Beginning in 1947, when ` India & Pakistan were born to conflict, ` renowned India scholar Stanley Wolpert provides an authoritative, accessible primer on what is potentially the world`s most dangerous crisis. He concisely distills sixty-three years of complex history, tracing the roots of the relationship between these two antagonists, explaining the many attempts to resolve their disputes, & assessing the dominant political leaders. While the tragic Partition left many urgent problems, none has been more difficult than the problem over Kashmir, claimed by both India & Pakistan. This intensely divisive issue has triggered two conventional wars, killed some 100, 000 Kashmiris, & almost ignited two nuclear wars since 1998, when both India & Pakistan openly emerged as nuclear-weapon states. In addition to providing a comprehensive perspective on the origin & nature of this urgent conflict, Wolpert examines all the proposed solutions & concludes with a road map for a brighter future for South Asia.