Magnificent Delusions: Pakistan, the United States, and an Epic History of Misunderstanding
About this audiobook
A character-driven history that describes the bizarrely ill-suited alliance between America and Pakistan, written by a uniquely insightful participant: Pakistan's former ambassador to the US
The relationship between America and Pakistan is based on mutual incomprehension, and always has been. Pakistan—to American eyes—has gone from being 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 supplier and ally, and now a threat to national security and a source of humiliation. In their sixty-five year relationship, one country has become a global superpower, the other perilously close to a failed state—perhaps one of the most dangerous places in the world.
Husain Haqqani has a unique insight into Pakistan, his homeland, and America, where he was the Pakistani ambassador and is now a professor at Boston University. His life has mapped the relationship of Pakistan and America, and he has found himself often close to the heart of it—sometimes in very confrontational circumstances, even under house arrest—which has allowed him to write the story of the two countries' turbulent affair, here memorably laid bare.
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 a professor at Boston University and senior fellow and director for South and Central Asia at the Hudson Institute. He also coedits the journal Current Trends in Islamist Ideology. He has written for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Boston Globe, Financial Times, and others.
Ralph Lister is an experienced actor and voice artist who trained at LAMDA. He spent fifteen years in mainstage theatre in London, Madrid, Hong Kong, and Edinburgh before moving to America, where he focuses on film, television, and audiobook narration.
