cliched BS. But, being a relative novice to the genre, I lacked that kind of cynicism and, consequently, did not enjoy the book as much as I had hoped to.
Also, my lack of familiarity with central Asian geography and history hendered my enjoyment of the book. Newby usually relies on an assumed foreknowledge of the reader, so he doesn't spend much time explaining things. This made it hard for me as I oftentimes had to go back a few pages to figure out where he was or what particular tribe with which he was currently encountering.
Furthermore, I personally have a hard time with large, Moslem names, so it was very hard to remember who all of the locals were, what their jobs were, what their personalities were like, and how they had already interacted with Newby. This may have been more due to my laziness than Newby's writing, though, so it's hard to fault him on that front.
I was somewhat disappointed with this book; however, I can see why many people enjoy it and why it has garnered critical acclaim. For seasoned travel book readers or those with a high familiarity with central Asia (especially around the Pakistani-Afghan border), though, I think this book would be right up your alley.
A Great Yarn.......2007-03-25
A "short walk" is at once accurate and understated. Accurate because the walk is short, less than a month. Understated because its walkers confront extreme challenges and setbacks at every turn, ranging from hostile citizens and difficult weather to physical maladies that would drive the less intrepid of us to the nearest hospital.
A great travel narrative.......2007-02-27
Newby and his traveling companion are the sort who would have been described as "mad, you know" by their peers. The book is an engrossing description of their efforts and failures, trekking in Afghanistan. They reach base camp via Europe in a station wagon. They have made no effort to do physical conditioning and their preparation consisted of a few hurried days in Wales. Newby is a skilled observer, incisively documenting places, people, and experiences. It's amazing they survived as well as they did. It's also an interesting chronicle of how trekking used to be--the bulky, uncomfortable equipment, and the lack of anything resembling technology. The book ends somewhat abruptly, but well.
As for issues brought up by other readers: British English is not that difficult to pick-up and this is not going to appeal to the crowd that never gets beyond the supermarket tabloids. Newby lacks some of Rory Stewart's background reading, but thankfully, he is a much more reflective, self-deprecating soul than the whiny, entitled Mr. Stewart. Comparing Newby to Bill Bryson is like comparing Noel Coward with Benny Hill. Newby's humor is wry, understated and often ironic, while Bryson is more like the writer of a second or third tier sitcom---a master of the obvious, with lines you can see coming a mile away. Newby is adventurous in a different way from Theroux and tends to take himself less seriously. Although the book is less of a quest than Matthiessen's journey, it is likely to appeal to fans of "The Snow Leopard". Evelyn Waugh (who wrote the foreward) is obviously a snob, but the book has less in the way of race and class prejudice than one might expect from it era.
A Classic Travel Book.......2006-11-07
I read this book, first published in 1958, many years ago. I love the understated title. My book club has chosen it as the January discussion book, paired with "The Places in Between" by Rory Stewart. I have enjoyed revisiting Newby's difficult trek through Afghanistan. He wasn't an experienced traveler when he set out. His only training for the trip was hiking through the mountains of Wales. It's a wonder he made it out alive. Another book I've recently enjoyed about this area of the world is Greg Mortenson's "Three Cups of Tea".
A Wonderful, Humorous Description of Travel.......2005-12-09
Eric Newby does an excellent job in writing about his adventures, or misadventures in the Hindu Kush. He is witty in that British way that many Americans may not understand. However, due to the popularity of Britcoms in the United States, Americans should be able to appreciate Newby's not so subtle humor.
Having traveled extensively myself, I was reminded of life on the road in the Middle East. I have experienced quite a few of the mishaps that Newby and his partner, Hugh Carless, experienced in the 1950s-particularly while the two are driving a station wagon through Turkey. Never drive in the Middle East if you have a bad back or a weak bladder. Newby and Carless are naive travellers and incompetant to tackle the trip they make. However, just by surviving the journey, the two men accomplish an heroic endeavor.
