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The Spy Chronicles

RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace

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The Spy Chronicles

Written by: Asad Durrani, Aditya Sinha, A. S. Dulat
Narrated by: Zubin Balaporia, Uday Benegal, Prateek Pillai
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About this listen

Sometime in 2016, a series of dialogues took place which set out to find a meeting ground, even if only an illusion, between A.S. Dulat and Asad Durrani. One was a former chief of RAW, India's external intelligence agency, the other of ISI, its Pakistani counterpart. As they could not meet in their home countries, the conversations, guided by journalist Aditya Sinha, took place in cities like Istanbul, Bangkok and Kathmandu.

On the table were subjects that have long haunted South Asia, flash points that take lives regularly. It was in all ways a deep dive into the politics of the subcontinent, as seen through the eyes of two spymasters. Among the subjects: Kashmir, and a missed opportunity for peace; Hafiz Saeed and 26/11; Kulbhushan Jadhav; surgical strikes; the deal for Osama bin Laden; how the United States and Russia feature in the India-Pakistan relationship; and how terror undermines the two countries' attempts at talks.

When the project was first mooted, General Durrani laughed and said nobody would believe it even if it was written as fiction. At a time of fraught relations, this unlikely dialogue between two former spy chiefs from opposite sides - a project that is the first of its kind - may well provide some answers.

©2018 Asad Durrani; A.S. Dulat; Aditya Sinha (P)2019 Audible, Inc.
Political Science

What listeners say about The Spy Chronicles

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A book if so many ifs and buts

the book had it's heart at right place, but the content at times seemed all over the place. nice to have views of both sides on table at same time. gives lot of perspective.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Insights through dialogue

At one point Gen. Asad Durrani says he doesn't mind the idea of an akhand bharat... this book of a dialogue between him and Mr A S Dulat is full of worthy insights. The book, however, does end with a note of optimism and the fact that redrawing boundaries or even dissolving them isn't just a pipe dream. - Arvind Passey - Blog: www.passey.info

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

An attempt at being politically correct

I had rather high expectation of this book, but felt the story rather tepid. if the book was co-authored by two leading spooks (erstwhile) of two enemy nations, you would expect some insider view of the organization, how they work and some facts general public don't know about.
Instead what you get is two spy chiefs steering clear of any controversial subjects, mostly agreeing with each other and making a rather unsuccessful attempt at dissecting the policy level decisions of leaders of the nations.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not relevant today

Book is good but lot has changed due to Article 370 being taken away. So lot of arguments in the book will not be valid now.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Nice book

Nothing ground breaking but a nice read nine the less. Go for it for a nice ride

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good book ruined by the performance

Good book ruined by the performance. Durrani presented in flat tone edging towards sounding heartless. Dulat presented as a student trying to impress teacher.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

cocktail talk over a farmhouse

i read it twice (almost) just to ensure if i am absorbing the right narrative and i truly agree to writers that the entire story / episodes were totally their perception of how they are seeing teh indo - pak relationship of past and conclusions and future to be …
overall this book will not add any insights to the matter at least for me but can always open the doors of how diplomats see it.
overall an okay read .

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    5 out of 5 stars
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interesting presentation and content

loved it, can recommend to enthusiasts in the region of Akhand Bharat or South Asia.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Spy meet statesman like spanner meet works

Narration lacks energy. Book lacks any flow or insights. Placid book with talks solves everything.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Only for 1st time readers on RAW & ISI

Just a discussion between the Spy chiefs limited on their constraints to share the details in open forum gives an impression that the book is just on the Indo-Pak relations. For a first time reader on the intelligence agencies, this may not be an ideal book.

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