Works of art or history books showing human faces or. Obama announces a new strategy for the afghanistan war that would dispatch more military and civilian trainers to the country, in addition to the 17,000 more combat troops he previously ordered. We will look a little at the history of afghanistan to find out how such bad guys like the taliban could ever become the ruling party in the country. The idea for the story came at least in part from josiah harlan, the first american in afghanistan.
Joseph collinsa veteran afghan watcher, national war college professor, and respected strategistguides the reader expertly through the geography, history, and recent dynamics. Lady sale was possibly the only brit to come out of the first afghan war with her reputation enhanced. The road to oxiana by robert byron, and the way of the world by nicolas bouvier travelogues. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan books the. Military afghanistan books the marine shop javascript seems to be disabled in your browser. Read on to understand how the war began in, but not against, afghanistan in 2001, and who the actors are now.
Because of alqaeda, the events of september 2001 spell the end for the taliban. Afghanistan war, international conflict in afghanistan beginning in 2001 that was triggered by the september 11 attacks and consisted of three phases. History of the war in afghanistan, volume 1 volume 4 of afghanistan and the afghans, isbn 8186505350, 9788186505359 history of the war in afghanistan, sir john william kaye. From the unpublished letters and journals of political and military officers employed in afghanistan throughout the entire period of british connexion with that country, sir john william kaye. Your next choice is a political and diplomatic history of afghanistan, 18631901 by m hassan kakar. Jul, 2016 top 10 books about the iraq war ranging from forensic intelligence reports to biting reportage and searing fiction and memoir, these books lay bare the mistakes that drove the war, and reveal.
Best iraq and afghanistan war books 228 books goodreads. I would prefer books that arent too dry but are still fairly informative. In this book, we will learn a lot about the war in afghanistan. The title is taken from the kipling novel of the same name, in which a westerner goes to somewhere like afghanistan and is made king. The first phasetoppling the taliban the ultraconservative political and religious faction that ruled afghanistan and provided sanctuary for alqaeda. This collection is remarkable as a literary project uncovering a seam of war poetry.
The attacks of september 11, 2001 surprised many americans. He got his degree from soas in london in the late 1960s and was also one of the first to give equal weight to both british and afghan sources. Afghanistan traces the entire history of military conflicts in a country currently the focus of a major american military involvement as part of our war on terrorism. Your first is the occupation of iraq, an insiders account of the iraqi government following the american invasion ali a allawi combines the rigour of an historian with the knowledge of a senior politician in one of the first governments in iraq after the overthrow of saddam hussein. The written recorded history of the land presently constituting afghanistan can be traced back to around 500 bce when the area was under the achaemenid. The best books on understanding the war in afghanistan. What are the best books about the soviet war in afghanistan from 1979 to 89. I remember i finished this book flying from herat to mazaresharif in the summer of 2009. The taliban, which rose from the ashes of afghanistan s postsoviet civil war, provides alqaeda sanctuary for operations. Rashid is also the author of the authoritative taliban. By 1979 guerrilla opposition forces, popularly called mujahidin islamic warriors, were active in much of the country, fighting both soviet forces and the sovietbacked afghan government.
Afghanistan has an ancient tradition of epic poetry celebrating resistance to foreign invasion and occupation. This book won the pulitzer prize in 2005, and dives into the history of the rise of radical islam in a region which eventually led to the attacks on the united states on. History of the war in afghanistan, sir john william kaye volume 2 of history of the war in afghanistan. Dec 16, 2019 a secret history of the war in afghanistan the government tried to tell a story of success. From its numerous invasions to the resistance of the afghani people, this makes for an important, revealing guide. War in afghanistan and iraq teaching childrens literature.
