Publication

The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama, by Melvyn C. Goldstein

The political status of Tibet in relation to China has been a contentious issue. It has invoked the question of the right of a people to self-determination. Melvyn C. Goldstein’s book titled The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama presents an expounded historical account of the cultural as well as political survival of Tibet from a Western, primarily American, lens. The book’s essential objective is to define the boundaries of what he refers to as the ‘Tibet Question’ and analyse Chinese Tibetan policies in the light of the relationship shared with the US. The ‘Tibet Question’, a nationalist issue at its core, here symbolises the struggle to control territory and the representations of history and current events.

Inside the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Mohammed, by Abhinav Pandya

In the aftermath of the terror attack in Pahalgam, Abhinav Pandya’s book Inside the Terrifying World of Jaish-e-Mohammed, assumes significant relevance as it offers a comprehensive analysis of the operational structure of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and underscores the grave national security challenges being faced by Indian security forces and policymakers over the last few decades. The book aims to give critical insights into the inception, expansion and operations of JeM.

Mao’s Army Goes to Sea: The Island Campaigns and the Founding of China’s Navy, by Toshi Yoshihara, Georgetown University Press, 2022, pp. 158

Mao’s Army Goes to Sea: The Island Campaigns and the Founding of China’s Navy delves into Mao’s initial efforts to build a naval force, tracing the development of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) between 1949 and 1950. It highlights how a group of individuals with no maritime experience managed to create an operational navy in just 18 months. Despite their lack of expertise, this nascent force undertook complex amphibious assaults, achieving significant victories in some cases while facing crushing defeats in others. Yoshihara, a distinguished scholar of the PLAN and Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments offers fresh perspectives through his extensive use of Chinese sources.