Reviews (8)

Cheap sensationalism
This book reads like the sensationalist columns of a cheap eveninger. The authoress has listed a number of supposed to be eye witness accounts of mass murders and other brutalities and passed it off as an intellectual work of great merit. I totally agree with many other reviewers view that the book is extremely repetitive. The current trend in the world of arts and literature especially in south Asia appears to be one of playing to the galleries of the west. Shock their ( west ) sensibilities about what is happening in the east and good readership and fame and name is assured .The book lacks any kind of depth and analysis. The work is shoddy at its best.
Book in need of an editor!
I ordered this book because I am extremely interested in the
The other side of silence...
I have read this book, Mr. Moon's "Divide and Quit", Mr. Khosla's work, "Stern Reckoning" amongst others on the subject of the Partition. Ms. Butalia's work is so saturated with her personal opinions and idealogy, that it almost ceases to be a work on history than the airing of one's thoughts and mindset. Almost a diatribe, if I may. I will agree with what john_galt_who has written. I think he has hit the nail on the head. I did not consider this book worth either the money or the time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - India    2. Asia - India & South Asia    3. Asia - Pakistan    4. History    5. History - General History    6. Music    7. Partition, 1947    8. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    9. Punjab (India)    10. Women's Studies - General   

Subjects:  1. Agriculture    2. Balochistan (Pakistan)    3. Balochiståan    4. Balochiståan (Pakistan)    5. Business / Economics / Finance    6. Economic Conditions    7. Economic aspects    8. History    9. History: World    10. Natural resources    11. Pakistan    12. Population    13. Social conditions    14. South Asia - History    15. Asian / Middle Eastern history    16. Macroeconomics    17. Non-Classifiable    18. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT   

Subjects:  1. Asia - India & South Asia    2. Bangladesh    3. Bengali language    4. Group identity    5. History    6. History - General History    7. Islam - General    8. Islam and state    9. Islamic Studies    10. Political Ideologies - Nationalism    11. Religion    12. Religion - World Religions    13. Social aspects    14. Asian / Middle Eastern history    15. Bengali Islam; Bengal; India; Pakistan; umma; colonialism; Bengali; Urdu; Hinduism; Buddhism; Islam; Bengali Muslims;    16. Islam    17. Religion / Islam   

Reviews (1)

A valid view
This is a book which I value tremendously. Rarely are books so wellwritten as this; and whatever Churchill wrote in 1897 in this account stillholds very much true, if not more so, for the context of this narrative.Were I to write an account on this subject today, it would hardly differfrom Churchill's. His opinions are still very much valid, and those whovalue truthful methods of analysis are well aware of this. This book mustnot be spurned by experts. Given the nature of the current overallsituation prevailing in this region and its effect on the rest of theworld, this book becomes more important than ever as a reference primer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History - General History    2. India    3. Churchill, Winston    4. Views on Pakistan   

Subjects:  1. Asia - India & South Asia    2. Dictionaries - General    3. History    4. History: World    5. Reference    6. Asian / Middle Eastern history    7. Pakistan    8. Reference works   

Reviews (2)

Avoid
wORTH aVOIDING - BAD PICTURES ( A FEW GOOD) NO MATCH FOR THE INSKIPP - NOT A GUIDE BUT A PICTURE BOOK

"A" for effort, "B plus" for results
This book is a very noble effort at a photographic field guide to Indian birds. Not surprisingly, the quality of the photos varies from excellent to marginal-at-best; a few species could not possibly be intentified from the photos provided. Having said that, this book does contain several valuable features lacking from the other Indian bird guides. The range maps are displayed along with each species, with symbols and notes on the relative rarity of each species. Another very nice feature is the inclusion of the older, common (English) names which is great for those who have birded in India for awhile. I also like the smaller size and portablility of this book. The bottom line: if you are going to take one bird field guide to India, I wouldn't take this one- the Grimmett/Inskipps or Kazmeirczak "non-photo" guides are better bets. However, if you are a serious birder and don't mind packing two bird books, I'd highly recommned taking this one along to supplement the information in the other field guides. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Identification    4. India    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Photography    8. Pictorial works    9. South Asia    10. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    11. Techniques - General    12. Biological Sciences    13. Birds (ornithology)    14. Birds and Natural History    15. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    16. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (3)

