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.The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power

by: Tariq Ali

September 15, 2008

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.The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and Modernity

by: Tariq Ali

March 13, 2003
Ali, like Chomsky and others is extremely Anti-American. The book is a brilliant critique of western foreign policy, and Islamism. While Ali criticises the West for the effects upon Eastern culture, he also criticises Islam for not going through the reformation. In this respect Ali does well.
However, there are major short comings throughout the argument, and like many on the left Ali raises all the questions, but offers no real answer. Given the instability of South Asia and the middle east, how are the west to act? Ali says himself that Pakistan is in danger of becoming a nuclear fundamentalist state, yet does not offer a solution to the problem, or any other for that matter...

The facts that arise from the book mean that ... Read More:
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.Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree (Islam Quintet 1)

by: Tariq Ali

December 08, 1999
I enjoyed this book. I was a bit put off by the 'propaganda' review and I did expect some knee-jerk anti-westernism from a left wing intellectual like Ali, but this wasn't as bad as I expected. Yeah, sure, there was a bit of Muslims:good, Christians:bad but not let's forget that it was the Christian Church that gave us the Inquisition and the Crusades!

Stylistically the story was good though the writing was a bit clunky in places but this was a good evocation of Moorish Spain.

I'd say worth a read. Next up : volume 2.
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.The Stone Woman: A Novel (Islam Quintet 3): A Novel

by: Tariq Ali

October 26, 2001
Very moving, very informative, stunning language, believeable characters, great story - we reviewed this book in our village bookclub - no one had a bad word to say about it! I found this book to be story and character driven, not politically motivated at all, and very well written.
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.The Book of Saladin: A Novel (Islam Quintet 2): A Novel

by: Tariq Ali

December 02, 1999
I bought this book to read about Saladin and how he managed his empire. I was warned beforehand that this is a work of fiction but did not realise it is nothing but a work of fiction with almost no statement of facts.

If anything, the writer Tariq Ali wants to tell his own version of history of how it must have been back then. Fornication, homosexuality and how people might have amused themselves then seem to be the main theme. Saladin himself comes across as soneone who is most troubled and very one dimensional character. More space is given to the various characters around him and how they go about trying to satisfy their sexual appetite than Saladin himself.

If you want to find out about Saladin, I very much doubt you could do worse ... Read More:
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.Pirates of the Caribbean: Axis of Hope

by: Tariq Ali

April 30, 2008
I bought this book to read about Saladin and how he managed his empire. I was warned beforehand that this is a work of fiction but did not realise it is nothing but a work of fiction with almost no statement of facts.

If anything, the writer Tariq Ali wants to tell his own version of history of how it must have been back then. Fornication, homosexuality and how people might have amused themselves then seem to be the main theme. Saladin himself comes across as soneone who is most troubled and very one dimensional character. More space is given to the various characters around him and how they go about trying to satisfy their sexual appetite than Saladin himself.

If you want to find out about Saladin, I very much doubt you could do worse ... Read More:
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.A Sultan in Palermo (Islam Quintet 4)

by: Tariq Ali

October 23, 2006
This book is beautiful to read: the prose is simple and light, articulate and cadenced. This combined with the half-familiar, half-strange historical and geographical material it treats, the characters who are fallible, partial, wistful, thoughtful, sharp or humerous, and the lack of a trite plot make this a very profound as well as a stylish read. It falls just short of five stars because it can at times (too me at least) lack a robust approach, there isn't quite enough grit, quite so vividly realised as it could be. Certainly the protagonist is a very serene character, but you also feel some of this is Tariq Ali himself, the academic and intellectual, wise but a little removed and dispassionate despite his melancholy turns and bed-side prowess (the protagonist that is!). ... Read More:
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.The Leopard and the Fox: A Pakistani Tragedy

by: Tariq Ali

December 07, 2006
Loved it!! The book is a play and not in narrative format and it is this aspect that makes it a very fast moving story. The tension and suspense is gradually built up right through to the finale and the climax is brilliant albeit tragic.

There is also some humour in there and the scene where Bhutto gives his opinion on LBJ had me on the floor. It was reminiscent of the "dhobi's itch" incident from the book Clash of Fundamentalisms by the same author.

The only criticism I have is that the book is too short. It is no more than a two hour leisurely read and in this respect it sort of leaves you wanting more.
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.The Declarations of Havana (Revolutions) (Revolutions Series) (Revolutions Series)

by: Tariq Ali, Fidel Castro

June 01, 2008
Loved it!! The book is a play and not in narrative format and it is this aspect that makes it a very fast moving story. The tension and suspense is gradually built up right through to the finale and the climax is brilliant albeit tragic.

There is also some humour in there and the scene where Bhutto gives his opinion on LBJ had me on the floor. It was reminiscent of the "dhobi's itch" incident from the book Clash of Fundamentalisms by the same author.

The only criticism I have is that the book is too short. It is no more than a two hour leisurely read and in this respect it sort of leaves you wanting more.
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.The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power

by: Tariq Ali

September 16, 2008
Loved it!! The book is a play and not in narrative format and it is this aspect that makes it a very fast moving story. The tension and suspense is gradually built up right through to the finale and the climax is brilliant albeit tragic.

There is also some humour in there and the scene where Bhutto gives his opinion on LBJ had me on the floor. It was reminiscent of the "dhobi's itch" incident from the book Clash of Fundamentalisms by the same author.

The only criticism I have is that the book is too short. It is no more than a two hour leisurely read and in this respect it sort of leaves you wanting more.
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