Reddit mentions: The best pakistan history books

Quicksand, by Geoffry Wawro

Power, Faith, and Fantasy by Michael Oren

The Coming Anarchy by Robert Kaplan

The Revenge of Geography by Robert Kaplan

The Shia Revival by Vali Nasr (although to be honest I found this one a little dull)

Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran

Little America by Rajiv Chandrasekaran

Soldiers of God by Robert Kaplan

Sleeping with the Devil by Baer

Dirty Wars by Jeremey Scahill

Ghost Wars by Steve Coll

Charlie Wilson's War by George Crile

The Way of the Knife by Mark Mazzetti

Eastward to Tartary by Robert Kaplan (I actually haven't read this one yet but it's definitely on my to do list and I'm a huge fan of Kaplan's writing, observation, and analysis.)

The Ends of the Earth by Robert Kaplan

This is a partial list of some books I've read in the past couple of years. I put stars next to the ones that I think are the really really excellent ones. Some of them aren't entirely about the Middle East but the concepts in them are really important if you want to understand the region. I hope you look through the list and at the very least look at some of the books that Amazon recommends to go along with these books.

Oh, you should also check out this essay. I like to think it's decent reading if you want to understand what motivated Bin Laden and the context surrounding his life.

If you manage to read just a few of these, and also keep up with the news (I recommend a subscription to the Economist and to the New York Times) you will be a phenomenally well educated person about the Middle East.

You're gonna go to CGSC so a couple generals/high ranking officials can tell you that you're the "best of the best" because...something, something higher OML scores "translates" to leadership. THEN you're going to go to these roundtable discussions that really won't deviate much from the following principle: "Every world problem can be solved with the proper application of a few Army brigades" nevermind that this logic has kept Afghanistan in a stalemate for the past 16 years. https://www.amazon.com/Directorate-C-I-Americas-Afghanistan-Pakistan/dp/1594204586
THEN you'll into a few seminars on "emotional intelligence" which you, future 2LT, will absolutely need as you write up an Article 128 for your alcoholic SSG who decides one night it's a good idea to beat up his wife. http://www.cadetcommand.army.mil/george_marshall.aspx

If you're really interested in that part of the world... you might like to spend some time reading more in depth about what life is like on the ground, there. These are two good books you might want to check out: 1 and 2

And keep following the Al-Jazeera youtube channel.

I don't think that things are as black and white as you make them out to be, BraveSirRobin.

Divedown gave a good answer below. If you want to further explore their mentality, attitude and upbringing, I would highly recommend the book Buried in the Sky. The main focus of the book is on 2008 K2 disaster, but it is really centered around two Sherpas who played a pivotal role in it and goes into great lengths about their lives.

This is a terrific idea. I might suggest that you sponsor schools instead of hospitals. I think the most deserving charity is Greg Mortenson's "Central Asia Institute" that constructs secular schools in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The schools provide secular educational alternatives to Saudi-funded radical madrasahs. The institute builds schools for $25,000 and the schools are constructed with free local community labor and on community donated land. The schools often focus primarily on girls educational issues.

The official CAI website

Donation Page

Greg Mortenson on Wikipedia

Central Asia Institute on Wikipedia

Book: "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson

Book: "Stones into Schools" by Greg Mortenson

You can do something about it by donating to charities that support girls' education in Afghanistan. Last week I gave $25 to The Asia Foundation's Afghan Girls' Education Fund. National Geographic is matching donations at this time :)

Afghanistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world and one of the largest disparities in literacy between men and women (source)

Girl's education reduces child mortality rates, increases womens' independence, increases equality, leads to increased women's rights, and increases the probability that her children are educated (Reference - PDF)

I recommend these related books:

Half the Sky

Three Cups of Tea

Stones Into Schools

Yeah their primary aim is to spread terrorism in India as well as in Afghanistan.

Here I would recommend two books from very reputed writers about Pakistan's contemporary role in destabilising the region vis-à-vis india and Afghanistan.

In Their Own Words: Understanding Lashkar-e-Tayyaba by C. CHRISTINE FAIR, 2019, Oxford university press

https://india.oup.com/product/in-their-own-words-9780199495214?