I have read a number of travel writers, for example Bill Bryson, Paul Theroux, and Wilfred Thesiger. Bryson is more humorous than Newby, Theroux is more acerbic, and Thesiger is more wise and experienced. However, Newby takes a special place in my library because he really pushed my travel button. He makes his adventure human, real. I highly recommend his book.
Average customer rating:
- powerful and lovely
- kids reveiw
- Sad, but good
- A gripping tale you just won't put this book down
- Iqbal by Annabel Massey
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Iqbal
Francesco D'Adamo
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Carpet Boy's Gift
ASIN: 1416903291 |
Book Description
When young Iqbal is sold into slavery at a carpet factory, his arrival changes everything for the other overworked and abused chidren there. It is Iqbal who explains to them that despite their master's promises, he plans on keeping them as his slaves indefinetely. But it is also Iqbal who inspires the other children to look to a future free from toil...and is brave enough to show them how to get there.
This moving fictionalized account of the real Iqbal Masih is told through the voice of Fatima, a young Pakistani girl whose life is changed by Iqbal's courage.
Customer Reviews:
powerful and lovely.......2007-05-05
A beautifully written (especially for a young adult novel) story of Iqbal, a young slave to a carpet merchant and his fight for freedom and participation in the anti-child labor movement. Another must read for young adults, showing they have power in this world for good. Grade: A-
kids reveiw .......2007-02-08
The book Iqbal is about 16 children, Iqbal, Fatima, and 14
others and a mean and evil guy named Husssain Khan. He sends them to all work in a carpet factory. They don't get to eat a lot so they starve, and never have a full stomach. This was a very exciting book and I recommend it to all.
Sad, but good.......2006-07-27
I thought the book made me have a positive outlook on life and brightened my spirit.After reading it, I kept thinking about the character and his story. It was very easy to read.
A gripping tale you just won't put this book down.......2006-04-18
Iqbal is a book about bonded labour. It is about Pakistani children Iqbal, Fatima and fourteen other children. They have been sent out to work to pay off the debt, which their family owe to the unkind and evil Hassan Khan.
Hassan Khan tricks these children. Their job is to weave carpets day in and day out. Each child has a slate with lines on it. They have to work hard each day for these lines to be rubbed off. These lines represent the money they owe. Hassan Khan tricks the children. He kept on adding more lines because he knew that they couldn't count. Every day he would inspect, if the children were naughty or the carpet wasn't good enough to sell. He would lock them in the dreaded tomb where snakes, cockroaches and scorpions lived. All kids were chained to their looms. This continued until Iqbal came into the workshop.
Iqbal wasn't very tall and was shabby but he was very talented and brave. He knew that Hassan Khan was cheating them and wanted to get away. He taught the kids that what Hassan Khan was doing was wrong and to fight back. Unfortunately Iqbal was murdered by the carpet mafia on Easter Sunday 1995. He was only 13. Iqbal gave the kids courage and hope to get back to their families.
I thought that this book was touching and was an eye opener to what the world around you is like. You are so protected in your environment that sometimes you don't realize what is happening in this world and when you find out what actually happens you are shocked to discover that there are kids out there who have to work really hard to survive.
When you read Iqbal you can understand why they want to get away. One thing I have noticed is that when you read Iqbal you feel like you are a spy in the background watching everything that is happening. Or you are re-tracing the footsteps of the children. The way that D'Adamo has written this novel you almost feel like you are going through those hardships as well and you are celebrating the successes that they had.
It is a wonderful book and it makes you feel tearful.
By: Rima (New Zealand)
Iqbal by Annabel Massey.......2006-04-06
Iqbal, a great fictional novel, is written by Francesco D'Adamo.
Francesco D'Adamo wrote the story told through a girl, Fatima.
Iqbal's major award that it won was the Christopher Award in 2004. The
Christopher award was established in 1949. These awards are given to
directors of books, writers of books, producers, and television
specials. These awards goals are to encourage people to use their
talents and imagination to make the world more positive. This book is
set in Pakistan, at Hussain Khan's factory near a dry countryside.
