Ahmed Rashid
author of Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia
Book Recommendations:
Recommended by Ahmed Rashid
“To be at the cusp of societal change in the midst of conflict and tension is a rare but dangerous privilege. To watch from a ring side seat as an entire society somersaults from extremism to relative moderation is not often easy or permissible. Susanne Koelbl, a well-known foreign correspondent for Der Spiegel has been at such cusps of change before – in Afghanistan, Iran and Africa – but never before has she tackled such a difficult premise of change that she faces in Saudi Arabia – a society moving from obscurantist tribalism to modernity. Koelbl writes a marvelous book on the recent developments in Saudi Arabia, a book full of analysis, anecdotes and the tensions generated by the change of geo-politics in the Arabian Gulf. Her access to Saudi officials, princes, shop-keepers and to ordinary women and men struggling with jobs, school and bringing up children is unique because Koelbl lived in Saudi Arabia for some time. This is not a book made up of parachute journalism and anecdotes - the result of a few quick visits - but the result of someone who has lived in the country and has got to know the people. A piercingly powerful book Koelbl gives us insight into not just Saudi Arabia, but how the on-going experiment could help other Muslim societies change and move forward towards modernity.” (from Amazon)
Susanne Koelbl, Karen Elliott House(you?)
Susanne Koelbl, Karen Elliott House(you?)
A First-Hand Look at Saudi Arabian Life as Few Outsiders Have Seen It "It's like watching a movie - just better," Dr. Elisabeth Kendall, Oxford University, Arabic and Islamic Studies. 2020 Finalist Sarton Women's Literary Award for Nonfiction #1 Bestseller on Saudi Arabia, Social Group Studies, Islam, Civil Rights, Islamic Banking & Finance Witness the mysterious world of Saudi Arabia. Understand Saudi culture, politics, history, human rights, and women´s rights as seen through the intimate and insightful experiences of an award-winning journalist. Few Westerners have been allowed a closer look at the inner workings of Saudi Arabia. Susanne Koelbl, prize-winning journalist for the German news magazine Der Spiegel, strips away the veil covering many secrets of this mysterious kingdom. For years she traveled the Middle East, and recently lived in Riyadh during the most dramatic changes since the country’s founding. Peek inside the black box that is Saudi Arabia. Koelbl has cultivated relationships on every level of Saudi society and is equally at ease with ultra-conservative Salafi preachers, oppositionists, and women from all walks of life. Listen to intimate conversations with women about their newly offered freedomsHave breakfast with Royal Highnesses, meet Osama bin Laden’s bomb-making trainer, enter palaces of secret service chiefsView an in-depth portrait of the all-powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) If you have an interest in books such as Robert Lacey’s Inside the Kingdom, Bradley Hope’s Blood and Oil, or Kim Ghattas’s Black Wave; expect unique insights into the new Saudi Arabia, travel through the rapidly changing kingdom, and be a witness to very personal encounters with the citizens of Saudi Arabia in Susanne Koelbl’s Behind the Kingdom’s Veil.
Recommended by Ahmed Rashid
“[An] important book… Ayesha Jalal has been one of the first and most reliable [Pakistani] political historians [on Pakistan]… The Struggle for Pakistan [is] her most accessible work to date… She is especially telling when she points to the lack of serious academic or political debate in Pakistan about the role of the military.” (from Amazon)
Established as a homeland for India’s Muslims in 1947, Pakistan has had a tumultuous history that has unfolded in the vortex of dire regional and international conflicts. Beset by assassinations, coups, ethnic strife, and the breakaway of Bangladesh in 1971, the country has found itself too often contending with religious extremism and military authoritarianism. Now, in a probing biography of her native land amid the throes of global change, Ayesha Jalal provides an insider’s assessment of how this nuclear-armed Muslim nation evolved as it did and explains why its dilemmas weigh so heavily on prospects for peace in the region. Attentive to Pakistan’s external relations as well as its internal dynamics, Jalal shows how the vexed relationship with the United States, border disputes with Afghanistan in the west, and the conflict with India over Kashmir in the east have played into the hands of the generals who purchased security at the cost of strong democratic institutions. Combined with domestic ethnic and regional rivalries, such pressures have created a siege mentality that encourages military domination and militant extremism. Since 9/11, the country has been widely portrayed as a breeding ground for Islamic terrorism. Assessing the threats posed by Al-Qaeda and the Taliban as American troops withdraw from Afghanistan, Jalal contends that the battle for Pakistan’s soul is far from over. Her definitive biography reveals how pluralism and democracy continue to struggle for a place in this Muslim homeland, where they are so essential to its future.
Recommended by Ahmed Rashid
“A brilliant, incisive work of storytelling and analysis. Of all the recent books on Afghanistan, this one stands out like a bright shining light, revealing the truth of the war from the ground up. Breathtaking and magnificent, this is a must read.” (from Amazon)
Anand Gopal(you?)
PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST WINNER OF THE RIDENHOUR PRIZE Anand Gopal's No Good Men Among the Living stunningly lays bare the workings of America's longest war and the truth behind its prolonged agony. "Essential reading for anyone concerned about how America got Afghanistan so wrong. A devastating, well-honed prosecution detailing how our government bungled the initial salvo in the so-called war on terror, ignored attempts by top Taliban leaders to surrender, trusted the wrong people, and backed a feckless and corrupt Afghan regime . . . It is ultimately the most compelling account I've read of how Afghans themselves see the war." --The New York Times Book Review In a breathtaking chronicle, acclaimed journalist Anand Gopal traces the lives of three Afghans caught in America's war on terror. He follows a Taliban commander, who rises from scrawny teenager to leading insurgent; a U.S.-backed warlord, who uses the American military to gain wealth and power; and a village housewife trapped between the two sides, who discovers the devastating cost of neutrality. Through their dramatic stories emerges a stunning tale of how the United States had triumph in sight in Afghanistan―and then brought the Taliban back from the dead.