Search results for ""Author Anatol Lieven""

Book SynopsisPresents a portrait of the history and culture of the Baltic states from their ancient origins to their contemporary status. The book explores the personality of the Baltic people, their religious and racial differences, their relations with Russia and the West and their prospects for the future.Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgements List of Maps Introduction Autobiographical Note Note on Names and Spellings 1 Land and Peoples 2 Surviving the Centuries: Baltic History 3 Independence Won and Lost 1914-40 4 The Troglodyte International: 'Me Soviet Impact in the Baltic 5 Imagined Nations: Cycles of Cultural Rebirth 6 Lost Atiantises: The Half-Forgotten Nationalities of the Baltic 7 The Baltic Russians 8 The independence Movements and their Successors, 1987-92 9 The Creation of the New States Conclusion Appendix 1: Chronology, 3500 BC - 1985 AD Appendix 2: Chronology, 19851992 Appendix 3: Baltic Demography 1860-1992 Appendix 4: Baltic Economic Statistics Before the Fall Notes Index.

Read more less

Book Synopsis''This is one of those rare books that have something really important to say. Anatol Lieven is telling his fellow realists that at this moment the world''s great powers are far more threatened by climate change than they are by each other'' Ivan Krastev, author of The Light That FailedIn the past two centuries we have experienced wave after wave of overwhelming change. Entire continents have been resettled; there are billions more of us; the jobs done by countless people would be unrecognizable to their predecessors; scientific change has transformed us all in confusing, terrible and miraculous ways.Anatol Lieven''s major new book provides the frame that has long been needed to understand how we should react to climate change. This is a vast challenge, but we have often in the past had to deal with such challenges: the industrial revolution, major wars and mass migration have seen mobilizations of human energy on the greatest scale. Just as previous geTrade ReviewProvocative, original and thought-provoking ... Lieven argues convincingly that there is no inevitable link between nationalism and climate denialism. -- Pilita Clark * Financial Times *Striking ... The climate crisis is a test of our character. And Lieven does not like what it reveals. His book offers a blueprint for an epochal social and political transformation. -- Adam Tooze * New Statesman *Lieven believes we must start again - or, rather, return to older foundations in the face of this primal threat to our planet's future. We need, he argues, a new nationalism ... We should heed Lieven's call to action. -- Mark Malloch-Brown * Literary Review *Lieven maps out a response to the environmental crisis that draws on both the radical social democracy of Bernie Sanders' Green New Deal and the burgeoning "eco-nationalism" of Europe's reactionary populists ... There's no denying the prescience of Lieven's analysis ... Lieven offers a sobering account of the climate crisis, how dramatically it is going to reshape human life, and how quickly that transformation is likely to take effect. -- Jamie Maxwell * The Herald *Convincing ... Lieven weaves his first-hand knowledge and experience into a compelling narrative ... He makes a strong case for urgent action, especially by powerful states. -- Maria Ivanova * Nature *This is one of those rare books that have something really important to say. Anatol Lieven, one of the most original and independent-minded foreign policy thinkers, is telling his fellow realists that at this moment the world's great powers are far more threatened by climate change than they are by each other. -- Ivan Krastev, author of The Light That FailedPassivity in the face of climate change is the fatalism of our age. Anatol Lieven's book offers a bracing riposte to those who believe only world government can solve global warming. Lieven makes a brilliant case that the nation state has to be the chief vehicle to confront humanity's surpassing crisis. Lieven is utterly persuasive about this challenge - above all the importance of our not allowing the perfect to be the enemy of the good. If you read one book on global warming, this should be it. -- Edward Luce, author of The Retreat of Western LiberalismThus far, the global response to climate change emphasises talk rather than effective action. Lieven fills this strategic void by insisting that enlightened civic nationalism alone can stem this threat. Only the nation state can constrain corporate capitalism from further harming the