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Magnificent Delusions: Pakistan, the United States, and an Epic History of Misunderstanding Paperback – February 3, 2015

by Husain Haqqani (Author)

4.4 254 ratings

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The relationship between America and Pakistan is based on mutual incomprehension and always has been. Pakistan -- to American eyes -- has gone from being a quirky irrelevance, to a stabilizing friend, to an essential military ally, to a seedbed of terror. America -- to Pakistani eyes -- has been a guarantee of security, a coldly distant scold, an enthusiastic military enabler, and is now a threat to national security and a source of humiliation.

The countries are not merely at odds. Each believes it can play the other -- with sometimes absurd, sometimes tragic, results. The conventional narrative about the war in Afghanistan, for instance, has revolved around the Soviet invasion in 1979. But President Jimmy Carter signed the first authorization to help the Pakistani-backed mujahedeen covertly on July 3 -- almost six months before the Soviets invaded. Americans were told, and like to believe, that what followed was Charlie Wilson's war of Afghani liberation, with which they remain embroiled to this day. It was not. It was General Zia-ul-Haq's vicious regional power play.

Husain Haqqani has a unique insight into Pakistan, his homeland, and America, where he was ambassador and is now a professor at Boston University. His life has mapped the relationship of the two countries and he has found himself often close to the heart of it, sometimes in very confrontational circumstances, and this has allowed him to write the story of a misbegotten diplomatic love affair, here memorably laid bare.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Library Journal
Haqqani uses his wealth of personal experience to present a detailed account of the genesis and evolution of U.S.-Pakistani relations over the last 60 years The book is a useful resource for academics, journalists, and policymakers at all levels.”

Publishers Weekly
Insightful if disturbing... Making it clear why he is persona non grata in his homeland, Haqqani concludes that military aid has undermined Pakistan's democracy, converting it into a rentier state living off American money rather than its people's productivity.”

Asian Age
The book is part memoir, part searing indictment of Pakistan's flawed strategy of using jihadis to secure its strategic space [Haqqani proves] himself to be a diligent and tireless researcher who backs up almost every stinging commentary on Pakistan's journey since independence to the present day, with fact.”

Mark Moyer, Wall Street Journal
[Haqqani's] purpose isn't to narrate his service as ambassador or score political points but to outline the contours of American relations with Pakistan over time, with a final chapter depicting the 2011 collapse as a new instance of historical trends. While one might desire a fuller accounting of his ambassadorship, the book covers its chosen ground superbly.”

Richard Leiby, Washington Post
A solid synthesis of history, political analysis and social critique."

Lisa Curtis, National Interest
If you want a better understanding of why U.S. policy has failed so miserably in Pakistan, you should read Husain Haqqani's latest book Fast-paced and highly readable Haqqani has provided a well-documented and interesting account of the policy disconnects between the United States and Pakistan. His book should make a tremendous contribution toward grounding U.S. policy toward Pakistan in more realistic assumptions that will help avoid future crises between the two countries.”

Kirkus Reviews, starred review
[An] insightful, painful history of Pakistani-American relations Demonstrating no mercy to either party, Haqqani admits that Pakistan verges on failed-state status but shows little patience with America's persistently shortsighted, fruitless policies.”

About the Author

Husain Haqqani was Pakistan's ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2011. A trusted advisor of late Pakistani prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, Ambassador Haqqani is as a professor at Boston University and co-chair of the Hudson Institute's Project on the Future of the Muslim World as well as editor of the journal Current Trends in Islamist Thought. He has written for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Boston Globe, Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, and more. Follow him on Twitter: @husainhaqqani

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ PublicAffairs; Reprint edition (February 3, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1610394739
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1610394734
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.25 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,935,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #136 in Pakistan History
- #1,418 in International Diplomacy (Books)
- #2,428 in Middle Eastern Politics

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4.4 254 ratings

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Customers find the book insightful and thorough, providing a good overview of the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan. They describe it as a great, fascinating read that is worth the price. Readers praise the writing quality as clear and easy to understand. The book provides an eye-opening chronicle of a complex and frustrating history of relations, with anecdotes and archival material.

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37 customers mention "Research quality"37 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-researched and insightful. They say it provides a thorough and informative history of Pakistan and its relationship with the United States. The author is described as honest, unbiased, and impartial, using accurate data and information.

"...This a great read, well written and well sourced." Read more

"...in Pakistan, for valid or invalid reasons, but his academic credentials are impeccable and his books are well researched and referenced...." Read more

"...Haqqani certainly has a professorial grasp of Pakistani politics, and his central message is that Pakistan and America have both been the victims of..." Read more

"...Today the most important aspects of this exceptionally insightful account relate to ISI's (Pakistan's ubiquitous intelligence organization) support..." Read more

29 customers mention "Readability"29 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and informative. They describe it as a must-read for Americans interested in the relationship between the US and Pakistan. Readers also mention it's an excellent primer for anyone interested in the story of Pakistan, India, and the US.

