'By far the most insightful survey of Pakistan I have read in recent years . . . a vital book' Mohsin Hamid, New York Review of Books
Pakistan is viewed by many as the most dangerous place in the world, a failing state racked by insurgence and instability. In this remarkable book Anatol Lieven, who lived and worked in Pakistan for many years, overturns the familiar image. Using hundreds of interviews with people whose views are rarely consulted - from soldiers and intelligence officers to village mullahs and rickshaw drivers - he shows that extremism is far weaker in Pakistan than we think, and that its people, history and traditions will frustrate any outsider's attempt to categorise the country.
'Brilliantly articulated and researched . . . Lieven is a wonderful writer. There are descriptions that a novelist might envy' Kamila Shamsie, The Times
'A much-needed book, written with deep understanding and affection for the country' Christina Lamb, Sunday Times
'Overturns many prejudices . . . so manifold and obdurate are the clichés about Pakistan that you periodically need a whole book to shatter them. Lieven's Pakistan is one such blow' Pankaj Mishra, Guardian
'Provides the reader with a real texture of the multi-dimensional nature of Pakistan's people' Ahmad Ali Khalid, Dawn
Industry Reviews
Superb ... Few writers offer the insight and deep knowledge that Lieven has of a country critical for the West but one often caricatured by the media and rarely understood by Western policy makers ... Timely and compelling -- Maleeha Lodhi
This is a wonderful book, full of learning, wisdom, humour and common sense -- Peter Oborne * Daily Telegraph *
One cannot give Lieven enough credit ... The book seamlessly flows with historical analysis, anthropological investigation, and painstaking contextualisation ... It is both grand in its scholastic description and in its journalistic flair -- Ahmad Ali Khalid * Dawn *
A finely researched blend of the nation's 64-year history ... Lieven's feat lies in his remarkable, flesh-and-blood portrait of the nation ... this nuanced analysis should be read, and learned from * The Independent *
By far the most insightful survey of Pakistan I have read in recent years ... a vital book ... detailed and nuanced -- Mohsin Hamid * New York Review of Books *
Lieven captures the richness of the place wonderfully. His book has the virtues of both journalism and scholarship * The Economist *
An important corrective to the monolithic view of Pakistan ... fresh and deeply informed -- Patrick French * Mail on Sunday *
A brilliantly articulated and researched argument ... Lieven is a wonderful writer. There are frequent moments of dark humour ... and descriptions that a novelist might envy -- Kamila Shamsie * The Times *
Everybody nowadays seems to take a view on Pakistan. Very few know what they're talking about. Anatol Lieven is that rare observer ... Pakistan: A Hard Country ... fills a large gap in our understanding * Edward Luce, author of 'In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India' *
The publication of Pakistan: A Hard Country could not be more timely ... illuminating as well as entertaining * The Spectator *
With patience and determination, Lieven observes and records all aspects of the curiosity otherwise known as Pakistan ... A sweeping and insightful narrative -- Mohammed Hanif * The New York Times *