Pakistan Army by Stephen Philip Cohen

Pakistan Army Reviews

• 
  Jonathan

  Professor Cohen's survey of the army of Pakistan was published originally in 1980 and this 1998 edition has an epilogue, but the work was still written before both Pakistan and India openly acquired nuclear weapons, so the book, as good as it is, has a limited usefulness in its examination of the strategic problems faced by Pakistan's most important branch of her armed forces. Nonetheless, it is a valuable volume in the library of security issues of and in South Asia, and it is likely that most of the core values, social backgrounds and methods of training undergone by Pakistan's army officers have changed drastically since the last edition came out. Cohen has gotten to know both armies in an up-close and personal way, so his insights are of great value. I especially liked his division of the officers of the Pakistan army into "generations," reflecting their experiences with the British, the Americans and on their own. A must-read.
• 
  Colin

  Obviously dated at this point, and unfortunately somewhat lacking in depth and context compared to other studies of the army (including some of Cohen's own later works). Interesting as a snapshot of how US security strategists approached Pakistan in the mid-1980s (prior to the attainment of nuclear weapons and really large-scale irregular warfare cooperation in Afghanistan) and how that differs from today, but otherwise of limited contemporary use.
• 
  Arij Awais

  This book gives a good perspective of the the Army and its thinking at the time of partition and subsequent years. Many officers who had served under the British and were under their influence became high ranking officers later on. The book is old now and much has changed about the security situation post the war on terror.