-
Magnificent Delusions
- Pakistan, the United States, and an Epic History of Misunderstanding
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $17.90
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Nine Lives of Pakistan
- Dispatches from a Precarious State
- By: Declan Walsh
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Declan Walsh is one of the New York Times's most distinguished international correspondents. His electrifying portrait of Pakistan over a tumultuous decade captures the sweep of this strange, wondrous, and benighted country through the dramatic lives of nine fascinating individuals. On assignment as the country careened between crises, Walsh traveled from the raucous port of Karachi to the salons of Lahore, and from Baluchistan to the mountains of Waziristan. He met a diverse cast of extraordinary Pakistanis....
-
-
A Fascinating Look at a Troubled Country
- By Dipam on 07-11-21
By: Declan Walsh
-
The End of the Cold War 1985-1991
- By: Robert Service
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 21 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on new archival research, Robert Service's gripping new investigation of the final years of the Cold War - the first to give equal attention to the internal deliberations from both sides of the Iron Curtain - opens a window onto the dramatic years that would irrevocably alter the world's geopolitical landscape and the men at their fore.
-
-
Behind the scenes look at a pivotal period of time
- By Mike From Mesa on 09-20-16
By: Robert Service
-
The Hundred-Year Marathon
- China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower
- By: Michael Pillsbury
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the US government's leading China experts reveals the hidden strategy fueling that country's rise - and how Americans have been seduced into helping China overtake us as the world's leading superpower.
-
-
Fascinating perspective.
- By Rocky Mackintosh on 01-05-17
-
Doomed to Succeed
- The U.S.-Israel Relationship from Truman to Obama
- By: Dennis Ross
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 18 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Doomed to Succeed, Ross takes us through every administration from Truman to Obama, throwing into dramatic relief each president's attitudes toward Israel and the region, the often tumultuous debates between key advisers, and the events that drove the policies and at times led to a shift in approach.
-
-
Even Handed Report
- By Jean on 11-21-15
By: Dennis Ross
-
Operation Paperclip
- The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America
- By: Annie Jacobsen
- Narrated by: Annie Jacobsen
- Length: 19 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the chaos following World War II, the US government faced many difficult decisions, including what to do with the Third Reich's scientific minds. These were the brains behind the Nazis' once-indomitable war machine. So began Operation Paperclip, a decades-long, covert project to bring Hitler's scientists and their families to the United States. Many of these men were accused of war crimes, and others had stood trial at Nuremberg; one was convicted of mass murder and slavery.
-
-
The Osenberg list
- By Jean on 08-07-14
By: Annie Jacobsen
-
The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution: 1763-1789
- By: Robert Middlekauff
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 26 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first book to appear in the illustrious Oxford History of the United States, this critically-acclaimed volume - a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize - offers an unsurpassed history of the Revolutionary War and the birth of the American republic.
-
-
Strong History Rich With Behind The Scenes Details
- By John on 10-06-11
-
The Nine Lives of Pakistan
- Dispatches from a Precarious State
- By: Declan Walsh
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Declan Walsh is one of the New York Times's most distinguished international correspondents. His electrifying portrait of Pakistan over a tumultuous decade captures the sweep of this strange, wondrous, and benighted country through the dramatic lives of nine fascinating individuals. On assignment as the country careened between crises, Walsh traveled from the raucous port of Karachi to the salons of Lahore, and from Baluchistan to the mountains of Waziristan. He met a diverse cast of extraordinary Pakistanis....
-
-
A Fascinating Look at a Troubled Country
- By Dipam on 07-11-21
By: Declan Walsh
-
The End of the Cold War 1985-1991
- By: Robert Service
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 21 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on new archival research, Robert Service's gripping new investigation of the final years of the Cold War - the first to give equal attention to the internal deliberations from both sides of the Iron Curtain - opens a window onto the dramatic years that would irrevocably alter the world's geopolitical landscape and the men at their fore.
-
-
Behind the scenes look at a pivotal period of time
- By Mike From Mesa on 09-20-16
By: Robert Service
-
The Hundred-Year Marathon
- China's Secret Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower
- By: Michael Pillsbury
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the US government's leading China experts reveals the hidden strategy fueling that country's rise - and how Americans have been seduced into helping China overtake us as the world's leading superpower.