Princeton shorts are brief selections taken from influential princeton university press books and produced exclusively in ebook format. The sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan government for over nine years, throughout the 1980s, mostly in the afghan countryside. An interactive modern history adventure you choose. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden. Hundreds of classified memos reveal a darker struggle in an unwinnable war. When british india was partitioned 1947, afghanistan wanted the pathans of the northwest frontier province now khyber pakhtunkhwa, pakistan, who had been separated from afghans pashtuns by the durand agreement of 1893, to be able to choose whether to join afghanistan, join pakistan, or be independent. From the day to day life of the good soldiers and marines on the front lines to the quest to find osama bin laden, there are books that tell the true story from the people who fought al qaeda and other forces while serving in afghanistan. Im interested in history especiall military history and am looking to expand my library. A secret history of the war in afghanistan the new york. This book chronicles his walk across the rugged terrain of afghanistan, but it is also about the history of the area, the isolation of the people, the ebbs and flows of allegiances and alliances, and about his almost crazy dedication to a goal. Id highly recommend the following books descent into chaos ahmed rashid if you only read one thing about american policy in afghanistan and pakistan, let it be this book. Your last book is ben macintyres the man who would be king. Andrew exum recommends the best books for understanding the war in afghanistan.
Soviet and mujahideen uniforms, clothing, and equipment in the sovietafghan war. This one, which focuses on the war in afghanistan, focuses on the american perspective, and it could have been improved by including the points of view of the insurgents and the supporters of democratic rule. The retreat from kabul map the first part of our afghanistan series begins in issue 1, with an indepth chronicling of the british armys disastrous retreat from kabul. As thomas barfield shows, the history of previous efforts to build governments in afghanistan does much to explain the difficulties besetting this newest experiment. This is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved.
One of the great pleasures of writing my new book, return of a king. Not only does it give them a summary of afghanistan s colorful geography and history, but it also presents an uptodate picture of where the war is heading and an informed discussion of the range of choice for afghanistan and its allies. This book is within the scope of wikiproject afghanistan, a project to maintain and expand afghanistanrelated subjects on wikipedia. Photos from americas longest war the new york times.
The purpose of this book is to share army special operations soldier stories with the general american public to show them what various elements accomplished during the war to drive the taliban from power and to destroy alqaeda and taliban strongholds in afghanistan as part of the global war on terrorism. The afghanistan war and islamic fundamentalism in the late 1970s the government faced increasing popular opposition to its social policies. Mar 25, 20 this is in no way a comprehensive list of books or films about afghanistan, or even everything that i have read, but its a good start for anyone who wants to learn more. Persia and afghanistan in 19334 being recognised as the greatest of all pre war travel books. The american empire is no different our men came home and wrote about the civil war, about the spanishamerican war, about wwi, about wwii. These include winners of national book awards and pulitzer prizes, both fiction and nonfiction. Sep 09, 2019 a chronology of key events in the history of afghanistan, from the mid1800s to the present day. To understand afghan society, read before taliban and heroes of the age by david edwards, and afghanistan. Because if you look at the history of afghanistan in the 20th century, its a pretty peaceful country. Best iraq and afghanistan war books some of the best books out there about the wars in iraq and afghanistan. The making of a marine officer by nathaniel fick, war by sebastian. A reading list of modern war stories the new york times.
Understanding war in afghanistan is an excellent book for journeyman students of afghanistan. During the first world war afghanistan remained neutral under amir habibullah khan who was then killed by an unknown assassin in 1919. Implications for army and defense policy 2002, by stephen d. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan. Specifically books that arent too dry and also focus on the american supported afghani mujahedeen that fought against the soviets. Best books about the soviet invasion of afghanistan. The forever war is one of the books about the war in afghanistan and iraq that gives a detailed account of how america deals with the challenges faced during the wars.
The history of afghanistan is a rehash of other books ive read on the subject, but is definitely useful for understanding his broader subject of why we are now having such difficulties in afghanistan. This book details both the war in afghanistan as well as the war in iraq by giving geographic information of the two countries, explaining why the wars began, describing what soldiers do on a daily basis, and giving an honest account of what life is like. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. As william maley has written, afghanistan is really the exception. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan the guardian. The author was a foreign correspondent for the new york times, and gives a historical account of afghanistan and the taliban as it rose to power in the 90s. Lets have a look at the five books you have chosen about iraq. Discover the best afghan war military history in best sellers. A selection of books related to the wars in iraq and afghanistan. The result is plenty of must read books about the war in afghanistan. This book centers on the political decisionmaking process as a. British royal marines take part in the clearance of nade ali district of helmand province. A new generation has come home and has written and is still writing powerful books about the counterinsurgency in iraq and afghanistan.
