HarperCollins Presents ‘Covert’ by A.S. Dulat, Asad Durrani, Neil K. Aggarwal

About the book

After the tremendous success of The Spy Chronicles, A.S. Dulat and Asad Durrani participated in a series of conversations on the psychology of war and peace; these have evolved into this fascinating book, written with psychiatrist Neil K. Aggarwal.

Covert takes the reader right into the head of the two spymasters. Delving into their personal and professional trajectories that moulded them in the early years, the conversation traces the extent to which their Indian and Pakistani identities have defined them. Masterfully moderated by Aggarwal, the discussion then turns to the domain of international relations, exploring why the governments of India and Pakistan collaborate in certain areas, but not in others. What emerges is a remarkably forthright, provocatively honest appraisal of the peacebuilding process between the two nations that appear inherently hostile to each other but share so much in terms of history and cultural identity.

The dialogues in Covert reveal a deep camaraderie between Dulat and Durrani, who have headed the intelligence operations for their respective countries. But more importantly perhaps, it provides deep insights into the shadowy world of negotiation and subterfuge. It is an eye-opener and a must-read for anyone invested in peace and amity in South Asia.

‘In 2021, Sundeep Waslekar’s offer to get General Durrani and me to join in a discussion on The Spy Chronicles, moderated by Neil K. Aggarwal, led to this book on ‘The Psychology of War and Peace’, which has virtually turned out to be Part 2 of The Spy Chronicles, once again pointing to a way forward between India and Pakistan—perhaps a fantasy, but always on our minds since history has put us side by side. I have known and engaged with General Saheb for some years now, but it has been a fascinating interaction with Neil. One can lie to the world, but not to oneself—and to a psychiatrist, even less!’

A .S. Dulat

‘In The Spy Chronicles, our moderator described me as ‘an Accidental Spymaster’. Indeed, if Zia’s plan had not fallen from the skies in August 1988, I would have happily served on as a run of the mill soldier. The book itself was like a bolt from the blue: two former Intelligence Chiefs from chronically hostile countries, joining hands and banging heads to make some sense of our bilateral madness, was nothing short of a potential train wreck. And when Dr Aggarwal got us together to compose this book and pampered us as peace psychologists, it must have been an irony of history.’

Gen. Asad Durrani

‘As long as humans make war and peace, psychology will be relevant to understanding people’s emotional reactions, worldviews, identities and relationships. We know little about the psychology of negotiations, even less about espionage and about leaders of intelligence agencies. Messrs. Dulat and Durrani are to be commended for sharing their lives in Covert so that we all appreciate the high stakes involved in peacemaking.’

Neil K. Aggarwal

‘It has been six years since the publication of The Spy Chronicles. Many of us might have been wondering what A.S. Dulat and Gen Asad Durrani, the two spymasters who have headed the intelligence agencies of India and Pakistan respectively, make of the politics of the world we live in today. Where are the two neighbouring countries headed? Can there be abiding peace between the two? And how relevant are these relations in the geopolitical scheme?

Circumstances have prevented Mr Dulat and Gen Durrani from meeting in person for years. But aided by the technology of video conferencing, in Covert they speak to a masterful interlocutor, Neil K. Aggarwal, about India, about Pakistan, about what holds the two nations together and what tears them apart, and the psychology behind it all. Frank, incisive and always engaging, this is a book that is relevant to every future-thinking citizen of the subcontinent. We are HarperCollins are proud to bring it to readers.’

Udayan Mitra, Executive Publisher, HarperCollins

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About the Authors

Amarjit Singh Dulat is a former head of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s external intelligence agency. He is the author of Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years (2015), The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace (2018; co-authored with General Asad Durrani) and A Life in the Shadows (2022).

Lieutenant General Asad Durrani is a former Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence directorate of Pakistan. He is the author of The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI, and the Illusion of Peace (2018; co-authored with A.S. Dulat) and Honour Among Spies (2020).

Neil Krishan Aggarwal is a psychiatrist and social scientist at Columbia University. He does research and teaches on the psychology of cross-cultural conflicts, negotiation, and peacemaking. Covert is his fifth book.

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About HarperCollins Publishers India

HarperCollins India began publishing in 1992. The company publishes some of the finest writers from the Indian Subcontinent and around the world, publishing approximately 200 new books every year, with a print and digital catalogue of more than 2,000 titles across 10 imprints. Its authors have won almost every major literary award including the Man Booker Prize, JCB Prize, DSC Prize, New India Foundation Award, Atta Galatta Prize, Shakti Bhatt Prize, Gourmand Cookbook Award, Publishing Next Award, Tata Literature Live! Award, Gaja Capital Business Book Prize, BICW Award, Sushila Devi Award, Sahitya Akademi Award and Crossword Book Award. HarperCollins India also represents some of the finest publishers in the world including Harvard University Press, Gallup Press, Oneworld, Bonnier Zaffre, Usborne, Dover and Lonely Planet. HarperCollins India has won the Publisher of the Year Award four times at Tata Literature Live! in 2022, 2021, 2018 and 2016, and at Publishing Next in 2021 and 2015. HarperCollins India is a subsidiary of HarperCollins Publishers.

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Press Contact:

Aman Arora

General Manager – Marketing

Email: aman.arora@harpercollins.co.in