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After India's nuclear tests in May 1998, India's Jaswant Singh engaged in a series of dialogues with Strobe Talbott, the US Deputy Secretary of State. Now Mr. Talbott has written a memoir, Engaging India: Diplomacy, Democracy, and the Bomb based on his discussions with Mr. Singh.

Talbott�??s account of Sharif�??s desperate trip to Washington adds important brush strokes to a picture of astute crisis management by the White House. Talbott�??s portrayal of Sharif and the Pakistani government is far from flattering. During Clinton�??s first term, the administration tried hard to improve ties with Pakistan, without much success. Talbott notes the strong aversion within the administration to tackle the Kashmir issue and depicts Sharif as a pathetic figure. During the second term, the administration switched to an �??India first�?� approach to South Asia, hoping to end estrangement and reflecting profound frustration with Pakistan, which was viewed as deeply mired in damaging policies and dysfunctional governance.

Washington�??s �??tilt�?� toward India during the Kargil crisis came as a surprise to New Delhi and Islamabad and sealed the outcome that Indian troops had been fighting uphill to secure. The trust built by the administration�??s efforts to force the withdrawal of Pakistani troops and to endorse the �??sanctity�?� of the Kashmir divide was central to the transformation of U.S.-Indian ties.[Book Review:Engaging India]