Balochistan: At a Crossroads

An unusual hybrid of eye-popping coffee-table book and serious analysis of the troubled Pakistani province of Balochistan. Marx is a very talented reporter: the opening anecdote of being on the run from inept Pakistani spies in a dangerous city was worthy of John LeCarre, and his profiles of people, politics, and landscape are both beautiful and revelatory. Wattrelot's pictures can speak for themselves. This book deserves more attention.

This is an amazing book about this country. The Photos are fantastic and truly show the wonderous nature of that part of the world.

Great importation about Balochistan

I purchased this thinking it would make an interesting coffee table book, but knowing very little about Balochistan (even though it comprises almost half of Pakistan) or the conflict between the Government of Pakistan and the Baloch ethno-nationalist rebels. After sitting in its plastic for close to a week, I figured I'd flip a few pages...and ended up not being able to put it down until I had read the book cover to cover. With a humanized narrative, the author takes you through a series of encounters that range from a struggling fisherman to young, idealistic activists to rebels and government agents. These encounters are artfully used to explain the region's political, ethnic and economic history, and to provide context for the area's current disorder. It's a fascinating read and also quite the adventure story. Great pictures as well but don't mistake this for your typical coffee table book like I did.