Understanding heat!
First of all this book is very interesting one. It could be a biased study. However, this book is good in explaining the India-Pakistan conflict. It gives Indian government's perspective of Pak establishment.
One of the best insights into Pakistan's Behaviour on India
Who can give better account than someone who has been in Foreign Services for long time. Mr. J.N.Dixit one of the most prominent figures of Indian ThinkTank today, gives first hand account of Pakistan and it's mindset. Stunning details about the mindset of Pakistani people towards India with facts is something worth reading. If someone thinks that People to People contacts between India and Pakistan can solve the problem of Kashmir think again. It is not about Kashmir. Pakistan's policy is to contain India from getting PowerStatus in the world. Be it Security Council Seat or anything else, it will always oppose India(even after Kashmir is solved), one of the stunning revelations is that it is backed by Japan(I always thought Japan was friend of India and also by Turkey(so called democratic Islamic State)). How US is always acting contary to the facts and it's own policies on Human Rights and Non Poliferation is also shown. US "tilt towards pakistan" during the Soviet-Afgan war and helping or atleast Ignoring the Nuclear poliferation by pakistan are well discussed
Indian perspective
This book is definitely not a unbiased study of Indo-Pak relationship. However, this book is a rather important for understanding the India-Pakistan conflict as it gives a complete detail of the Indian government's view of Pakistani establishment.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - India & South Asia    3. History    4. History: World    5. International Relations - Diplomacy    6. Politics / Current Events    7. India    8. International relations    9. Pakistan    10. Political Science / General   

Subjects:  1. Asian / Middle Eastern history    2. Colonization & independence    3. Immigration & emigration    4. India   

Subjects:  1. Antiques / Collectibles    2. Firearms    3. Firearms & Weapons    4. Firearms And Gunsmithing    5. General    6. History    7. Islamic countries    8. Islamic weapons    9. Kuwait    10. Private collections    11. Sociology    12. Base metal & ironworking    13. India    14. Islamic studies    15. Middle East    16. Militaria, arms & armour    17. Pakistan   

Subjects:  1. Asia - India & South Asia    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Asian / Middle Eastern history: from c 1900 -    6. History / India    7. History, World | Pakistan    8. Pakistan   

Editorial Review

August 1997 marked the 50th anniversary of India and Pakistan's independence from Great Britain. That hard-won independence, however, came with a high price: a bloody partition of the subcontinent into Hindu-majority India and the Muslim state of Pakistan. Almost as soon as Jawaharlal Nehru pronounced India a new nation, the butchery began--a bloodbath in which millions perished and for which there are still no exact figures. What Mohandas K. Gandhi was to India, Mohammed Ali Jinnah was to Pakistan--the architect of its statehood. In Read more

Reviews (34)

