ABOUT THE BOOK

This book is the first ever endeavour of its kind to introduce the importance of Military Bands in the public and private lives of humankind, in State government, and in international relations including war and peace. The term ‘Military Band’, which is erroneously taken to mean Bands held by the armed forces, has a much broader meaning that includes, but is in no way limited to, the defence forces’ bands. Every Band, using brass or woodwind instruments, within the military or without, is known as a ‘Military Band’. This term is more current in the South Asian context while the Western usage, it may be called a ‘Concert Band’.

The present work unearths the enigma behind the Bands, brings home their essentiality in national life and explores the majesty that the Bands bring to presidential inaugurations and street fairs and to battlegrounds and sports field alike. Finally, the book muses on the future role of Military Bands for conflict resolution and for promotion of peace in general.

ABOUT Author

Saad S. Khan (PhD) is a passionate fan of Military Bands; by creed, a scholar on world politics; and by profession, a career civil servant in the Government of Pakistan. His varied research interests lie across peace and conflict studies, governance, human rights and military history. He has written prolifically and travelled extensively. He went to the University of Cambridge, UK, as a Cambridge Trust Scholar. Later, he landed as a Fulbright non-degree fellow on the public Administrators Professional Partnership Program at the Institute of Training and Development, Amherst, MA, USA. He has worked for the promotion of Military Banks worldwide and is a co-producer of a documentary film on marching bands of Pakistan. He has won several awards and honours.