ADST-DACOR Diplomats and Diplomacy Book
Bangladesh and Pakistan
Flirting with Failure in South Asia
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by
William B. Milam (New York, NY:
Columbia University Press, March, 2009) "William Milam was one of those rare US envoys, a trouble-shooter who served in some of the world's most unstable countries. ... This brilliant comparative analysis, revealing the inner workings of South Asia's two most troubled states, is a must read for anyone interested in how and why they have evaded democratic governance."
Former ambassador to Pakistan and Bangladesh William B. Milam has produced a sympathetic, frank, and nuanced acount of the two countries since their 1971 breakup. Published by Hurst & Co. of London and Columbia University Press, it is the 35th volume in the ADST-DACOR Diplomats and Diplomacy Series. This book makes an especially timely contribution to the current debate on the stability of South Asia.
Informed by years of experience, profound empathy for both countries, and close monitoring of their subsequent evolution, Milam's insightful study, arranged thematically and divided into periods of civilian government and military intervention, draws on his exhaustive research into the plitical, military, social, and economic trajectories of post-1971 Bangladesh and Pakistan. Milam takes a hard look at the realities of both countries, including the jihadi networks that threaten to turn Pakistan into an ideological state, and considers Islam's influence on both societies. He also examines Pakistan's long-running fear an dhostility toward India.
"The clarity of Milam's writing, the comprehensiveness of his coverage, and the underlying terms of his argument, make this book essential reading for anyone with an interst in South Asian politics. Indeed, as a teaching tool this book is simply indispensable.
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ADST
256 pp, notes, bibliography, index
Cloth $35.00 (members' price $32.50)
Ahmed Rashid, Pakistani journalist; author of Descent into Chaos and Taliban:
Dr. Matthew J. Nelson, University of London School of Oriental and African Studies:
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