1
of
1
The Nine Lives of Pakistan
Dispatches from a Divided Nation
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 2,420 ratings, 356 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK
Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock
Sorry, we're currently out of stock of The Nine Lives of Pakistan. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This book is ideal for readers interested in travel, political history, and South Asian culture, especially those seeking a deeper understanding of Pakistan’s social and political complexities through immersive journalism and personal stories.
Renowned journalist Declan Walsh explores the complexities of Pakistan through encounters with diverse individuals, including a crusading lawyer, imperious chieftain, roguish politician, charismatic business tycoon, and a mysterious spy. The book offers an intimate and compelling portrait of a country at war with itself.
Declan Walsh traces Pakistan’s stormy trajectory over a decade of tumultuous change, combining powerful storytelling with insightful analysis to offer an arresting portrait of a fractured country
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
All those interested in South Asia and its complex politics and culture should read this book - Pankaj Mishra
The demise of Pakistan – a country with a reputation for volatility, brutality and radical Islam – is regularly predicted. But things rarely turn out as expected, as renowned journalist Declan Walsh knows well. Over a decade covering the country, his travels took him from the raucous port of Karachi to the gilded salons of Lahore to the lawless frontier of Waziristan, encountering Pakistanis whose lives offer a compelling portrait of this land of contradictions.
He meets a crusading lawyer who risks her life to fight for society’s most marginalised, taking on everyone including the powerful military establishment; an imperious chieftain spouting poetry at his desert fort; a roguish politician waging a mini-war against the Taliban; and a charismatic business tycoon who moves into politics and seems to be riding high – till he takes up the wrong cause. Lastly, Walsh meets a spy whose orders once involved following him, and who might finally be able to answer the question that haunts him: why the Pakistanis suddenly expelled him from their country.
Intimate and complex, unravelling the many mysteries of state and religion, this formidable book offers an arresting account of life in a country that, often as not, seems to be at war with itself.
Thrilling, big-hearted - Memphis Barker, Daily Telegraph
Sets a new benchmark for non-fiction about the complex palace of mirrors that is Pakistan - William Dalrymple
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Praised by Pankaj Mishra for its intellectual power and cool elegance, the book is hailed as a must-read for those interested in South Asia. The Daily Telegraph describes it as thrilling and big-hearted, while William Dalrymple commends Walsh's work for setting a new benchmark in Pakistan-related non-fiction. Kamila Shamsie highlights its storytelling panache and in-depth knowledge, and the Guardian finds the narrative captivating, lauding Walsh’s passion and insight. Overall, readers will find a richly observed and profoundly nuanced account of Pakistan’s enigmatic existence.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781408868492
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 22 July 2021
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 28.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 303g
Pages: 368
About the Author
Declan Walsh covered Pakistan for over a decade, for the Guardian and the New York Times. The Pakistani authorities expelled him in 2013, citing unspecified "undesirable activities". Walsh has reported from sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan, the United States and across the Middle East. He lives in Nairobi.
Also by Declan Walsh
View all-
The Nine Lives of Pakistan
The Nine Lives of Pakistan by Declan Walsh offers an unprecedented journey into the heart of one of the world’s most enigmatic and misunderstood countries. Told with a journalist’s precision and an insider’s perspective, this book reveals the untold stories of nine extraordinary individuals whose lives encapsulate the myriad challenges and stark contrasts of contemporary Pakistan. Each life represents a...PaperbackSold Out
More from Travel & Adventure
View all-
The Salt Path
The bestselling true story of the couple who lost everything and embarked on a journey not of escape but salvation, soon to be a major motion picture starring Golden Globe winning Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, the couple lose their home and their livelihood. With...Paperback$2700Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Lonely Planet Japan
#1 Bestselling guidebook to Japan "Classic. Comprehensive. Crucial." - Library Journal Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the trip of a lifetime to Japan. Discover popular and off the beaten track experiences from visiting Yoshino for Japan's most famous cherry-blossom-viewing festival to sipping sake at a 300-year-old brewery in Niigata, and exploring the...Paperback$4100Elsewhere:$4499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Maintenance: Of Everything
The first in-depth exploration of maintenance and a powerful argument for its civilisational importance from the author of How Buildings Learn and creator of the Whole Earth Catalog. Maintenance is what keeps everything going. It's what keeps life going. Yet it's also easy to shirk or defer until the thing breaks, the system falters, and everything stops. The apparent paradox...Hardback$7999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Cat's Tales
Once upon a time, the enchanting creature that is the cat infiltrated our lives – and our folklore. Cats have a long association with the supernatural – from being worshipped as gods in ancient Egypt to vilified as witches’ familiars in Europe – and they appear in countless fairy tales throughout history. Every part of the world has its own...Hardback$3099Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
The Penguin Lessons
Now a major film, this is the true story of an unlikely friendship between a flightless bird and a teacher out of his depth. When schoolteacher Tom Michell pulls a penguin from an oil slick off the coast of Uruguay, he has no idea what to do. Back at his apartment, Tom cleans him, but upon returning to the beach,...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Rambling Man
THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FROM THE NATION'S FAVOURITE COMEDIAN, BILLY CONNOLLY "Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I've met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights - and I've rarely come across...Paperback$2299Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
22% offLonely Planet Pocket Lisbon
Lonely Planet's Pocket Lisbon is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life - neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the city's most scenic tram routes, find the best pastéis de nata and discover the winding backstreets of Alfama; all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Lisbon and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Cozy Bookshops: Colouring Book
Cozy Bookshops—your ultimate escape into a world of bookish bliss and mindful relaxation in 46 adorable scenes, from the coziest book nooks. Wander labyrinthine bookshelves, sink into soft armchairs by roaring fireplaces, and lose yourself in snug, atmospheric corners. Escape, relax, and unwind with this colouring book for all skill levels and bring your own personality. The possibilities are endless!...Paperback$2000Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
22% off
Lonely Planet Pocket Porto
Lonely Planet's Pocket Porto is your guide to the city's best experiences and local life, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Experience the historic Se cathedral, marvel at the stunning Palacio da Bolsa, and visit peacocks in Jardim do Palacio de Cristal, all with your trusted travel companion. Uncover the best of Porto and make the most of your trip! Inside Lonely Planet's...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Auto Biography
From one of the world's most popular motor journalists, a highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars. A highly entertaining, clued-up and panoramic guide to cars by Mat Watson, the world's most followed car journalist on social media. Mat Watson knows everything there is to know about cars. In his 25-year career as a motor journalist, he has driven...Hardback$4600Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Brilliant Maps
With a foreword by Tim Harford Which nations have North Korean embassies? Which region has the highest number of death metal bands per capita? How many countries have bigger economies than California? Who drives on the 'wrong' side of the road? And where can you find lions in the wild? Revelatory, thought-provoking and fun, Brilliant Maps is a unique atlas...Paperback$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today -
Around the World in 80 Trains
WINNER OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER AWARD FOR BEST TRAVEL BOOK SHORTLISTED FOR THE STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 'Monisha Rajesh has chosen one of the best ways of seeing the world. Never too fast, never too slow, her journey does what trains do best. Getting to the heart of things. Prepare for a very fine ride'...Paperback$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips today
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