-
-
Fascinating perspective.
- By Rocky Mackintosh on 01-05-17
-
Doomed to Succeed
- The U.S.-Israel Relationship from Truman to Obama
- By: Dennis Ross
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 18 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Doomed to Succeed, Ross takes us through every administration from Truman to Obama, throwing into dramatic relief each president's attitudes toward Israel and the region, the often tumultuous debates between key advisers, and the events that drove the policies and at times led to a shift in approach.
-
-
Even Handed Report
- By Jean on 11-21-15
By: Dennis Ross
-
Operation Paperclip
- The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America
- By: Annie Jacobsen
- Narrated by: Annie Jacobsen
- Length: 19 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the chaos following World War II, the US government faced many difficult decisions, including what to do with the Third Reich's scientific minds. These were the brains behind the Nazis' once-indomitable war machine. So began Operation Paperclip, a decades-long, covert project to bring Hitler's scientists and their families to the United States. Many of these men were accused of war crimes, and others had stood trial at Nuremberg; one was convicted of mass murder and slavery.
-
-
The Osenberg list
- By Jean on 08-07-14
By: Annie Jacobsen
-
The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution: 1763-1789
- By: Robert Middlekauff
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 26 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first book to appear in the illustrious Oxford History of the United States, this critically-acclaimed volume - a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize - offers an unsurpassed history of the Revolutionary War and the birth of the American republic.
-
-
Strong History Rich With Behind The Scenes Details
- By John on 10-06-11
-
Drift
- The Unmooring of American Military Power
- By: Rachel Maddow
- Narrated by: Rachel Maddow
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written with bracing wit and intelligence, Rachel Maddow's Drift argues that we've drifted away from America's original ideals and become a nation weirdly at peace with perpetual war, with all the financial and human costs that entails. To understand how we've arrived at such a dangerous place, Maddow takes us from the Vietnam War to today's war in Afghanistan.
-
-
Half the National Debt?
- By Dolf Beil on 04-07-12
By: Rachel Maddow
-
Black Flags
- The Rise of ISIS
- By: Joby Warrick
- Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra
- Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pulitzer Prize, General nonfiction, 2016. When Jordan granted amnesty to a group of political prisoners in 1999, it little realized that among them was Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a terrorist mastermind and soon the architect of an Islamist movement bent on dominating the Middle East. In Black Flags, an unprecedented account of the rise of ISIS, Joby Warrick shows how the zeal of this one man and the strategic mistakes of Presidents Bush and Obama led to the banner of ISIS being raised over huge swaths of Syria and Iraq.
-
-
So much learned
- By mike flavin on 02-11-16
By: Joby Warrick
-
Ghost Wars
- The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
- By: Steve Coll
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 26 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The explosive first-hand account of America's secret history in Afghanistan. With the publication of Ghost Wars, Steve Coll became not only a Pulitzer Prize winner, but also the expert on the rise of the Taliban, the emergence of Bin Laden, and the secret efforts by CIA officers and their agents to capture or kill Bin Laden in Afghanistan after 1998.
-
-
An Exceptional Accomplishment
- By Joe on 11-08-13
By: Steve Coll
-
On China
- By: Henry Kissinger
- Narrated by: Nicholas Hormann
- Length: 20 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this sweeping and insightful history, Henry Kissinger turns for the first time at book length to a country he has known intimately for decades and whose modern relations with the West he helped shape. On China illuminates the inner workings of Chinese diplomacy during such pivotal events as the initial encounters between China and tight line modern European powers, the formation and breakdown of the Sino-Soviet alliance, the Korean War, and Richard Nixon’s historic trip to Beijing.
-
-
Another History of China
- By Elton on 09-23-11
By: Henry Kissinger
-
Directorate S
- The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan
- By: Steve Coll
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 28 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Resuming the narrative of his Pulitzer Prize-winning Ghost Wars, best-selling author Steve Coll tells for the first time the epic and enthralling story of America's intelligence, military, and diplomatic efforts to defeat Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan since 9/11.
