To-Read List

Robert Fisk's final work examines the Middle East's betrayals over the last two decades, from the Iraq invasion aftermath to Arab uprisings, Syrian civil war, and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. Blending rigorous journalism, historical analysis, and eyewitness reporting, it critiques Western hypocrisy and interference while exposing colonial oppression's consequences. Features a foreword by Patrick Cockburn and postscript by Nelofer Pazira-Fisk.

Lords of the Desert is a masterful history of Anglo-American rivalries that shaped the modern Middle East after World War II. Drawing on newly declassified records and memoirs, James Barr reveals how the US supplanted Britain as the dominant power, from the battle of El Alamein in 1942 to Britain's exit from Aden in 1967. It portrays tensions between London and Washington, including espionage, coups, and oil disputes that fueled imperial transition.

The first volume of a two-volume biography covering Gandhi's life from birth through his 21-year period as a lawyer and civil-rights activist in South Africa, where he developed Satyagraha and transformed from a Western-trained Indian lawyer into a global leader of non-violent resistance.

Sanjeev Sanyal chronicles the history of the Indian Ocean region, from its geological origins and early human migrations out of Africa to medieval empires, trade networks, and colonial rivalries. Spanning East Africa, the Middle East, Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia, the book explores ancient cities like Angkor and Vijayanagar, maritime adventures, and genetic discoveries, challenging established narratives with fresh evidence from archaeology and oral histories.

This book chronicles America's intelligence, military, and diplomatic efforts to combat Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2001 to 2016. It examines the CIA's operations, the secretive Pakistani ISI's Directorate S supporting the Taliban, and U.S. policy missteps amid complex regional rivalries involving India and China, revealing how foreign policy failures prolonged the conflict.

The Mitrokhin Archive II reveals the full extent of KGB operations worldwide during the Cold War, drawn from Vasili Mitrokhin's secret notes smuggled from Soviet archives. It details Soviet penetration in Africa, Asia, Latin America, sponsorship of insurgencies, terrorists, and influence on Third World leaders, showcasing KGB spycraft, active measures, and intelligence failures like the Afghanistan invasion.

The book examines the untold story of Bangladesh, from the 1971 Liberation War to contemporary politics of identity and Islamism. It reveals how linguistic nationalism evolved into a deception, critiquing the 'Joy Bangla' narrative through empirical social science lens by economist Prof. Kausik Gangopadhyay.

The Travels of Marco Polo is a 13th-century travelogue recounting Venetian explorer Marco Polo's journeys through Asia from 1271 to 1295. Dictated to Rustichello da Pisa while imprisoned, it details encounters along the Silk Road, vivid descriptions of Middle Eastern cities, Central Asia, Kublai Khan's Chinese court, coastal regions like Japan and India, Mongol wars, and marvels of the East, introducing Europeans to distant lands and cultures.

In 1177 B.C., marauding Sea Peoples invaded Egypt, weakening the pharaoh's forces and contributing to the collapse of Late Bronze Age civilizations. Eric H. Cline examines the interconnected empires of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, arguing that their dramatic downfall resulted from a perfect storm of invasions, earthquakes, droughts, famines, revolts, and disrupted trade routes, ushering in centuries of dark ages.

A historical analysis of Palestinian efforts to achieve statehood from World War I through the death of Yasser Arafat. Khalidi examines how British colonization and Israeli occupation created structural obstacles to Palestinian self-determination, while critically assessing failures in Palestinian leadership and political strategy.

Senior journalist Khaled Ahmed examines Pakistan's policies on terrorism amid international pressure. Despite joining the US war on terror post-9/11, Pakistan is seen as a terrorist haven. The book explores origins and activities of terrorist groups, the state's role, and ideologies of founding figures, alongside how religion is embedded in Pakistan's political and social framework.

A comprehensive account of KGB operations based on handwritten notes secretly compiled by senior KGB archivist Vasili Mitrokhin. The work documents Soviet intelligence activities from the 1930s to 1980s, revealing methods of espionage, infiltration, and covert operations targeting the West, including technological espionage, agent cultivation, and assassination.