"A humdinger of a book, full of energy, intelligence and bite." –Hilary Spurling,
Daily Mail "Wonderfully exuberant and mischievous ... deftly intertwines strands of Chinese-Muslim with Indo-Pakistani history ... [A] jewel box of a novel." –
Independent "If Pakistan is a land of untold stories, whispered conspiracy theories and closed-door mutinies, then thank heavens for Tariq Ali, whose access to its innermost secret chambers has made him the country's finest historian and critic." –Fatima Bhutto,
New Statesman "Witty and barbed, a delight to read." –
Oregonian "Audacious ... Islamic politics and faith, the mille-feuille of layers that constitute belief, and the salty real world behind closed doors, are all caught starkly by Ali's uneffusive prose. For once 'unputdownable' is the case." –Tom Adair,
Scotsman "Bold, clever, full of multilingual jokes, and replete with socio-historical detail." –Madeleine Clements,
Times Literary Supplement "Offers great insight into the history and culture of the Muslim world." –
Booklist "A novelist of distinction ... Ali offers a persuasive account of the corruption of contemporary Pakistan, especially the brutal sexual politics, and his wry, ruminative account of lifelong friendship rings with truth." –Michael Arditti,
Daily Mail