In 1998/99, India and Pakistan conducted nuclear tests and tested medium-range missiles. Last year both countries were engaged in heavy fighting in Kargil. The author, a leading specialist on South Asia, contends that Kashmir could be the next flashpoint for a possible nuclear war. Both India and Pakistan are locked in an increasingly tense military confrontation, which according to the CIA is the world's most dangerous dispute. The book takes the reader through the geopolitical complexities of this little-understood part of the world that contains 25 per cent of the world's population: the disputes between India and Pakistan; China and India; their rival interests, as well as those of Russia, the United States and Iran. He traces this struggle and others, like those in neighboring Afghanistan and Tibet, back to their Cold War roots, exploring clashes that continue to threaten to destabilize the region today. The author's clear, concise analysis combines vivid first-hand accounts as a war correspondent in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Kashmir and Tibet, with an historical and strategic overview of the region. Fascinating and chilling, this book is required reading for anyone interested in the current balance of world power.