There are different kinds of historical books focused on different countries. Some are there to educate, some to entertain, but only a handful of books do both tasks. In Pakistan, Dr Aqeel Abbas Jafri’s Pakistan Chronicle is the only book that both educate the readers about history, in an entertaining way.

Developed in the style of international chronicles, this book covers the history of Pakistan like no other publication before it. Instead of giving a point of view about the events and happenings that have shaped Pakistan, they have ‘used’ news clips of those events. It might not be the actual news, but something closer to give the reader in 2024 an idea of how life was in 1947, and beyond.

From the inception of East and West Pakistan in 1947 to the latest happenings, such as the last General Elections in February of this year, Pakistan Chronicle covers Pakistan’s history in the best possible manner. The first volume covers the years from 1947 to 2018, whereas the recently published supplement caters to events that took place during the next six years. The book is in Urdu, making it accessible to all kinds of readers, and if you are fluent in Urdu, then it is something you should have in your library.

From rare pictures to even rarer information, this book makes you feel proud whenever happy news is shared, and sad whenever a tragedy is mentioned. The book can be browsed in different ways — if you are searching for an event, you can browse through the month and year when the event took place; you can also browse through it chronologically and be a part of Pakistan’s ascent as a leading country in the world.

If you didn’t know that Pakistan once lent money to a European state, or that Pakistan’s first feature film was released after the country’s first Independence Day, you need to brush up your skills a lot. Each year comes up with the names of those who were born in that year, or couldn’t make past that year, adding importance to that year.

If you get your hands on this book before Independence Day, you might be able to question your friends about their beloved country and surprise them with your new-found knowledge.

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 10th, 2024