Iqbal
Masih, a young Pakistani boy, comes to the carpet factory and brings
hope to all the other slave treated children. He tells the other
children that their family's dept will never be canceled. He meets
Fatima and promises her she will be free soon. He comes to the
factory and is the bravest boy there. He knows he can escape and be
free. He even has the courage to talk about the future. Fatima is a
Pakistani girl who is at the factory because she has to pay her
fathers debts. She meets Iqbal and they become close. He promises her
she will be free, and they will soon go kite flying together. Fatima
is used to the harsh conditions and when Iqbal shows up her hopes are
raised. This book is so intriguing it makes all the readers keep
reading. You not only get to read a great novel, you get to learn
some interesting facts about harsh working factories in Pakistan. The
reader's response to this book is very meaningful. Iqbal has become a
symbol to millions of children in the world, who have had hardship
and violence in their life.
Book Description
Train to Pakistan is the story of this isolated village that is plunged into the abyss of religious hate. It is also the story of a Sikh boy and a Muslim girl whose love endured and transcends the ravages of war.
Customer Reviews:
A story with the backdrop of Indian partition holocast that displaced 20 million people and killed over a million.......2007-07-09
Khushwant Singh's Train to Pakistan shall ever be considered one of the most significant chronicles of the horrors that accompanied the partition of India. In this spare and tight narrative, Khushwant Singh selects Mano Majra, a small village near the border, as the place where Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs come to terms with religion based division of a country. To be uprooted from one country, the country that was your home was several hundred years or more, is an extremely painful experience. Khushwant Singh choses to leave the sentimentality to the reader, and just draws a series of sketches of how the events influence his nicely crafted characters.
The characters are closest to the villagers, Policemen and Magistrates I have known in reality. The conversations, the arguments, the brotherhood that extends beyond religion in villages, and the complexity of human nature is all brought out by this pithy masterpiece nicely. Without going into the details of story or characters (which I will let you read and marvel at yourself), I can tell you that the storyline, in spite of the baggage it carries in terms of trains full of dead bodies, forms a reading full of suspense, agony, mystery and things run to a brilliant climax.
Why hasn't Khushwant Singh's novel acquired the reputation it deserves in the world literature? I think there are several reasons which primarily are related to how the novel is written. I believe Khushwant Singh could have spent a little more time and text on the history of Sikhism and Islam in India. What happened in 1947 was perhaps a consequence of accumulated hatred of centuries. What happened against the Jews in Europe wasn't the result of Hitler's personal vendetta alone, what happened in India wasn't a result of Jinnah (or you can blame Indian National Congress, if you like Jinnah) alone. We need to look at these in the light of bloodshed that had preceded these events.
Train to Pakistan presents one of the best studies (in English) of Sikhs and villagers of India. Another novel from the same time Maila Anchal (The Soiled Border) by Phanishwer Nath Renu is a complimentary study of villagers in Bihar, as these villagers witness rise of caste based politics and changes in wake of India's freedom. Since the events during partition involved a million deaths, and uncountable inhuman excesses (rapes, slashed breasts, castrations), the novel provides context for very strong emotions. In the dark dance of death and murders, there are occasional glimpses of romance, friendship and kinship.
I would urge every Indian and Pakistani to read this book. It is part of our painful heritage. The book is perhaps not as descriptive as it should be for the taste of non-Indian, non-Pakistani readers, but I am sure it presents the Indian holocaust in a very delicate, refined and understated fashion.
Exceptional !.......2007-05-13
Khushwant Singh weaves a tapestry linking stories of seemingly ordinary characters caught in a much bigger scheme of events. A masterful novel - A must read indeed.
Top example of romanticism in post-partition India.......2007-05-11
Much has been written about this classic by Khushwant Singh: the social impact of partition, the moral message behind what happened, the role of religion & class in rural India, politics at the time of independence, etc. However, the most dominant theme and least spoken fact about Train to Pakistan is that it is one of the best examples of romanticism in post-partition and independent India.
Singh spends a majority of his time in the book characterizing all facets of nature that rationalization or objectivity fail to capture yet good works of romanticism transcend. Singh provides intimate descriptions of things that seem irrelevant to the story and yet constitute the story: the village, its seasons, its daily routine, social interactions, folk songs, Sikhism, and most of all detailed characterization of individuals. It is important to know that Singh does not make judgements. Those who try to infer one do so for their own closure.