environment. Only the nation state can motivate citizens to make the sacrifices needed to curb the mounting damage. This is a bold, original, gutsy, and absolutely essential book. -- Andrew J. Bacevich, author of The Age of IllusionsThis book is a clarion call for a renewed civic nationalism focused on the preservation of the environment and the arresting of climate change as vital aspects of a shared national and international good-one that true patriots of any country ought to place at the front and center of their political agenda. Lieven makes a compelling case for contesting the intolerant and anti-scientific far right's would-be monopoly on the language, imagery, and emotions of nationalism. -- Aviel Roshwald, Professor of History, Georgetown UniversityClimate activists have yet to devise a successful political strategy for dramatically reducing the pace of warming. In his brilliant new book, Lieven argues that 'civic nationalism,' combining loyalty to the nation and public sacrifice, is the only strategy with a chance at success. While not everyone may agree with his conclusions, it is impossible to escape the hard logic of his reasoning. -- Michael Klare, author of All Hell Breaking Loose

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the past decade Pakistan has become a country of immense importance to its region, the United States, and the world. With almost 200 million people, a 500,000-man army, nuclear weapons, and a large diaspora in Britain and North America, Pakistan is central to the hopes of jihadis and the fears of their enemies. Yet the greatest short-term threat to Pakistan is not Islamist insurgency as such, but the actions of the United States, and the greatest longterm threat is ecological change. Anatol Lieven's book is a magisterial investigation of this highly complex and often poorly understood country. Engagingly written, combining history and profound analysis with reportage from Lieven's extensive travels as a journalist and academic, Pakistan: A Hard Country is both utterly compelling and deeply revealing.Trade Review"his book may be described as the most informed Gazetteer on contemporary Pakistan. Instead of the too often repeated narrative of Pakistan's history and ills, he offers a broader sweep into the condition of the provinces, the climate, the political parties and their personalities--and, in his best chapter, an important discussion of how today's Taliban represent a continuation of similar uprisings a century ago. Dallas Morning News, May 9, 2011 "Since the death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan last week, it's become increasingly clear that anyone hoping to follow international affairs should perhaps have begun watching that country some time ago. Fortunately, Pakistan: A Hard Country serves as an outstanding primer -- even reading just the introduction is supremely useful... Lieven crafts a lucid and thoroughly fascinating whole from a wealth of information... Lieven's writing is excellent, especially crucial in a book tackling a topic with which many readers are entirely unfamiliar. Moreover, he clearly loves the place and its people. Pakistan: A Hard Country is the work of one of those rare writers able to see his subject in all its complexity, without either turning away or becoming a partisan of one perspective or the other." IBN Live, May 19, 2011 "Yet for drama, colour and complexity, [Pakistan] is hard to beat; and Anatol Lieven captures the richness of the place wonderfully. His book has the virtues of both journalism and scholarship..." Foreign Policy's The AfPak Channel blog, April 11, 2011 "The release of Anatol Lieven's latest book, Pakistan: A Hard Country, could not be timelier. This insightful, comprehensive portrait of Pakistan is the perfect antidote to stereotypical descriptions of the country as the most dangerous place in the world... Pakistan: A Hard Country has the power to dampen the paranoia about Pakistan's security complex, put terrorism in perspective, and humanize Pakistanis." Foreign Affairs, May/June 2011 "Challenging the notion that Pakistan is fragile, Lieven presents in exquisite detail how things actually work, for better or for worse, in that 'hard country.'" Evening Standard, April 21, 2011 Foreign Policy's AfPak Channel, October 13, 2011 "Despite Pakistan's heterogeneity, one aspect of the country that demonstrates some homogeneity is the universal nature of the "clan-based" system of allegiance that is ingrained in most Pakistanis. This system has been recognized for some time, and was articulated recently, and most clearly, by the scholar