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Rating: 
Summary: Pathetically researched and biased book
Review: First a couple of simple observations.I found the book as a search of the library stacks in the tibet section. i buy almost all my books online. but i believe everyone ought to just take an hour or so each week just to skim their favorite sections of the library. this was a gem i would never have bumped into online.... on other reviewers here. this is a book that an Indian(india) would find offensive at first reading. he does not pull punches about ethnicity and its history, but this is one of the best features of the book. i hope they can see the heart that it comes from and not the surface level of words. an example would be the description of the internal Indian airlines. Now to the book.
Its about Afganistan, Pakistan, India, and Tibet. In particular the wars and the people who fight them in this region. the author is a very unusual man, extraordinary in several ways. first his english is journalistic, fast paced, honed obviously to write pieces that compete for a newpaper readers attention. Pithy in using one word where another writer would use three. a very visual writer with an imagination and a view to vivid word descriptions that is very good. He would have been as good a novelist as he is a journalist. This really acts to the book and makes the reading a great pleasure. Really an unusual and greatly appreciated quality in historical writing. The topic is a timely one, even given the 2000 date on the book, or the research dating back even longer. The author is knowledgable about the area, passionate about the people and the topic, not afraid to express unpopular opinions. Organized and systematic enough that you feel that you have learned and shared his learning/passion/study. Generally simply the best of the genre. If it is your desire to learn a little more of the history of this region, or to understand the current events starting in this region and echoing throughout our world, then start with this book. This book makes available to all of us the author's extensive travels, careful analysis, and very important observations concerning the people and events. my Thanks to him. i am only sorry that he hasn't apparently written other books...maybe i can find a few extended essays on the net...
Rating: 
Summary: A Must Read
Review: I found this book to be completely fascinating. Mr. Margolis takes us through the complex geo-politics of Afghanistan, Kashmir, India and Tibet. I think he nails the head on a lot of the issues presented. His attention to details makes the reader feel as if he/she were in the mountains of Tibet or fighting in the hills of Kashmir. I believe he gives insight into this complex region that few other journalists could have. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the region, gain perspective, and learn the truth.
Rating:
Summary: The work of a highly experienced journalist
Review: If any of his critics knew him better, they'd understand that Eric his a very well-seasoned journalist who knows his stuff. Saying that he supports Bin Laden or Al-Qaeda is highly misleading and is in my opinion nothing better than an attempt to smear the image of a a very knowledgeable analyst that Washington could benefit from. He knows the people of the region well and in fact speaks a few of the languages (I believe Farsi and Pashto to name a some). He is a concerned American Republican (native to New York) with a great deal of respect for the Afghan people. He might not be right about everything, but he definitely knows his stuff. This book was well written, and I'd suggest it for a basic understanding of what is going on in the region.
Rating:
Summary: Pathetically researched and biased book
Review: The author obviously has travelled a lot but really doesn't understand the politics or culture of the region. He makes absurd claims in the book with no supporting evidence. It reads more like a James Bond adventure for the author than good journalism. He pretty much takes a single point of view and constantly hammers it instead of providing both sides of the coin. In his world everyone but the islamic militants are at fault.
Rating:
Summary: Conspiracy Theories Abound or Down with America?
Review: The title is alluring... it draws you in during these days and times of world terrorism. The beginning is an exciting account of the authors first hand experience as he is with the Afgan Freedom Fighters against the old USSR. But soon the book deteriorates into what is wrong with the authors opinion of how he feels American imperialistic activities around the world have caused all the problems in South Asia. There are numerous first hand accounts which develop into conspiracy theories. Fact and fiction blur into a setting the reader, if he had no sense of history, might take for all fact. But unfortunately there is not a single foot noted reference for many of his wild claims. He obviously developed a keen attachment to the people and experiences of his extensive travels. But the book is filled at every turn with unsubstantiated claims about American participation in clandestine involvement with international policy. These assessments are further riddled with his opinion. The author obviously holds in high regard those who attacked the World Trade Center on 9/11. His respect and admiration for Osama Bin Laden and his cause seep from the pages. There is plenty of information to get a first hand account of his travels and experiences in the region. I had high hopes for this book and when I started to read it but it has been a total disappointment if for no other reason then the lack of foot note for his claims. I am open enough to listen to all sides of an argument; there is just no supporting evidence of his positions and claims. He even resorts at one time to have first hand conversation with a high level Pakistani Intelligence Official who reveled the 'truth' to him about Pakistani national policy. Hearsay evidence at best written in a superficial journalese filled with errors of fact and substance. Very little is know about this author other then he lives in Canada and the U.S. and is a leading critic of US foreign policy. I would say unless you like a fantasy travel read, find another book. Don't waste you time on this one, and most importantly, don't look at this as a factual account of U.S. Policy. The title and cover read is a seductive tool that will draw you to the purchase. What is between the covers is nothing more then unsubstantiated opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest book on South Asia
Review: This book is a masterpiece but what else do you expect from a seasoned journalist like Margolis. It correctly analysis the complexities of the region and delves deep to bring out the prejudices prevalent in that region. Margolis provides a great narrative and explanation. Overall I would give this book TWO THUMBS UP.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but problematic
Review: This book is well written and not a difficult read given the complex topic. The main suffering point is that Margolis is not a research Historian and the book is not written from the point of view of journalist. Margolis makes many good points, especially in concerns to potential future problems, but he really fails to deliver the kind of un-biased factual evidence to back some of his points. Margolis does know the area, people, and events but this is not enough for a book that is presenting History.
If you are looking for current-event information or even a primer on this region, then this book isn't a bad read. I did enjoy the book, but felt it could have been better researched and developed.
Rating:
Summary: For understanding Kashmir problem look no further
Review: This book superbly deals with the Kashmir imbroglio. Margolis presents clear facts in a very lucid way. His style is candid and he makes no qualms in presenting the ground realities of this often-in-the-news region. I read this book because I wanted to learn about this issue form a reliable and authentic source/writer. I would DEFINITELY reccommend this book to anyone seriously interested in Kashmir region or for that matter the India/Packistan relations.
Rating:
Summary: The best book on foreign policy in the new millenium.
Review: Well-informed, sometimes alarming... His first-hand reporting and, in particular, his description of the geography of the area are evocative and revealing. His perception of the danger of war, particulary between India and Pakistan, is clearly correct.
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