An improbable state -- The feudals and the army -- Religion, Zia, and the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan -- Kashmir, India, and the institutionalization of jihad -- The Taliban, Bin Laden, and the road to 9/11 -- The tribal areas, 9/11, and the rise of the Pakistani Taliban -- Lal Masjid, army failures, and the domestic terrorism campaign -- Mumbai, the Buner moment, and troubles with the U.S. -- The shape of things to come -- The final unraveling.