Anatol Lieven in his book, Pakistan: A Hard Country." Commonweal, September 23, 2011 "Lieven offers historical perspective and a coherent, nuanced picture of the strategic concerns, politics, and occasional paranoia underlying Pakistani actions... The book covers a vast amount of ground and is packed with information, much of it fascinating and laden with significance for Washington policymakers." Independent (UK) "A finely researched and forensic compendium... A penetrating, textured study." Survival "All in all, Lieven presents a subtle and nuanced picture of Pakistan that draws on deep scholarship and direct personal experience. Though by far the longest and most complex of the books reviewed here, if busy policymakers have time to read just one volume, this should be it." SA Global Affairs Irish Times, June 4, 2011 "An insightful book that is part anthropological study, part reportage. Threaded throughout are the voices of ordinary Pakistanis farmers, politicians, spooks, landowners, businessmen, soldiers, judges, clerics and jihadis whose contributions in the form of direct quotes enliven and illuminate this complex yet affectionate portrait of their country. Published just before bin Laden s death, the book does not read as if it has been overtaken by events. Indeed, its textured, penetrating survey of the dynamics shaping contemporary Pakistan could hardly be more timely, given the relative dearth of literature on the subject. Lieven makes a compelling case for why we should pay more attention to what is one of the most important but least understood countries in the world." Small Wars Journal, June 5, 2011 "Anatol Lieven has written an excellent book...It is perhaps the one book to read on Pakistan in 2011, and offers a level of nuance required for those wanting to become true specialists on the complexity of Pakistan's political history." New York Times Book Review, June 26, 2011 "Ambitious...a sweeping and insightful narrative." Washington Times, July 7, 2011 Wall Street Journal, June 27, 2011 "[Lieven] brings an infectious enthusiasm to his task of summarizing the workings of the world's sixth most populous country. In this quest, he ranges effortlessly from a police station in Peshawar to a politician's mansion in the Punjab to the mean streets of Karachi. He dishes up pithy observations while delving deep into the nation's history, politics, culture and institutions... Mr. Lieven's eye for detail, command of subcontinental history and old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting make this in many ways an excellent primer on Pakistan." The Nation, July 18, 2011 "Lieven has written a sensible and thorough exploration of Pakistan's political sphere... Pakistan is a large subject, and an unforgivingly complicated one at that, yet Lieven manages to tackle some of its most obscure problems without losing his cool... Lieven has written a very measured book, no easy task when writing about such a hard country." TotalPolitics.com, summer reading guide, June 28, 2011 "counter-intuitive... [Lieven] argues that the question should be not why Islamist political movements are so strong in Pakistan today, but why they are so weak. Provocative." Kirkus, February 15, 2011 "Lieven breaks down his study by specific region; considers the structures of justice, religion, the military and politics in turn; and, finally, in a skillful, insightful synthesis, addresses the history of and issues concerning the Taliban, both Pakistani and Afghani. A well-reasoned, welcome resource for Western "experts" and lay readers alike." Edward Luce "Everybody nowadays seems to take a view on Pakistan. Very few know what they're talking about. Anatol Lieven is that rare observer - a scholar who writes like the best kind of foreign correspondent about a country that he takes and measures on its own terms. Pakistan, a Hard Country offers an intimate and compellingly relevant portrait of an increasingly pivotal nation to the future of the world, for better or for worse. It fills a large gap in our understanding." Huffington Post, April 3, 2011 "Over the last decade, Lieven has been one of the smartest and most fair-minded commentators on the global situation, and in this important, very timely book, he explains the regions, classes, history, and prospects of Pakistan with equal value for both the neophyte and the expert. Based on Lieven's first-hand knowledge of the country for the past 20 years." Economist, April 7, 2011 "If I had to review the book 'Pakistan: A Hard Country' in one line I would say it is brilliant. The book is well researched, informative, insightful, but