(In this book author only talks about LeT, one among many terrorists groups active in Pakistan)

And in context of Afghanistan I will recommend Two times Pulitzer prize winner Steve Coll

Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan 2018

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B073NNYGWY/

There's also a book called Deception. I highly recommend it. Very easy to read for a book of this nature, and a lot of ground (timespan) is covered.

Yes they are still supporting them. Read this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B073NNYGWY/

If you haven't read it, Buried in the Sky is also quite good as well.

> Uh. No they weren't.

Strong argument, that and the downvoting really support your idea.

All you have to do is see wikipedia or any other source regarding the origin of the Taliban

There's also a rare academic and well resourced book called the Wrong Enemy you might want to check out.

The Wrong Enemy by Carlotta Gall is an impressive and straightforward account of Pakistan's duplicity and the like.

> religious nationalism was one part of a larger set reasons for Pakistan forming.

> Deeper concerns about electoral representation in a unified India were at work

Have a read

You should read Directorate S

https://www.amazon.com/Jinnah-Pakistan-Stanley-Wolpert/dp/0195678591

If you havent done so please read
Carlotta Gall's famous book - The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, 2001-2014

The problem isn't Afghanistan - its Pakistan. Usually I am against drone strikes, but when it comes to Pakistan, I say if we are increasing our troops by 4000, I hope ALL of them are drone operators.

Pakistan is no ally of ours. Time to send a message.

If you want to understand what went wrong in Afghanistan - this is a must read book - The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, 2001-2014

China is the eventual winner of a destabilized Afghanistan. China has two client/rentier states - North Korea and Pakistan. These countries are not by accident nuclear powers. China, in its quest to be a global power needs a blue water navy. Which means it needs to control the Pacific and Indian Oceans to begin with. It will use NK to conquer the Pacific Ocean and Pakistan to conquer the Indian ocean. To maintain a perpetual leverage in Pakistan - China will always create distraction in Afghanistan and India.

Not an ally

http://www.amazon.com/Magnificent-Delusions-Pakistan-History-Misunderstanding/dp/1610394739

http://www.amazon.com/The-Wrong-Enemy-Afghanistan-2001-2014/dp/0544046692

http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-End-The-Pakistan-Armys/dp/0199892709

http://www.amazon.com/Tinderbox-The-Past-Future-Pakistan/dp/0062131796

Taking our money and killing our soldiers across the border in Afghanistan.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eClddgCTP4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEiTqEbaw0A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA8fzs8H3sw

One fucking ally.....

Let Economist first urge US, UK, China, France, Russia to get rid of their nuclear weapons.

US had one single aim pre 1990 - defeat USSR in the cold war. To accomplish this, US went to dangerous extents which made the world an unsafe place post USSR. Helping create Taliban / AlQaeda, overlooking of Pakistani nuclear proliferation to name a few.

Read this book :

"Deception: Pakistan, the United States, and the Secret Trade in Nuclear Weapons"

http://www.amazon.com/Deception-Pakistan-United-Nuclear-Weapons/dp/0802715540

I think it's both. They do use state sponsored terrorism against their enemies and many cases they mute/ignore terrorists safe hideouts within their territories that attack Iran/India/Afghanistan etc.

Like in case of JeM https://www.firstpost.com/world/exclusive-jaish-e-muhammads-giant-new-training-centre-begins-to-blossom-in-imran-khans-pakistan-4835701.html

And, overall Pakistan's role in state sponsored terrorism is explained in extensive detail in Steve Coll's (two times Pulitzer Prize winner) book Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan 2018

https://www.amazon.com/Directorate-C-I-Americas-Afghanistan-Pakistan/dp/1594204586

Its a must read if you are anywhere interested in geopolitics.

Actually, no relationship comes close to USA's longtime bonhomie with Pakistan on the Anti-American-Values scale. It directly led to proliferation of innumerable dangerous tactical battlefield nukes and a variety of terrorist organisations around the world.

And yes, Saudi Arabia comes a close second.

Source: Fighting to the End: The Pakistan Army's Way of War

Magnificent Delusions: Pakistan, the United States, and an Epic History of Misunderstanding

No Exit from Pakistan: America's Tortured Relationship with Islamabad