The Colonel Who Would Not Repent The Bangladesh War and Its Unquiet Legacy Salil Tripathi

“Superb and harrowing. . . . A fine and judicious account of the horrors of the Bangladesh war of independence.”—Philip Hensher, The Guardian

“This is a compelling, haunting chronicle of the tragic recent history of Bangladesh. A heartbreaking tale of war, famine, insurgency, coups, and democratic politicking, Salil Tripathi’s powerful book is important reading for anyone trying to understand modern South Asia.” —Gary J. Bass, author of The Blood Telegram: India's Secret War in East Pakistan, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize

“Many nation-states of Asia and Africa were once celebrated for their bold act of self-determination. They are best understood today through their failure to break free of their bloody origins, and their always likely descent into anarchy. Salil Tripathi's book resourcefully and grippingly describes Bangladesh's tormented search for truth and justice, and its implications for the stability of one of world's largest Muslim countries.”—Pankaj Mishra, author of From the Ruins of Empire, and winner of the Windham-Campbell Prize for Non-Fiction

“Salil Tripathi brings together the narrative skill of a novelist and the analytical tools of a political journalist to give us the story of a nation that is absorbing, haunting and illuminating.”—Kamila Shamsie, author of In the City by the Sea and A God in Every Stone

“A sensitive and nuanced account of the story of Bangladesh based on eye witness narratives of key players as well as ordinary citizens that make the book a riveting reading. It puts together materials from various sources and presents the contestations, contradictions and dilemmas of Bangladeshi politics in a balanced yet highly readable style. The study will be of use both to a scholarly and a popular audience.”—Rounaq Jahan, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Dhaka, Bangladesh

“Tripathi’s book revisits Bangladesh’s founding in comprehensive detail. Poignantly, its publication comes at a moment when the nation seems on the verge of its next existential crisis—one that includes now-frequent slayings that the author himself is speaking up against. . . . The book functions best to fill in history’s rough outline with vivid depictions of wartime conditions; stories of common courage; and rare, specific recognition of innocents who died. . . . The Colonel Who Would Not Repent serves as a primer to the current crisis.”

—M. Sophia Newman, The Millions

“[A] searing account . . . one of the finest contemporary histories of the period . . . a fine contribution to understanding the deeper causes of a war that killed hundreds of thousands. . . . Vivid accounts of events and places, and Tripathi’s moving interviews with survivors make for rewarding, if harrowing, reading.”—Nayan Chanda, Global Asia

“Engaging, shrewd, and earnest.”—A. Ahmad, Choice