mr mohammad ZAIDI (previous reviewer of this book)
I would like to respond to your comments with respect to muslims in India. It a shame that you have only met 1 Indian Muslim in Silicon Valley...but have you ever thought why?
A feeble attempt of glorifying Jinnah's lust for power
Reading this book character or Jinnah as well as Mr. Akbar Ahmed is exposed. This book is a desperate attempt of putting a positive twists on greed and cruelty of some of the Muslim leaders. Mr. Ahmed has no regards of other people or other cultures. He hails intolerance of leaders like Aurangzeb, Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, for practicing exclusive superiority of Muslims over non Muslims and condemns tolerant leaders like Akbar who was comparatively tolerant to non Muslims. He sees Muslim men marring non Muslim woman, in past, as pride of Islam and non Muslim man marring Muslim woman, in present times, as decline of Islam.
Jinnahs Pakistan is as valid today as it was in '47.
If ever I had a chance to meet a personality from the past my first and only choice would be a chance to have an evening tea with Mr. Jinnah. Many times I have been approached by my fellow Pakistani citizens claiming that creation of Pakistan was a historical blunder of immense proportions. Their claim that in a unified India; a larger muslim minority would be better able to project their interests. After all emotional and rational explanations to the defense of Pakistan I recluse with a potent exclamation from my dad "Had I been in India I would have been a peon in a government office serving tea". My residence is in the Silicon Valley; which inhabits many residents from the sub-continent; interestingly enough out of the 1000's of desis I get in contact with I have only met with one muslim from India.His despairing accounts of continual police harassment; the unsaid discrimination at official levels and the lack of job opportunities there; has created a deeper conviction within me to philosophy of Pakistan.I am indebted to Mr. Jinnah for the gift he gave us all in the form of a state where we can freely partake in the pleasures of life often denied to the muslims to the east. If it had not happened I would be reading Anandamath (a tale of Hindu lords massacring muslims).
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Subjects:  1. 1876-1948    2. 1919-1947    3. Asia - General    4. Asia - Pakistan    5. Biography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Historical - General    8. History    9. India    10. Islam and state    11. Jinnah, Mahomed Ali,    12. Pakistan    13. Politics and government    14. Presidents & Heads of State    15. Religion    16. Statesmen    17. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    18. Biography: historical    19. Colonization & independence    20. Political Science / General    21. Political science & theory   

Reviews (2)

Good but heavily US slanted
Dennis Kux gives a very good history of diplomatic relations between the US and Pakistan, including analysis of the bigger global politics picture.However, this is mostly from the US point of view.Not as dry as many similar books.

Understanding the fluctuating US-Pakistan relations
Ambassador Dennis Kux, who had previously authored the study of India-US relations, India and the United States: Estranged Democracies, 1941-1991, has once again produced a masterly account; this time of the US-Pakistan relationship. Thorough in description, tracing events from the initial encounters between US and Pakistan since 1947, to President Clinton's visit to Islamabad in March 2000, Kux's narrative makes for an absorbing and gripping read. Heavily referenced, it has drawn from a variety of sources, including the US national archives, the Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson presidential libraries, Nixon's papers and the Public Record Office in London. He also obtained documents by invoking the US Freedom of Information Act. Moreover, he was able to interview over 50 senior Pakistani officials who had played key roles in their country's dealings with Washington. The result is some rare insights into the making of history, much of it so far hidden from view.Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign relations    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. International Relations - General    4. Pakistan    5. Political History    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. United States    10. Business & Economics / Economic Development    11. International relations    12. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    13. USA   

Reviews (9)

You need to know your stuff before reading.
Sumit Ganguly does a worthy job of detailing the tensions between India and Pakistan since independence from Britain.He is very thorough.However, if you have little knowledge of international affairs, you will be out of luck.The book is not for the casual reader; Ganguly is assuming you know your stuff before you read.It would help to brush up on the Soviet and US administrations, their policies in South Asia and even the Sino-Indian war of 1962 before reading this book.He will talk about the Nixon administration's policy vis-�-vis Pakistan or India and then the next page go back and talk about Eisenhower's policies toward them.The chapters are written chronologically, but Ganguly does go back and forth within them a bit.This may be unavoidable considering the picture he is trying to paint, but nonetheless a heads up.
Invaluable Primer on India-PakistanTensions
Sumit Ganguly offers an invaluable primer on the roots, history, and possible future of current tensions between India and Pakistan. Along the way he successfully challenges one fundamental myth that this conflict would not have occurred if there wasn't a dispute over Jammu and Kashmir. Ganguly notes that the seeds of the conflict go back centuries, even before the arrival of the British, due to bloody wars between predominantly Muslim and Hindu states on the Indian subcontinent. Yet he does bear the British Raj some responsibility, for promoting Muslim interests at the expense of other religious communities during the 19th Century. He strongly criticizes India for its complacency in its relations with Pakistan, forgoing possible opportunities to establish a long-lasting peace. He suggests that a peaceful resolution will be attained when both parties agree to the ceasefire line- or Line of Control - as the border in Kashmir and India offers the Kashmiris more political autonomy. Although this book may be a bit slim with regards to substance, it does an admirable job covering every facet of Indian-Pakistani relations. Without question it is essential reading for anyone interested in this ongoing crisis.

