Impossible Allies

Book excerpt: Offering a front-row view of the recent Indo–U.S. talks leading up to their historic nuclear deal, this account examines the difficulties within and between the two nations as they came to their agreement in 2005. It also covers the groundwork laid in the years leading up to the pact, detailing the actions of both the Bush administration and the officers of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from 2001 on. As Asia's profile continues to rise in world affairs, the factors that drive nations such as the United States and India toward each other—and the inherited political burdens that hold them back—will become only more compelling and vital, fueling more diplomatic relationships that will, like the Indo–U.S. nuclear pact, change the world.