Just as the French Revolution and Industrial Revolution had deep influences in the movement of romanticism in 18th century western Europe as a revolt against the social, political and economic happenings; it is natural that the events of 1947 that underline the socio-political behavior of India and Pakistan till date would result in a similar reaction in Indian literature.
Singh is a pious Sikh born in Hadali, now Pakistan. Like millions of people like him, the world rocked in the 1940's and was never the same again. The deep influences of those years have poured out with poetic charm, romantic passion, and numbing despondency. Read it ten times and you will learn as much in the tenth read as you would in the first.
A Speeding Train.......2007-03-01
A strong, bitter, black portrayal of a week in the life of an Indian village on the Pakistan border in 1947. From the first page, the book speeds toward its dreadful conclusion with the power and momentum of the train in the title. I'm eager to read more by this author.
a representative story of hundreds of villages...........2006-08-26
The story centers around the small border village on Mano Majara. Public manipulation and municipal impotence at stopping the violence is well conveyed and true to the period. I have had uncles and aunt tell horrific stories of what transpired alongside tales of sporadic heroism. The book presents the story from the perspective of one small village. In many ways it is the story of many villages and the peasant Muslims of India, who much removed from the politics woke up one day were strangers to the lands they had been native to for generations. The book is a thin slice of the entire event but it is well worth reading. The book is also an example of how there are bad apples in every generation and populace and how rhetoric and calls to emotion can push one into unspeakable.
Book Description
A.Q. Khan was the world's leading black market dealer in nuclear technology, described by a former CIA Director as "at least as dangerous as Osama bin Laden." A hero in Pakistan and revered as the Father of the Bomb, Khan built a global clandestine network that sold the most closely guarded nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea, and Libya. Here for the first time is the riveting inside story of the rise and fall of A.Q. Khan and his role in the devastating spread of nuclear technology over the last thirty years. Drawing on exclusive interviews with key players in Islamabad, London, and Washington, as well as with members of Khan's own network, BBC journalist Gordon Corera paints a truly unsettling picture of the ultimate arms bazaar. Corera reveals how Khan operated within a world of shadowy deals among rogue states and how his privileged position in Pakistan provided him with the protection to build his unique and deadly business empire. It explains why and how he was able to operate so freely for so many years. Brimming with revelations, the book provides new insight into Iran's nuclear ambitions and how close Tehran may be to the bomb. In addition, the book contains startling new information on how the CIA and MI6 penetrated Khan's network, how the U.S. and UK ultimately broke Khan's ring, and how they persuaded Pakistan's President Musharraf to arrest a national hero. The book also provides the first detailed account of the high-wire dealings with Muammar Gadaffi, which led to Libya's renunciation of nuclear weapons and which played a key role in Khan's downfall. The spread of nuclear weapons technology around the globe presents the greatest security challenge of our time. Shopping for Bombs presents a unique window into the challenges of stopping a new nuclear arms race, a race that A.Q. Khan himself did more than any other individual to promote.
Customer Reviews:
A top recommendation for both general-interest collections strong in terrorist studies and military holdings........2007-02-09
A.Q. Khan was the world's leading black market dealer in nuclear technology and a hero in Pakistan: Khan was known as the Father of the Bomb and built a global network selling nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya. It's surprising to note that this is the first book-length survey of the rise and fall of the man and his role in spreading nuclear technology. It use interviews with politicians and key members of his own network to survey not only Khan's life and influence on the spread of nuclear technology, but the methods and intentions of the rogue states who bought from him. New details on how the CIA penetrated his network and broke his ring makes for a unique and eye-opening analysis which is a top recommendation for both general-interest collections strong in terrorist studies and military holdings.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Nice research, though lot of it unsubstantiated.......2006-10-10
This book is an excellent piece of work on Nuclear Proliferation. Things that I would have liked to see in this book :
*) Substantiated material with actual interviews with intelligence officers. Author uses lots of qoutes from private conversations, but how did he get access to those ? That makes me question a bit the authencity of the research.