most of all for a country that finds itself often in headline news for the wrong reasons, empathetic." The Age, May 20, 2011 "In his fine new book Pakistan. A Hard Country, Lieven argues that while the state is weak, Pakistani society is immensely strong." New Statesman, May 12, 2011 "does much to counter lazy assumptions about the country that proliferate elsewhere" The Spectator, May 13, 2011 "His analysis of networks and systems is precise; his accounts of his travels illuminating as well as entertaining." The Guardian, May 1, 2011 "Lieven's Pakistan: A Hard Country is one such blow for clarity and sobriety... Lieven overturns many prejudices, and gives general readers plenty of fresh concepts with which to think about a routinely misrepresented country." The Independent, May 5, 2011 "Lieven's feat lies in his remarkable, flesh-and-blood portrait of the nation, ranging across demographic swathes and including a chorus of voices from farmers to intelligence officers. The picture is one of a semi-anarchic nation mired in police savagery, institutional corruption, population bulges, water shortages and the risk of catastrophic environmental disaster following last year's floods." The New York Times Book Review, June 26, 2011 "Ambitious...a sweeping and insightful narrative." Newsline Magazine, June, 2011 "Pakistan: A Hard Country manages to be clear-headed and realistic, a welcome respite from the scare-mongering that taints so many western accounts of Pakistan." The Organiser (India), June 26, 2011 "This book is about the best that has been published in recent times about Pakistan." MoneyLife (India), June 18, 2011 "Pakistan-A Hard Country is one of the most detailed accounts of a country which often seems like it is held together by chewing gum (or willpower, if you like)--but what still makes it tick? Anatol Lieven knows, and it shows in this work." "Thanks to Mr. Lieven's sound scholarship and perceptive insights in 'Pakistan: A Hard Country,' readers will come away with a clearer understanding of why it is such a complex, conflicted country and why it will continue to be of vital interest to the United States long after the last American soldier has come home from Afghanistan." Policy Review, August/September 2011 "His experience as a reporter gives Lieven both the tone of an insider and a vast affection for the country, which he credits for giving him "some of the best moments" of his life. In an attempt to explain the world's sixth-most populous nation in under 600 pages, Lieven ranges widely, touching upon everything from the rise and fall of landed families in the Punjab to the sloth of the national police to the garish decor in wealthy homes. To this ambitious task the author brings both thoroughness and an impressive familiarity with his subject." DAWN.com, August 2, 2011 "a thought-provoking and widely influential new book" DAWN.com September 2, 2011 "Lieven's is the one I would most strongly recommend to anyone wishing to learn about Pakistan... The book is shot through with sharp insights and flashes of mordant wit that make it a pleasure to read." "The gulf between...the multiple realities most Pakistanis know - and how outsiders perceive their country is wide and deep. Lieven's book is an ambitious and much-needed attempt to bridge it. The most striking thing about the book is its informed and consistently sensible tone. This tone is not heard much in discussions about Pakistan, and it is refreshing. Lieven writes in an affable, conversational voice, but not a casual one. His observations are precise and judicious." Financial Times, April 22, 2011 "Pakistan, as Anatol Lieven explains in this thorough analysis of the internal sources of this resilience, will not disintegrate easily...He deftly tackles the misperception in the west that Islamist groups might easily sweep through Pakistan." The Nation, April 13, 2011 "This book could hardly be timelier. Lucid and well informed, he deals carefully with Pakistan's well-known problems. He raises hope, avoiding the hysteria and partial judgment that disfigure much contemporary writing on the subject. Above all, he emanates a deep affection bordering on love for the unfortunate, beleaguered, magical Pakistan." The New Republic, May 5, 2011

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe humiliation of Russia by separatist rebels in the Chechen War marked a key moment in Russian history. This is an eyewitness account of the war, a portrait of the Chechen people, and an explanation of the Russian defeat and the present weakness of the Russian state and nation.

