Harnessing the power of martyrdom

What drives Pakistani men to join its military, despite the toll it takes on them? Maria Rashid's book explores the narratives that sustain the Army's appeal among the country's population

Dying to Serve: Militarism, Affect, and the Politics of Sacrifice in the Pakistan Army

Author: Maria Rashid

Publisher:  Bloomsbury 

Pages: 267

Price: Rs 699

The last two decades have seen several good books on the Pakistan Army and its ethos and functioning. In 2007, Zahid Hussain wrote Frontline Pakistan: The Struggle with Militant Islam, in which he explained his country’s situation in simple terms: Pakistan is at war with itself. Later that year, Ayesha Siddiqa published Military Inc: Inside Pakistan’s Military Economy, a diligently researched tour de force on the Pakistan military’s economic empire. In 2008, Shuja Nawaj’s Crossed Swords: Pakistan; Its Army and