A Superb India-Pakistan Primer
Ganguly provides a valuable service with this book, an accessible, easy to read historical account and observation of India-Pakistan relations, in the context of their frequent wars and crises since 1947.Credit goes to Ganguly for making a no-nonsense call on the source of most of the intransigence and crisis, Pakistan.The reasons are numerous and different depending on the crisis at hand, and the discussions extensive (yet easy to follow), but Ganguly lays most of the blame for the ongoing problems between India and Pakistan at Pakistan's feet, more specifically at the feet of its arrogant, immature, and impetuous armed forces.India certainly is not without blame both for creating and exacerbating tension with Pakistan, and Ganguly highlights this when required.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1947-    2. Asia - China    3. Asia - India    4. Asia - India & South Asia    5. Asia - Pakistan    6. Foreign relations    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. India    11. International Relations - General    12. Nuclear weapons    13. Pakistan    14. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    15. Politics and government    16. History of specific subjects    17. International relations    18. Land rights    19. Nationalism    20. Political Science / International Relations    21. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000   

Reviews (9)

Indus Valley
This was an excellent, informative and well-written book about a civilization which is largely unknown.

Dull, Slow, Plodding and Boring
By contrast with Gregory Possehl's similar work The Indus Civilization: A Contemporary Perspective, Kenoyer's book is incredibly bland. It reads like a textbook, with dry, wooden sentences loaded with typos that Oxford's editorial staff were apparently too busy to bother correcting. One can almost envision Kenoyer in front of a classroom with a sonorous, non-inflective voice reciting Indus history as though he were reading aloud from an airline safety guidebook. But, these quibbles aside, Kenoyer's book is otherwise quite bad.
Great book....
This might definitely be a well-researched book.
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Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Ancient Archaeology    3. Antiquities    4. Archaeology    5. Archaeology / Anthropology    6. Asia - India    7. Cities and towns, Ancient    8. India    9. Indus civilization    10. Pakistan    11. Social Science    12. Sociology    13. Ancient World    14. Archaeology | Ancient    15. Asian / Middle Eastern history: BCE to c 500 CE    16. Asian archaeology    17. Social Science / Archaeology   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Church and state    3. Eastern - General    4. History    5. Islam    6. Islam - General    7. Islam and state    8. Islamic Theology    9. Missions    10. Missions & Missionary Work    11. Pakistan    12. Religion    13. Religion - World Religions    14. Religion & Beliefs    15. Religion / Eastern    16. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (2)

A Great Account of Life in Pakistan
An excellent account of the journey of a journalist in Pakistan. Not only will you be learning a lot of how life is in Pakistan for people from all walks of life but also you will have an enjoyable time reading the book. Very intriguing and thought provoking. A book well worth reading!!

In the dust of Paskistan
At first, "A human journey in a dangerous time" sounded a rather dull title but ultimately it was what I was going to learn about: the human journey of a journalist that metamorphosed into a writer.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Contemporary Politics - Asia    3. Government - General    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. South Asia - History    8. Travel / Asia / General   

Subjects:  1. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    2. India    3. Pakistan   

Subjects:  1. 1988-    2. Asia - Pakistan    3. Ethnic relations    4. General    5. Government - International    6. History    7. History - General History    8. Pakistan    9. Political Ideologies - Nationalism    10. Politics and government    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Asian studies    13. History / General    14. Nationalism    15. Political structure & processes    16. Social & cultural anthropology   

Subjects:  1. Government - International    2. Political Ideologies - General    3. Political Science    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Public Affairs & Administration    7. Religion, Politics & State    8. History    9. History / India    10. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    11. Politics | Comparative Politics | India & Pakistan    12. Sociology, Social Studies   

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - India    3. Authoritarianism    4. Civil-military relations    5. History    6. History: World    7. International Relations - General    8. Pakistan    9. Political History    10. Political stability    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Politics and government    13. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    14. Political Science / International Relations    15. Sociology, Social Studies