This collection of writings taken from a variety of source provides wide-ranging perspective on the Maoist insurrection to inform readers of the many facets of Nepal's internal conflict. The selection analyses and explains the failure of the state to meet the aspirations of a people emerging from an authoritarian regime; the swift politicisation of the Nepali countryside; brutal excesses of a state that knew only the language of force to tackle dissent; the shortcomings of the elected representatives of people; violence trancending political boundaries; and the viciousness of a class conflict sometimes gone awry. The historical persepective of the book helps locate the Nepali Maoists within the context of left politics in the country. Contrary to portrayals ignorant of Nepal's political history, the 'people's warriors' did not spring up from nowhere as an aberration in world politics.