Book: Pakistan: The Eye of the Storm

Author: Owen Bennet Jones
Publisher: Yale University Press 2002

The BBC's Owen Bennet Jones new book is a useful guide for people interested in the ins and outs of Pakistani history and recent events. To say that the Book only deals with the history of the country would be unfair.

While lacking the intensity of Waiting for Allah and curfew at midnight the writer deals candidly with everything from Pakistan's regional Nationalists, the role of the Army in Pakistani politics, the nuclear arms race between Pakistan and India, to religious extremists and feudal Landlords while focusing on one issue in particular, Pakistani Military strongman and President Pervez Musharraf has become the first Pakistani leader in thirty years to dare to confront the country's Islamic extremists. The billion dollar question he asks is will Musharraf succeed in controlling the forces that helped create the Taliban in Afghanistan and aggravated the bitter conflict in Kashmir?

With the speed of political changes in Pakistan and the ever present threat of Nuclear war between India and Pakistan. 'The eye of the storm' is a disturbing and compelling read about a Country with more then it's fair share of problems.