-
-
Slow At Times But Always Horrifying And Engaging
- By Gillian on 02-20-18
By: Steve Coll
-
World Order
- By: Henry Kissinger
- Narrated by: Nicholas Hormann
- Length: 14 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Henry Kissinger offers in World Order a deep meditation on the roots of international harmony and global disorder. Drawing on his experience as one of the foremost statesmen of the modern era Kissinger now reveals his analysis of the ultimate challenge for the 21st century: How to build a shared international order in a world of divergent historical perspectives, violent conflict, proliferating technology, and ideological extremism.
-
-
More retrospective than future oriented
- By Scott on 10-23-14
By: Henry Kissinger
-
Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan
- By: Scott Horton
- Narrated by: Scott Horton
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"In Fool's Errand, Scott Horton masterfully explains the tragedy of America's longest war and makes the case for immediate withdrawal. I highly recommend this excellent book on America's futile and self-defeating occupation of Afghanistan." - Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistleblower and author of Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers
-
-
Amazing History the Afghanistan War
- By josh on 03-24-18
By: Scott Horton
-
The New Tsar
- The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin
- By: Steven Lee Myers
- Narrated by: René Ruiz
- Length: 22 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The epic tale of the rise to power of Russia's current president—the only complete biography in English–that fully captures his emergence from shrouded obscurity and deprivation to become one of the most consequential and complicated leaders in modern history, by the former New York Times Moscow bureau chief.
-
-
A retelling of facts without much added info
- By A. M. on 03-07-16
By: Steven Lee Myers
-
The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy
- By: John J. Mearsheimer, Stephen M. Walt
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 20 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"The Israel Lobby" by John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt was one of the most controversial articles in recent memory. Now in a work of major importance, Mearsheimer and Walt deepen and expand their argument and confront recent developments in Lebanon and Iran. They describe the remarkable level of material and diplomatic support that the United States provides to Israel and argues that this support cannot be fully explained on either strategic or moral grounds.
-
-
The Truth At Last!
- By David on 09-25-07
By: John J. Mearsheimer, and others
-
The Untold History of the United States
- By: Oliver Stone, Peter Kuznick
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 36 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Aided by the latest archival findings and recently declassified documents and building on the research of the world’s best scholars, Stone and Kuznick construct an often shocking but meticulously documented "people’s history" of the American empire that challenges the notion of American exceptionalism. Stone and Kuznick will introduce listeners to a pantheon of heroes and villains as they show not only how far the United States has drifted from its democratic traditions but the powerful forces that have struggled to get us back on track.
-
-
Interesting book but felt biased...
- By A. N. Onymous on 06-06-16
By: Oliver Stone, and others
-
The Sleepwalkers
- How Europe Went to War in 1914
- By: Christopher Clark
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 24 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Sleepwalkers is historian Christopher Clark's riveting account of the explosive beginnings of World War I. Drawing on new scholarship, Clark offers a fresh look at World War I, focusing not on the battles and atrocities of the war itself but on the complex events and relationships that led a group of well-meaning leaders into brutal conflict.
-
-
Very interesting take on a complex problem
- By Steve on 01-24-15
-
The President and the Assassin
- McKinley, Terror, and Empire at the Dawn of the American Century
- By: Scott Miller
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1901, as America tallied its gains from a period of unprecedented imperial expansion, an assassin's bullet shattered the nation's confidence. The shocking murder of President William McKinley threw into stark relief the emerging new world order of what would come to be known as the American Century.
-
-
An Ideal History Book for the Audio Format
- By Nelson Alexander on 09-30-11
By: Scott Miller
Publisher's summary
A character-driven history that describes the bizarrely ill-suited alliance between America and Pakistan, written by a uniquely insightful participant: Pakistan's former ambassador to the US.
The relationship between America and Pakistan is based on mutual incomprehension, and always has been. Pakistan - to American eyes - has gone from being a stabilizing friend to an essential military ally to a seedbed of terror. America - to Pakistani eyes - has been a guarantee of security, a coldly distant scold, an enthusiastic military supplier and ally, and now a threat to national security and a source of humiliation.
In their sixty-five year relationship, one country has become a global superpower, the other perilously close to a failed state - perhaps one of the most dangerous places in the world.