"...This a great read, well written and well sourced." Read more

"This is a very good book written in fast passed style and to the point...." Read more

"...It is a must read for all Pakistanis and Americans interested in South Asia policies of the US...." Read more

"Thanks Mr.Haqqani for writing this book. Had a great fun reading this book and couldn't put it down...." Read more

18 customers mention "Writing quality"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and easy to read. They appreciate the clear account of the fraught relationship between the US and Pakistan. The author provides a great perspective and stays on track.

"...This a great read, well written and well sourced." Read more

"This is a very good book written in fast passed style and to the point...." Read more

"...The book is *very* well written with every assertion backed up with a credible published source...." Read more

"...Well written and told by a real insider." Read more

15 customers mention "Pacing"12 positive3 negative

Customers find the book engaging and informative. They appreciate its well-researched account of Pakistan's history, with anecdotes and archival material. Readers also mention that it provides an honest perspective on events and captures the essence of the subject well. Overall, they describe it as a great historical review of the breakup of the British Empire.

"...It is a synopsis of the book and captures the essence of the subject well...." Read more

"...FREEDOM AT MIDNIGHT seems to be a great historical review of the breakup of the British empire of India into India and Pakistan...." Read more

"...'s Ambassador to the USA writes a well-researched and an insider account of complex and often troubled Pakistan-US relationships since its inception..." Read more

"...The book is replete with such twisted facts...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

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Anthony N. Jeric
Great book from a Pakistan insider
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2014
Verified Purchase

I thought I was pretty much up to speed on world events but this book blew me away and I had to read it twice for its insight into Pakistan politics. While much has been written about Pakistan's shadow government I was unaware of the depth of both it and the front government's total duplicity in dealing with America from the cold war to the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, the terrorists and nuclear proliferation. That the US administrations only come to realize Pakistan duplicity at the end of their terms and that replacement administrations continuously start from scratch on the basis of trust was an eye opener. Unlike our cold war dealings with the USSR we have had no continuity on Pakistan foreign policy. Another revelation was the shadow government sponsorship of popularized anti Americanism to be used as a bargaining chip to get more aid. Purportedly this was to subdue the hatred that was in fact state sponsored long before drones. The extent of the influence and power of Islamism in Pakistan was another revelation as I had always thought of Pakistan as one of the more secularized Moslem countries. But Islam was intended to be the unifying basis of its existence from the beginning. The leadership even harbored thoughts of an Islamic hegemony under Pakistan leadership. Pakistan's atomic bomb was funded by Saudi Arabia on the basis of it being Islam's bomb as opposed to Pakistan's bomb. That is the origin of today's threat of obtaining the bomb from Pakistan by Saudi Arabia as a counterweight to Iran's coming bomb. While the fear of India and the potential of a Pashtunstan has long been known, the book makes clear that those are the central overriding forces behind all Pakistan foreign policy objectives to the exclusion of everything else. Those objectives are totally out of synch with US national security objectives and have been since the formation of Pakistan. Both countries' foreign policies have been operating in parallel universes hence the title "Magnificent Delusions". This a great read, well written and well sourced.

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Rafi
Another Winner by the Author
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2014
Verified Purchase
Although, Mr. Haqqani is somewhat of a controversial figure in Pakistan, for valid or invalid reasons, but his academic credentials are impeccable and his books are well researched and referenced.

I have always been of the opinion, ever since I read Mr. Haqqani's first book, "Pakistan: Between Military and Mosque", that that particular book should be a required read for any one who wants to understand the power structure of Pakistan. "Pakistan: Between Military and Mosque" provided me with the answers of all the questions I had in my mind growing up in Pakistan.

In the same vein, "Magnificent Delusions:" should be a must read for anyone who wants to know what's wrong with US Pakistan relationship. Mr. Haqqani has struck the nail on it's head by saying that the main problem of this relationship is that it's a "transnational relation".

The book would be an eye-opener to people who think that people in the corridors of power, with all the information on their fingertips and think-tanks at their disposal, make informed and correct decisions. You will read page after page of people in high positions made crucial decisions based just on their whim; for example some US presidents making decisions based on their personal liking of some Pakistani despot.

The author has carefully avoided taking sides even though he has served as Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States. He doesn't only blame Pakistan of playing a 'double-game', he also points out the several US administrations walked into this trap rather knowingly.

The only star I have withheld is due to the fact that I thought that this book lacks elaboration on one major and one minor issues. The major issue the author has skirted is the discovery of Osama Bin Laden in mainland Pakistan. He just allotted a few pages on the issue whereas this deserved it's own chapter. And the minor issue is his involvement in what is called "Memogate". He dispensed the matter with a single sentence. Maybe he thinks that it is not worth his time but that's very much subjective. In past few years, you can utter the author's name without invoking the word "Memogate". He should have clarified his position for his readership.

