It is widely understood that the military is the most significant political entity in Pakistan. But what is less understood are the conflicts within the military—differing ideologies, personality conflicts, and internal and rarely seen political battles—which Crossed Swords ably reveals. Basing this work on both extensive research and numerous interviews, as well as having lived in a professional capacity through much of the history he retells, Shuja Nawaz provides a comprehensive and at times critical account of how the military has shaped Pakistan and the conflicts it has endured in doing so. Hence, this is a very important contribution to our understanding of political history and contemporary political dynamics in Pakistan.
Nawaz carefully weaves the story of how the military has risen to dominate the country, not only through its own institutional capacities but also through the industries it runs, the influence of retired military personnel in political and commercial...