The Unraveling

Pakistan in the Age of Jihad

John R. Schmidt

Picador

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"This is a book filled with useful information, objectively presented, and offered at precisely the right time."---Madeleine K. Albright, U.S. Secretary of State, 1997--2001

How did a nation founded as a homeland for South Asian Muslims become a haven for Al Qaeda and other jihadist groups? In this groundbreaking work, former U.S. diplomat John R. Schmidt, who served in Pakistan in the years leading up to 9/11, takes a detailed look at the country’s relationship with radical Islam. The Unraveling is the clearest account yet of the complex, dangerous relationship between the leaders of Pakistan and jihadist groups---and how the rulers’ decisions have led their nation to the brink of disaster and put the world at great risk.

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THE UNRAVELING (Chapter One)1. An Improbable State

Pakistan is an improbable country. The forefathers of the people who now dominate it politically and militarily were bystanders in the movement to create the Pakistani state. The people actually responsible for its creation were outsiders. Mohammed Ali Jinnah, leader of the Muslim League and founder of the nation, was a Bombay lawyer who wanted a separate homeland for the subcontinent's Muslims because he feared they would become a political underclass in a unified India dominated by Hindus. His vision was secular, not religious, similar to the

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Reviews

Praise for The Unraveling

"The go-to book for readers who want an in-depth understanding of America’s number one foreign policy conundrum: Pakistan…Essential."---Thomas W. Simons Jr., former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan

"Schmidt ornaments his polemic with personal anecdotes and hard-won insights. The book’s final chapter [will] have you riveted."---The Washingtonian

"A rare, lucid take on the turmoil in Pakistan…Schmidt offers a cogent analysis of the havoc caused by a nettlesome concoction of feudal lords, strong military, American pressure, and radical Islamist factions all vying for dominance."---Kirkus Reviews

"Indispensable…Explains how various Pakistani regimes long nurtured extremist groups only to find themselves under attack from this same explosive element."---Publishers Weekly

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THE UNRAVELING by John R. SchmidtKirkus Book Reviews
Read the Kirkus Review of THE UNRAVELING Pakistan in the Age of Jihad. A rare lucid take on the turmoil in Pakistan by a former State Department official.
- Kirkus Reviews

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About the Author

John R. Schmidt

John R. Schmidt teaches at the Elliott School for International Affairs at George Washington University.  He served in the State Department during a thirty-year service career, including as Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad in the years leading up to 9/11.

John R. Schmidt

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Available Formats and Book Details

The Unraveling
Pakistan in the Age of Jihad
John R. Schmidt

Trade Paperback

Trade Paperback
Picador
October 2012
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 9781250013910
ISBN10: 1250013917
5 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches, 288 pages, Includes one b&w map
$16.00
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Hardcover

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Hardcover
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
September 2011
Hardcover
ISBN: 9780374280437
ISBN10: 0374280436
6 x 9 inches, 288 pages, Map, Notes, Bibliography, and an Index
$27.00

e-Book Agency

Learn more about this edition
e-Book Agency
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
September 2011
e-Book Agency
ISBN: 9781429969079
ISBN10: 1429969075
320 pages, Includes Notes and an Index
$9.99
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