Husain Haqqani has a unique insight into Pakistan, hishomeland, and America, where he was the Pakistani ambassador and is now a professor at Boston University. His life has mapped the relationship of Pakistan and America, and he has found himself often close to the heart of it - sometimes in very confrontational circumstances, even under house arrest - which has allowed him to write the story of the two countries' turbulent affair, here memorably laid bare.
More from the same
What listeners say about Magnificent Delusions
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Shah Alam
- 01-28-14
It it Delusions or Sleeping with the Enemy
Any additional comments?
I opted to read this book with some skepticism - bordering prejudice - because of the author's switching sides between the two major polarized political parties of Pakistan. Not just that, he orchestrated his career so well that he enjoyed an ambassadorial position with each of the government in power. His standing was further compromised for his alleged involvement in writing a letter to Admiral Mullen to save Pakistan's democracy. I must hasten to add though that by the time I finished this book I was convinced that Mr. Haqqani wrote this book objectively and did not let his personal political life and ambitions eclipse writing about the thorny subject of US-Pakistan relationship.
I read (rather listened) this book for the very purpose of learning more about this sensitive relationship between the two countries that keeps swinging between the two extremes. Mr. Haqqani did a very good job by narrating this long saga (from 1947 to date) with details, facts and research. It sounds true and accurate and I find no reasons to suspect otherwise.
This comment is not a reflection on the book but I felt deeply embarrassed and belittled reading that Pakistan picked up the begging bowl right from its inception and never made a sincere effort to let go off it. Even the previous President, Mr. Zardari, was singing the same song – this time under the tune of a Marshall Plan. I wonder if the author, then an ambassador in US, had anything to orchestrate its melody. An irony again that after more half a century Pakistan and US relationship remains uncertain as ever, in that, they are neither trustworthy friends nor arch rivals.
This comment is essentially about its audio book version. I am not sure if the audio book version was somewhat flawed in the chronology but a few events narrated seemed out of calendar sequence. Also the narration itself lacked in energy and style, hence provided for rather monotonous listening.
The book however has to be judged for the quality and accuracy of its content and it scores high marks on that score.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ahmed
- 02-20-14
Great book overall.
Although I personally don't like the author but this is a well-researched book and lays out history of delusions from both sides in a very interesting manner, explaining the basis of many conspiracy theories rampant in Pakistan.
It is well-written and well-narrated.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sushanth R
- 10-28-16
Engaging but biased
Would you listen to Magnificent Delusions again? Why?
Provides a brief overview of the relationship between India and Pakistan over the years.
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
The story gets more engaging when the author becomes a first hand witness to events.
What about Ralph Lister’s performance did you like?
Overall good with some minor issues with pronouncing Pakistani names correctly
Any additional comments?
The book has a lot of substance and devotes adequate amount time to each phase in the history. It would've been better if the author laid emphasis on the dates a tad more.
The author however clearly has an American bias. He portrays them as innocent and sometimes even naive in dealing with the Pakistani deception. One can't give clean chit to the US for its involvement in the affairs of other countries.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Syed Asad Ali
- 11-27-16
Informative but perhaps a bit biased
Pakistan is made the villain in this book. Interpretation is quite biased. Book tells a story of US being naive and constantly being fooled by the Pakistanis. Writer's biases come out given his personal experiences with the Pakistani government and military.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- chetyarbrough.blog
- 07-10-14
PAKISTAN AND U.S. RELATIONS
Husain Haqqani, in “Magnificent Delusions”, recounts the history of Pakistan and its troubled relationship with the United States and India. Haqqani explains how nations act with delusion and misunderstanding. Ethnic diversity within nations makes speaking with one voice impossible. Consequent delusions and misunderstandings between nations foment arms escalation and international conflict.
Diplomatic policy and action are a reflection of what leaders can do within the framework of their respective governments and cultures. Haqqani infers that delusion and misunderstanding correlate with cultural ignorance; an ignorance that is endemic in nation-to-nation communication.
Haqqani was imprisoned for his efforts to remove the veil of obfuscation between the United States and Pakistan. He was eventually released by the Pakistani court system and allowed to leave Pakistan. “Magnificent Delusions” is a sad tale of a hard road Pakistan travels. It is a frightening explanation of growing terrorist potential of a country riven by social, economic, and ethnic conflict.
An ambassador that understands the culture of a country he/she is sent to is the greatest protection from delusion and misunderstanding between host and sponsor countries. “Magnificent Delusions” is an excellent primer for aspiring ambassadors.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 04-21-23
Showing a mirror
Mr. Haqqani’s book is an eye opener for any true Pakistani patriot. Forget all the lies you have been told and push for representative government that reflects the will of the common people, not the mullah or the generals.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- brijeshwar virk
- 12-29-22
A must read!
Ambassador Haqqani has written one of the most candid books on Pakistan’s foreign policy. A must read!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jamshed
- 04-24-22
Must read
An eye opener that challenges various myths surrounding the US-Pak relationship over the years. Enjoy.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 04-24-22
Mumbling, stumbling, & bumbling foreign relations
70 years of stumbling, grumbling, bumbling, and mumbling. No permanent allies, only permanent interests.
This 2013 history of US/Pakistani relations by former Pakistani Ambassdor to the US Husain Haqqani is darkly comedic because nearly every exchange between US or Pakistani leaders follows this basic script.
"You should give us aid. We can help you fight the communists/terrorists."
"We're willing to give you military aid to help us fight the communists/terrorists."
"Thank you, finally we'll be able to take on India."
"India? No, we said the communists/terrorists."
"Wha? Sorry, can't hear you. Can we have more aid please?"
"Fiiiiiiine...."
Repeat.
Replacing "communists" with "terrorists" gives us the last 20 years or so of US/Pakistani relations. Haqqani comes to the subject with a little too much technocrat baggage insofar as we get far more excerpts from NYT and WaPo editorials than are really useful or insightful. But where he provides direct records of diplomatic exchanges and notes, "Magnificent Delusions" is a compelling, if not terribly encouraging, history of relations between a superpower and a wannabe regional power - each with wildly divergent interests and intentions.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Christopher F. Wilson
- 12-26-21
Tour de Force Pakistan Diplomatic History
Excellent history of US relations with the US, India, Afghanistan since before there was a Pakistan. Sorry to say my knowledge about Pakistan was sketchy. This book clearly and succinctly explains why stirred-up religious fervor mattered and matters, how terrorism (both against the Russians and against India, the US, and Pakistani people) has been a way of life, how the military and intelligence service have used propaganda, conspiracy theories, controlled media, and dictatorships to keep the country in a forever-war mindset, with India and Afghanistan as forever-enemies. Bright spots: did not appreciate how central Pakistan was in brokering US-China rapprochement, or how central Pakistan was in bringing about Soviet defeat in Afghanistan (and end of the Cold War). Thankfully the author has done his research and presents his proof convincingly. This should be required reading for US diplomats, as well as Russian, Chinese, Afghan, and Indian diplomats who need to be able to keep peace (or at least avoid nuclear war) in the areas heavily influenced by Pakistan.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Saeed
- 02-28-19
Completely Biased Narrative
This book was a waste of time, the author is accused of being an American stooge by his own admission. Quite rightly so in my opinion. He had absolutely nothing good to say about a single one of Pakistan’s leaders, and made out USA and it’s secret agencies as if they are the most honest and honourable people around. I suppose he needs his green card the sell out.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 03-08-20
Very one sided
The way Mr Haqqani tells it, the U.S were not dissimilar in their innocent naivety to the indigenous Americans when Columbus (in this book played by all Pakistanis to ever deal with the U.S with the exception of himself) landed on their shores. You really feel for the Americans as they trade away all their gold in return for shiny but worthless pieces of glass. I had a lump in my throat each time the young American virgin entered the dark prison cell filled with lascivious Pakistani inmates. Really tough to read.
It was tough for me to read, but I forced myself to read this only as a challenge to find some shred of evidence as to his Pakistani-ness. In the end I found what I was looking for.... right at, literally, the very end. In one of the final sentences he writes he says something about essentially being so critical of Pakistan, for it's own good. Yet, I don't mind him or anyone being critical of Pakistan, only an unreasonable person would be uncritical of Pakistan. All Pakistanis are critical of Pakistan - we can all see it's a mess. But Mr Haqqani is one of those Pakistanis who rues the day Pakistan was created.
