War at the Top of the World by Eric S Margolis
In War at the Top of the World , veteran foreign correspondent Eric Margolis presents a revelatory history of the complicated and volatile conflicts that entangle one of the most beautiful and remote parts of the world. In 1998, India and Pakistan conducted nuclear tests that shocked the world and by the spring of 1999, both had demonstrated medium-range missiles capable of mutual destruction. Now, in War on the Top of the World Margolis plays witness to the escalating conflict between them over the isolated and contested territories of Kashmir and Ladakh, an age-old dispute that threatens to transform their arms race from a regional concern to an alarming global crisis. He traces this struggle and others, like those in neighbouring Afghanistan and Tibet, back to their Cold War roots, exploring clashes that continue to threaten to destabilize the region today. Margolis combines vivid first-hand accounts as a war correspondent with an historical and strategic overview of the region to take the reader through the geopolitical complexities of the area and its key players. He offers a clear, concise analysis of a complicated and little-understood part of the world that is home to a quarter of the world's population. Fascinating and indispensable, War on the Top of the World is an extraordinary read for anyone interested in the current global balance of power.
'Essential reading for all who would understand where Asia is heading' Paul Bracken, author of Fire in the East; 'The book is good on military issues and useful as a primer for the uninitiated, especially on the way that British, American and Russian policies have fueled the arms and territory battles in Afghanistan and on what India's and Pakistan's battling has cost them in lost social and economic development.' Publishers Weekly; 'A vivid account of warfare in the highest mountain ranges in the world...[Margolis] begins by providing an excellent review of the Marxist takeover in Afghanistan in the late 1970s and the subsequent struggle that brought in the Soviet Union and Islamic fundamentalists. As Margolis sees it, the success of the Islamist forces in Afghanistan heightened tensions in Kashmir, provoking a nationalist turn in both Pakistan and India. Much of his writing's power comes from the descriptions of soldiering at 15,000 feet up and 60 degrees below.' Foreign Affairs; 'Combining vignettes of his travels... with strategic summaries, Margolis usefully draws attention to hot spots some believe are the most likely to set off a nuclear war.' Booklist
Eric Margolis is a sociologist and Assistant Professor in the Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the Arizona State University College of Education.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780415927123 |
| ISBN 10 | 0415927129 |
| Title | War at the Top of the World |
| Author | Eric S Margolis |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis Ltd |
| Year published | 2000-07-13 |
| Number of pages | 262 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |