Ahmed Rashid is an expert on Central Asia, on jihad and Muslim extremists movements, on the Taliban and Al Qaeda, on insurgency, and on the catastrophe of US policy in this region, on which he has reported for twenty-five years. Author of three books, his work Taliban was a huge international bestseller, widely recognised as the definitive account. He has personally met and interviewed many of the key players in Central Asia. He writes regularly for the Financial Times, Washington Post and the International Herald Tribune, among others. Descent into Chaos was shortlisted for the Lionel Gelber Prize for non-fiction and won the Italian Tiziano Terzani prize.
Pakistan's best and bravest reporter -- Christopher Hitchens A journalist of the highest narrative and analytic gifts -- Max Hastings His knowledge of events and people there is second to none -- Kim Sengupta A superb work on the future of Pakistan, a country many people deem the world's most dangerous -- Bruce Riedel * Washington Post * Ahmed Rashid has established a well-earned reputation as a meticulous, reliable and authoritative chronicler of events in south-west and central Asia ... Unlike many journalists ... Rashid does have the courage to outline how he believes the catastrophic situation in both his homeland (Pakistan) and its neighbour, Afghanistan, can be improved -- Jason Burke * Guardian * Rashid assembles a broad network of sources on all sides of the debate and is probing in his treatment of all the main actors ... a powerful and pacey primer -- Shiraz Maher * Spectator *