Afghanistan had been in a state of almost constant war for 20 years even before the us invaded. Nik spender in graphic novel format, introduces the soviet war in afghanistan. History of afghanistan this is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as a printed book. This epic threevolume masterpiece is to war what gibbons decline and fall of the roman empire was to history. It is the definitive history of the us civil war it gives equal treatment to both sides, and is more than one million words, but is never boring.
Among the most positive is an abundance of topnotch books, many written by veterans of the conflict. The taliban, which rose from the ashes of afghanistans postsoviet civil war, provides alqaeda sanctuary for operations. Habibullah was succeeded by amir amanullah who steered a prosoviet course while supporting panislamism and militant tribalism to the extent of fighting, and losing, the third angloafghan war. Hassan kakar was one of the first professionally trained historians in afghanistan. What are some good books to read about afghan history. A secret history of the war in afghanistan the new york times. Understanding war in afghanistan ndu press national defense. Best nonfiction war books, around the world one book from each country, best iraq and afghanistan war books, best books on special forces m. Top 10 books about the iraq war ranging from forensic intelligence reports to biting reportage and searing fiction and memoir, these books lay bare the mistakes that drove the war. Former soldier, andrew exum, tells us about flawed policy, unhappy outcomes and what could and should have been different. The soviet union, china and angloamerican intelligence in the afghan war library of middle east history only 1 left in stock more on the way.
Apr 14, 2017 15 great books about iraq, afghanistan indispensible from the familiar to the obscure, novelist and military man jesse goolsby runs down the poetry, fiction, memoir and history you need to make. Collins understanding war in afghanistan is an excellent primer on a hugely complex conflict. Written in the viewpoint of marines and other armed forces, learn about the afghanistan history, culture, and conflicts. In 1919 afghanistan signed the treaty of rawalpindi, which ended the third angloafghan war and marks afghanistans official date of independence. In 1979, a year after a coup, the soviet army invaded afghanistan to support its communist government. The invaders of afghanistan find themselves waging a war against an enemy who is never there. Top 10 books about the iraq war books the guardian. Afghanistan history 2001 afghanistan and the future of warfare. Afghanistan war, international conflict beginning in 2001 that was triggered by the september 11 attacks.
The us has repeatedly misdiagnosed the war in afghanistan. Afghanistan war, 2001personal narratives, afghanistan war. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan books. There are several books that are excellent in covering different aspects of afghanistan s history. The change may be due to increasing contact with alqaeda fundamentalists, who subsequently have a profound effect on the history of afghanistan. The kite runner by khaled hosseini, one bullet away.
A slew of war memoirs stand with the best writing of that genre. In the interwar period, afghanistan again was a balancing point between two. War in afghanistan 2001present part of the larger afghanistan conflict, and the global war on terrorism. The best books on afghanistan 1 the muqaddimah by ibn khaldun. The terrorist attacks against the usa on 11 september 2001 transform the situation in afghanistan. The war in afghanistan 2001present is the continuous incumbent war in afghanistan, where the main conflict consists of afghan army troops, backed by additional united states troops, fighting against insurgents of the taliban, and later also isis. The most interesting aspect, in my opinion, is the authors prediction the book was written in 1986 that the war would last some 20 years and that nobody ever won a war of atrittion against russia soviet union at the time but the author keep calling it russia. List of books and articles about afghan history online. I almost always enjoy these you choose books because they encourage readers to gain different perspectives on world events. The first section will tell us more about what led up to it. Jan 09, 2017 there are several books that are excellent in covering different aspects of afghanistans history. European influence in afghanistan first angloafghan war second angloafghan war third. A secret history of the war in afghanistan the government tried to tell a story of success. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 by.
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