This book investigates the political transition and systemic collapse of Pakistan during the critical period between 1969 and 1971. Herbert Feldman, a long-term observer of the region, utilizes his background in political analysis to document the resignation of President Ayub Khan and the subsequent rise of General Yahya Khan. The text provides a chronological examination of the events leading to the secession of East Bengal and the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent nation under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Historians and political scientists frequently cite this work as a primary source for understanding the internal dynamics of Pakistan during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The prose is noted for its clinical, observational approach to a period of significant regional instability.