Anyway, Mr, Haqqani is entitled to his opinion, but in a professional capacity, to ignore the unhealthy dynamics that have needed to exist to hold Pakistan together and to be utterly unaware of American objectives within the region wrt the Chinese and the Russians, just paint him as incompetent as the rest of the Pakistani leadership. Most leaders of Pakistan have used Pakistan for their own selfish reasons and Mr. Haqqani is no different. The post created a great opportunity for him to secure a good role for himself outside of Pakistan and for the reason of selling this book he had to tailor the message in a way that was more appealing to Westerners. He has obviously left out a lot because aside from a couple of anecdotes, there's nothing in this text that cannnot be found easily on the internet.
Fair play to him for getting what he needs out of it and fair play to Pakistani leaders to get out of the U.S what they needed at the time. And spare a thought for the benevolent superpower, who got fleeced by all the South Americans, the Vietnamese, the Iraqis, the Libyans, the Syrians, the Palestinians.... I mean I'm tearful when I think about it really.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Judy Corstjens
- 05-11-16
A pretty miserable tale, well told
If you are interested in the story of Pakistan from independence (1947) to the present day (well, 2013) this book provides a wonderful sweep. For me it was one of those excellent books that packages all the snippets of news from my whole life time and groups and organises them into one comprehensible narrative. I'm not able to judge whether M. Haqqani is biased, but he certainly has been in the thick of Pakistani politics for many years (the book gets noticeably more lively once he moves from history to his first hand experiences), but he seems to be able to take a reasonably objective view of American and Pakistan's desires, beliefs, and errors. It is pretty downbeat, overall, delusions and misunderstanding indeed.
Warning - the book is detailed and sometimes seems repetitive (maybe that is history) so you really do have to be interested in the subject to pay attention through 14 hours.
Narrator was perfectly cast. The voice sounds like an educated foreign-office type with slightly Indian intonations. Fourteen hours of genuine Pakistani accented English would have been too tiring for this UK listener.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- inderpal singh
- 08-26-22
A very good effort by Husain Haqqani.
its a shame that not many in Pakistan will read or agree with this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Daniel Garcia-Seddon
- 03-02-22
paakeestaan
maybe I've been saying it wrong my whole life and he's got it right, but I've never heard anyone say Pakistan the way he does and it makes it pretty hard to listen to the book.
I always thought it was pah-kih-stan, but apparently it's actually paa kee staan.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jo Swinnerton
- 08-26-21
informative, insightful and interesting
Packed with historical background, with cultural and socioeconomic factors/information/explanation, as well as detailed analysis, a well-written book that's worth listening to.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Michael Nolan
- 08-22-21
Excellently informative.
full of revelations not only about America and Pakistan's special arrangement but also about the delusion Pakistan has been labouring under since 1947.
Want to know how Pakistan thinks about itself or the rest of the world?
want to know about the double game Pakistan is totally committed to?
look no further.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Midnight's Furies
- The Deadly Legacy of India's Partition
- By: Nisid Hajari
- Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nobody expected the liberation of India and birth of Pakistan to be so bloody - it was supposed to be an answer to the dreams of Muslims and Hindus who had been ruled by the British for centuries. Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi's protégé and the political leader of India, believed that Indians were an inherently nonviolent, peaceful people. Pakistan's founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was a secular lawyer, not a firebrand.
-
-
Amazingly detailed account of this tragedy i gigan
- By BG on 10-09-15
By: Nisid Hajari
-
The Bhutto Dynasty
- The Struggle for Power in Pakistan
- By: Owen Bennett-Jones
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A major new investigation into the Bhutto family, examining their influence in Pakistan from the colonial era to the present day.
-
-
Excellent coverage of the dynasty
- By Junaid Qurashi on 04-26-21
-
The Nine Lives of Pakistan
- Dispatches from a Precarious State
- By: Declan Walsh
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Declan Walsh is one of the New York Times's most distinguished international correspondents. His electrifying portrait of Pakistan over a tumultuous decade captures the sweep of this strange, wondrous, and benighted country through the dramatic lives of nine fascinating individuals. On assignment as the country careened between crises, Walsh traveled from the raucous port of Karachi to the salons of Lahore, and from Baluchistan to the mountains of Waziristan. He met a diverse cast of extraordinary Pakistanis....