*) The book keeps on jumping back and forth, which is an excellent case to muddy the presentation. I would have liked a chronological order maintained in the book so that thought processes can be collected and processed efficiently.
Overall it is an eye-opener.
The History of the "Nuke's R Us" Network .......2006-09-28
This is a pretty good book giving a balanced view of what was known or suspected of Dr A.Q. Khan's activities. It does explain how Mr Khan got his Nuclear education and how he found his way into a nuclear program in Europe in the early 1970s. It gives some clear indications of the divisions that separate India and Pakistan which are remote from most of us who have been born in the USA, and how these may have served as a powerful motivator for Dr Kahn.
The book places many things into context and gives enough chronology that you can sort the various pieces out. There are some factual matters that can be argued with mr Corera, for example he claims Iraq had no nuclear program, despite the US having found a viable centrifuge buried in an Iraqi Scientist's garden. The book does give some idea of what the intelligence community knew and when they knew it. I personally am heartened that the intelligence comunity was able to penetrate this network when they realized this would be highly desirable. The CIA has suffered in the area of being able to recruit agents on the ground as a result of late 1970s reforms which emphasized technology approaches to the cold war as opposed to human intelligence.
The book also does a good job of bringing out the US dilemma in terms of asking an invaluable ally in Purvez Muscharev (sp?) to take down a national hero. A job that was a very delicate undertaking.
Ego = mc squared.......2006-09-21
The nuclear five missed an opportunity to give up their arsenal and get everyone's covenant to stay away from the bomb. It is only natural that some states and some nations sought to avoid the "less than equal" status by joining the nuclear club overtly and covertly.
Pakistan is probably the only state that was smart enough to get the bomb but not wise enough to "control" access to technology. Individuals were more important than institutions. A Q Khan used the nation's need for a bomb to create a personal fiefdom that was beyond any institutionalized control. Benazir Bhutto, the PM of Pakistan, could not visit his laboratories and got her first glimpse of Khan's facility and work when the United States shared with her the results of their espionage!
A Q Khan used his intelligence and his ability to manage perceptions to create several myths:
(a) He was not the father of Pakistan's bomb. The bomb came from PAEC and its scientists Munir Khan and Mubarakmand. (Khan had a parallel initiative in Kahuta but did not have enough "cold test" experiences to do the honours). Khan was however the one to take the limelight and give an exaggerated impression of his role. The nation took to the flamboyant A Q K and ignored the true heroes of PAEC.
(b) He was not keeping Pakistan's interest in mind. Z A Bhutto was astute in stating that Pakistan's bomb should not take the image of an Islamic bomb. Khan ignored this, and for personal gain, in an uncontrolled manner sold technology (stolen from URENCO) to Iran, Libya and North Korea. For money. Without approval from Pakistan's policy makers.
Increasing insensitivity to oppressed causes, increasing unwillingness of majority to live with a homogenous minority, increasing conflict between nations and states have all enhanced threats from terrorism and threats from rogue states for humanity.
A Q Khan's clanedestine one stop shopping mall for nuclear technology to anyone with money (and often poor credentials) may have handed terrorists and rogue states their first chance to acquire technology that has so far been under the rigorous control of responsible States including the State of Pakistan. At relatively inexpensive prices.
A Q Khan has endangered the World and has significantly affected Pakistan's image as a responsible State.
Gordon Correra traces the history of Khan's rise and fall. The author must have worked hard to get all the facts from a very sensitive nation, on a very sensitive issue. The author continues to sustain the reader's interest and attention by an easy and narrative style. Yet the book has enough material for a serious researcher to pursue further.
Best part of the book is the section on Gaddafi of Libya.......2006-09-17
And how in detail he aborted his nuclear bomb building project soon after Saddam was taken out of power in Iraq by the USA. You'll also learn interesting stuff like about how terrorist leader Gaddafi tried for over 20 years to get a nuke bomb for Libya but was happily unsuccessful.
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