General Ziaul Haq came to power in July 1977 through a coup d' etat, ousting Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He retained his position as Chief of Army Staff as well as that of President of Pakistan till his death in mysterious circumstances in August 1988. The book examines the events leading to the fall of the Bhutto government, and analyses the enigmatic personality of General Zia.

This absorbing account of Pakistan's power politics is unique in its vision because General Arif had an unrivalled vantage point as chief of staff to President General Ziaul Haq for seven years. He thus gives an insider's view of the politics and policies of the Zia regime. The book details the trial and execution of Z.A. Bhutto, the Afghanistan crisis, the formation and dismissal of the government of Prime Minister Junejo, Pakistan's relations with the USA, Iran, and India, and the thorny nuclear issue.

Above all, it presents a multidimensional picture of the man who, defying all predictions, survived in power for eleven years.