
Pakistan
A New History
Ian Talbot(Author)
Columbia University Press
Published on 30. October 2012
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-0-231-70318-5 (ISBN)
Description
If Pakistan is to preserve all that is good about its country -- the generosity and hospitality of its people, the dynamism of its youth -- then it must face the deterioration of its social and political institutions. Sidestepping easy headlines to identify Pakistan's true dangers, this volume revisits the major turning points and trends of Pakistani history over the past six decades, focusing on the increasing entrenchment of Pakistan's army in its political and economic arenas; the complex role of Islam in public life; the tensions between central and local identities and democratic impulses; and the affect of geopolitical influences on domestic policy and development. While Ian Talbot's study centers on Pakistan's many failures -- the collapse of stable governance, the drop in positive political and economic development, and, most of all, the unrealized goal of securing a separate Muslim state -- his text unequivocally affirms Pakistan's potential for a positive reawakening. These failures were not preordained, Talbot agues, and such a fatalistic reading does not respect the complexity of historical events, individual actors, and the nation's own rich resources.
Talbot's sensitive historical approach makes it clear that favorable opportunities still remain for Pakistan, in which the state has a chance to reclaim its priorities and institutions and reestablish political and economic sustainability.
Talbot's sensitive historical approach makes it clear that favorable opportunities still remain for Pakistan, in which the state has a chance to reclaim its priorities and institutions and reestablish political and economic sustainability.
Reviews / Votes
This is an excellent overview of Pakistan's troubled past and uncertain future. Ian Talbot provides a judicious, informed, and incisive account of a polity that has defied standard explanations. A work of exceptional quality that is a must-read for everyone seriously interested in Pakistan's history and politics. -- Gurharpal Singh, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London An invaluable guide for navigating and understanding Pakistan's complex, byzantine politics. Ian Talbot brings extraordinary understanding and empathy to analyzing the trials and tribulations of Pakistan's political experience. No other contemporary history of Pakistan comes anywhere near the understanding of this book and its detail of the country's challenges and missed opportunities. -- Maleeha Lodhi, former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S., editor of Pakistan: Beyond the 'Crisis State'More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 127 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-231-70318-5 (9780231703185)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Ian Talbot is professor of history at Southampton University and one of Europe's leading historians of South Asia. He is the author of many books on the subcontinent.