Beside that, this book is the first of it's kind and should be shoved in the faces of every incoming administrations both in US and Pakistan.

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aaron
(Clarence Darrow) It is amazing how the same mistakes made with every dictatorship from ...
Reviewed in Canada on January 13, 2018
Verified Purchase

History repeats itself, and that's one of the things that's wrong with history. (Clarence Darrow) It is amazing how the same mistakes made with every dictatorship from Asia to central and south America continue to happen. Thinking that they can be molded, but not realizing that self interest and greed can not be changed. It is not just a rogue CIA element but the entire Government thinking the best of people and not seeing the betrayal. Now it has been 70 years and no change.

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Sebastian
Haqqani Nailed it
Reviewed in Germany on May 6, 2017
Verified Purchase
Goodness Gracious! Huge respect to this man for all his efforts and hard work in making this book a reality.
Pakistan from its birth depended on the US for arms and aid as if the latter owed them. The military and ISI who runs the country, from time to time have used the media and education system to mislead its populace. They have successfully turned the people against those who fed them from genesis rather solving their economic and social inferiorness by themselves.
It's a great lesson for the Americans whose tax money is wasted for such unfaithful people who's behind the door aim is to destroy the super power.

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Satya Chari
Living in self-inflicted delusional constraint...
Reviewed in Australia on April 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
A candid account of Pakistan's historical beliefs, fears, choices and consequences by a Pakistani intellectual, an ex-Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States. A sad state of affairs with no visible potential in the near future!

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Amazed Amazone
Magnificent Insight
Reviewed in India on July 3, 2014
Verified Purchase
I was attracted to this book after listening to Haqqani on Jon Stewart's show. Brought up on a diet of anti-Pak propaganda, it is hard for us to imagine that there might be citizens in Pak who are not obsessively against India. In today's charged environment within India, that's a valuable lesson. In order to understand the meaning of patriotism and pride that's the in thing in India right now, and before I decide whether to demonize the "enemy", this book seemed like the best place to get a quick history lesson. I was not disappointed. As they say, those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. Whether we like it or not the histories of India and Pakistan are indelibly intertwined, with some epic misadventures from the USA thrown in.

Without being bitter and keeping his own experiences at bay, Haqqani delivers a deeply insightful, meticulously researched (the citations are like Wikipedia on steroids!), and highly objective account of the relationship between the Super Powers and the Subcontinent. After a slow start (ironically, in a chapter called "False Start") he jumps into the subtle and brazen politics of the different eras since 1947, colored mostly by the personalities at the helm and their personal relationships more than anything else. Makes you wonder how history would turn out if only a different people were in charge...

The least surprising and most important take-away from this book is that the citizens of the countries involved, the local media, and many of the bureaucrats were never under any illusion. They saw very clearly how things were happening and why, and in many cases they questioned the illogical support or lack of it. Whether it was US media questioning the carnage in East Pakistan, or the Pakistani media questioning the (what appeared to be) disproportionate influence of US policy on their governance. The cloud of magnificent delusions and misunderstandings only obscured the ivory towers, sometimes deliberately. It is a lesson for us not to view things from a prism of religion or ideology, because that is rarely faithful to reality.

Personally, I just felt relieved and proud that India decided to take a more sober and inclusive path after 1947. It wouldn't take much to stray like Pakistan, into a sense of identity based solely on false notion of religion and paranoia. 70 years later, I am not sure we are out of the woods yet. Just for that, this book should be mandatory reading for the most patriotic of Indians.

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Amazon Customer
Bought after reading a review in the FT
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2014
Verified Purchase
Working in Pakistan as I am, I thought this would fill me in on its history and also on the preconceptions inherent in its politics and populace. It meets both these objectives better than I thought possible. My problem is now that I am tending to see Pakistan through the author's eyes, so I am trying hard to test the accuracy of his views. It is important to know that the author is not necessarily viewed favourably in Pakistan.

The book is written as only an insider can write, with hundreds if not thousands of examples to back up his central thesis. It discusses motivations and assumptions of Pakistani politicians and American politicians behind many of the international events in which Pakistan has been involved. It discusses how each country has misunderstood the other and the personal relationships between leaders and between diplomats from both countries. It places Pakistan firmly in the context of the region and discusses India's and China's motivation and policies as well.

I like reading books about international relations, but this is one of the best I have read and I can't recommend it enough.

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Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great book from a Pakistan insider

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner by the Author

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars (Clarence Darrow) It is amazing how the same mistakes made with every dictatorship from ...

5.0 out of 5 stars Haqqani Nailed it

5.0 out of 5 stars Living in self-inflicted delusional constraint...

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent Insight

5.0 out of 5 stars Bought after reading a review in the FT

Great book from a Pakistan insider

Another Winner by the Author

(Clarence Darrow) It is amazing how the same mistakes made with every dictatorship from ...

Haqqani Nailed it

Living in self-inflicted delusional constraint...

Magnificent Insight

Bought after reading a review in the FT