Read more less

Book SynopsisRenowned contemporary commentator Anatol Lieven anatomizes American nationalism - its roots, its defining features, and its recent radicalization - and just how greatly this is contributing to the paralysis of effective government in what remains the world's most powerful and important countryTrade ReviewLieven's analysis of the American scene is both alarming and informative in equal parts. * Northern Echo *Lieven is a veteran journalist, Professor of War Studies at Kingâs College London and author of books about Russia, Ukraine, the Baltics and Chechnya. In America Right or Wrong, he draws on his deep reading in American intellectual history and personal experiences studying and working in the United States to produce an ambitious, thoughtful and useful book. * Survival: Global Politics and Strategy *Table of ContentsPreface ; Introduction ; 1. An Exceptional Nationalism? ; 2. Splendor and Tragedy of the American Creed ; 3. The Embittered Heartland ; 4. Fundamentalists and Great Fears ; 5. The Legacy of the Cold War ; 6. American Nationalism, Israel, and the Middle East ; Conclusion ; Notes ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisDAILY TELEGRAPH and INDEPENDENT BOOKS OF THE YEARLONGLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE 20122011 LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FINALISTIn the wake of Pakistan''s development of nuclear weapons, unpoliceable border areas, shelter of the Afghan Taliban and Bin Laden, and the spread of terrorist attacks by groups based in Pakistan to London, Bombay and New York, there is a clear need to look further than the simple image of a failed state so often portrayed in the media, and to see instead a country of immense complexity and importance.Lieven''s profound and sophisticated analysis paves the way for clearer understanding of this remarkable and highly contradictory country.Trade ReviewSuperb ... 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 LodhiThis 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 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAmerica today faces a world more complicated than ever before, but our politicians have failed to envision a foreign policy that addresses our greatest threats. Ethical Realism shows how the United States can successfully combine genuine morality with tough and practical common sense. By outlining core principles and a set of concrete proposals for tackling the terrorist threat and contend with Iran, Russia, the Middle East, and China, Anatol Lieven and John Hulsman show us how to strengthen our security, pursue our national interests, and restore American leadership in the world.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat does liberal order actually amount to outside the West, where it has been most institutionalised? Contrary to the Atlantic or Pacific, liberal hegemony is thin in the Indian Ocean World; there are no equivalents of NATO, the EU or the US-Japan defence relationship. Yet what this book calls the ‘Global Indian Ocean’ was the beating heart of earlier epochs of globalisation, where experiments in international order, market integration and cosmopolitanisms were pioneered. Moreover, it is in this macro-region that today’s challenges will face their defining hour: climate change, pandemics, and the geopolitical contest pitting China and Pakistan against the USA and India. The Global Indian Ocean states represent the greatest range of political systems and ideologies in any region, from Hindu-nationalist India and nascent democracy in Indonesia and South Africa, to the Gulf’s mixture of tribal monarchy and high modernism. These essays by leading scholars examine key aspects of political order, and their roots in the colonial and pre-colonial past, through the lenses of state-building, nationalism, international security, religious identity and economic development. The emergent lessons are of great importance for the world, as the ‘global’ liberal order fades and new alternatives struggle to be born.Trade Review‘Beyond Liberal Order persuasively makes the case that the “Global Indian Ocean,” which has been a longstanding site for imperial projections, experiments in state-building, and unprecedented circulations of peoples, goods and ideas, is critical to understanding the historical and contemporary infrastructures of liberal world order. The essays illustrate that far from a North Atlantic project that extends out to the rest of the world, the liberal order was made and remade in the so called peripheries. This volume’s method of tacking back and forth between the macro-region of the Indian Ocean and the global order is an exemplary model for the on-going effort to pluralize and globalize the field of international relations.’ -- Adom Getachew, author of 'Worldmaking after Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination'‘The “Global Indian Ocean” is a crucible for defining twenty-first-century political trends. The depth of talent among the contributors to this volume is exactly what is needed to do justice to the complexity of the region itself, and to peer into possible futures.’ -- Jason Sharman, Professor of International Relations, University of Cambridge'With contributions from some of the most knowledgeable observers of regional change, this book provides a helpful antidote to prevalent simplistic policy analysis, and paints a picture of the diverse forces operating in the countries and societies around the Indian Ocean.' -- Stefan Dercon, Professor of Economic Policy, University of Oxford'A fascinating overview of the Indian Ocean region and its role in international affairs. Given the increasing significance of the area, this should be on the reading list of anyone interested in Asia’s global future.' -- Odd Arne Westad, Director of International Security Studies, Yale University'The authors reveal innovative ways of envisioning not only how the different political and economic forms in and across this macro-region were adapted as the illiberal ground of the liberal order, but also how these formations persist, evolve and challenge the liberal order.' -- Prasenjit Duara, Oscar Tang Chair Professor of East Asian Studies, Duke University

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less