-
-
A Fascinating Look at a Troubled Country
- By Dipam on 07-11-21
By: Declan Walsh
-
The Fall of the Ottomans
- The Great War in the Middle East
- By: Eugene Rogan
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Fall of the Ottomans, award-winning historian Eugene Rogan brings the First World War and its immediate aftermath in the Middle East to vivid life, uncovering the often ignored story of the region's crucial role in the conflict.
-
-
Great Book About A Little Known Part of WWI
- By Nostromo on 06-08-15
By: Eugene Rogan
-
India and Pakistan
- By: Gregory Kozlowski
- Narrated by: Peter Hackes
- Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As one of the world's most ancient civilizations, India presents a rich mosaic of political, religious, and cultural influences. In 1947 this vast region was split; Pakistan was created to separate Moslems from Hindus, and millions died. Strife and political troubles continue to plague India.
-
-
Dated
- By Ed on 06-30-09
-
Balkan Ghosts
- A Journey Through History
- By: Robert D. Kaplan
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the assassination that triggered World War I to the ethnic warfare in Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia, the Balkans have been the crucible of the 20th century, the place where terrorism and genocide first became tools of policy. Chosen as one of the Best Books of the Year by the New York Times, and greeted with critical acclaim as "the most insightful and timely work on the Balkans to date" (The Boston Globe), Kaplan's prescient, enthralling, and often chilling political travelogue is already a modern classic.
-
-
Anti religious/anti catholic hit piece
- By Daniel Calvert on 05-04-21
By: Robert D. Kaplan
-
Midnight's Furies
- The Deadly Legacy of India's Partition
- By: Nisid Hajari
- Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nobody expected the liberation of India and birth of Pakistan to be so bloody - it was supposed to be an answer to the dreams of Muslims and Hindus who had been ruled by the British for centuries. Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhi's protégé and the political leader of India, believed that Indians were an inherently nonviolent, peaceful people. Pakistan's founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was a secular lawyer, not a firebrand.
-
-
Amazingly detailed account of this tragedy i gigan
- By BG on 10-09-15
By: Nisid Hajari
-
The Bhutto Dynasty
- The Struggle for Power in Pakistan
- By: Owen Bennett-Jones
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A major new investigation into the Bhutto family, examining their influence in Pakistan from the colonial era to the present day.
-
-
Excellent coverage of the dynasty
- By Junaid Qurashi on 04-26-21
-
The Nine Lives of Pakistan
- Dispatches from a Precarious State
- By: Declan Walsh
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Declan Walsh is one of the New York Times's most distinguished international correspondents. His electrifying portrait of Pakistan over a tumultuous decade captures the sweep of this strange, wondrous, and benighted country through the dramatic lives of nine fascinating individuals. On assignment as the country careened between crises, Walsh traveled from the raucous port of Karachi to the salons of Lahore, and from Baluchistan to the mountains of Waziristan. He met a diverse cast of extraordinary Pakistanis....
-
-
A Fascinating Look at a Troubled Country
- By Dipam on 07-11-21
By: Declan Walsh
-
The Fall of the Ottomans
- The Great War in the Middle East
- By: Eugene Rogan
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Fall of the Ottomans, award-winning historian Eugene Rogan brings the First World War and its immediate aftermath in the Middle East to vivid life, uncovering the often ignored story of the region's crucial role in the conflict.
-
-
Great Book About A Little Known Part of WWI
- By Nostromo on 06-08-15
By: Eugene Rogan
-
India and Pakistan
- By: Gregory Kozlowski
- Narrated by: Peter Hackes
- Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As one of the world's most ancient civilizations, India presents a rich mosaic of political, religious, and cultural influences. In 1947 this vast region was split; Pakistan was created to separate Moslems from Hindus, and millions died. Strife and political troubles continue to plague India.
-
-
Dated
- By Ed on 06-30-09
-
Balkan Ghosts
- A Journey Through History
- By: Robert D. Kaplan
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance