The best books on understanding the war in afghanistan five. 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. A new york times notable book the author of the acclaimed bestseller and national book award finalist, imperial life in the emerald city, tells the startling, behindthescenes story of the uss political and military misadventure in afghanistan. The pentagons perspective on climate change book also america army birds bonaparte, napoleon books books and literature british california captives of. Looking at war across 2,500 years the new york times. As part of a government project to understand what went wrong, a federal agency interviewed more than 400 people who had a direct role in the. It is compiled from thousands of documents, reports and eyewitness accounts, including soviet sources. In 1979, a year after a coup, the soviet army invaded afghanistan to support its communist government. Obamas drone war in pakistan was bigger than people think clearly the incoming obama administration had come to see these drone strikes as a. The soviet union intervened in support of the afghan communist government in its conflict with anticommunist muslim guerrillas during the afghan war 197892 and remained in.
This event began a brutal, decadelong attempt by moscow to subdue the afghan civil war and maintain a friendly and socialist government on its. Peter tomsens compelling analysis of afghan leaders and tribal politics makes this book invaluable to the policy maker. 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. At the end of december 1979, the soviet union sent thousands of troops into afghanistan and immediately assumed complete military and political control of kabul and large portions of the country. Jul 14, 2017 sebastian junger on war and restrepo in afghanistan. In this meticulously reported and illuminating book, rajiv chandrasekaran focuses on southern afghanistan in the year of president obamas surge. List of books and articles about afghan history online. War in afghanistan 2001present part of the larger afghanistan conflict, and the global war on terrorism. The wild and terrifying inside story of americas war in afghanistan is a nonfiction book by an american journalist michael hastings published in january 2012. The book has been adapted into the fictionalized 2017 film titled war machine. In each chapter of this very long but engrossing book, coll takes a deep dive into some particular facet of the conflict. He understood the region, spoke the languages of the combatants, and was cool under fire. No more war by daniel kovalik in no more war, dan kovalik exposes how the west violates international law by using. Buy jihad the secret war in afghanistan new ed by carew, tom isbn.
Arjomand, state university of new york, stony brook. Today, as yet another generation risks life and limb in this inhospitable territory, an everrising death toll puts back under the spotlight the way the modern war in afghanistan is being run, and demands answers. Understanding war in afghanistan is an excellent book for journeyman students of afghanistan. The soviet union, china and angloamerican intelligence in the afghan war library of middle east history by panagiotis dimitrakis jul 25, 20 hardcover. In the late eighteenth century, kabul was established as afghanistans capital. I remember when i first went to afghanistan id read ahmed rashids taliban, which is a great book. The kite runner by khaled hosseini, one bullet away. The soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989 the atlantic.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In what we won, cia and national security council veteran bruce riedel tells the story of americas secret war in afghanistan and the defeat of the soviet 40th red army in the war that proved to. The article touches on some of the civilmilitary problems in afghanistan, the importance of better understanding the. As someone who served in the british military in afghanistan this book rings all too true. War in afghanistan explains who is winning the military contest and whymore. Memoirs of a secretary at war, the first major tellall from a cabinet member in the obama administration, will go on sale jan. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states, saudi arabia, pakistan. Afghanistan had been in a state of almost constant war for 20 years even before the us invaded. For decades, author sebastian junger has been covering wars all over the world, but he never imagined that his book, war, and movie. Infidels, and the brotherhood of war in afghanistan by. Afghanistan war, 2001personal narratives, afghanistan war.
Postwithdrawal puzzle of policy options for india, pakistan and. Hey all, think you would really like my veteran friends book, does my suicide vest make me look fat. The taliban, which rose from the ashes of afghanistans postsoviet civil war, provides alqaeda sanctuary for operations. Hamilton, former congressman and cochair of the 911 commission the wars of afghanistan is a richly detailed account that places current u. Erik edstrom went to war in afghanistan in 2009 pretty much as a. Sixteen topnotch academicians, generals and young scholars were invited to discuss the topic american withdrawal from afghanistan in december 2014. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan books the. 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. 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. As a book on a topical and timely subject, it offers a very richly detailed account and is written with great verve.
Of those, 2,300 died there and 20,589 were wounded in action, according to defense department figures. A sequel of sorts to the good soldiers, this heartbreaking book recounts. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan books. The soviet union intervened in support of the afghan communist government in its conflict with anticommunist muslim guerrillas during the afghan war 197892 and remained in afghanistan until midfebruary 1989.
The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 paperback. In this falsecolor satellite image vegetation appears fluorescent green, urban areas range in. A legal analysis is a compilation of essays from an international law experts workshop held at the nwc. Its a piece of arlington cemetery, roughly 14 acres out of 624.
Many have come to have a grasp of the people, history, and geography of iraq, but afghanistan remains a mystery. Tomsen thus interacted with many players of the 1980s afghan civil war, as no other american probably has. The war in afghanistan began in 2001 and has cost the u. Among political independents, views that the war was a mistake have fluctuated from a low of 42% in 20 to a high of 51% in 2014. The united states has been fighting a war in afghanistan for over 18 years. This is the book we need to put the afghan revolution and civil war definitively on the cognitive map of the educated public. The attacks of september 11, 2001 surprised many americans. This book offers a deeply informed perspective on how afghanistans history as a shatter zone for foreign invaders and its tribal society have shaped the modern. Fragmentation of afghanistan yale university press.
Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. 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. War does not attempt to explain the strategy behind the american war in afghanistan, or the politics of afghanistan, or. The wars of afghanistan by peter tomsen publicaffairs. This book is the first attempt to analyze the overall course of the military struggle as well as the tactics and operations of the protagonists.
Why winning the war in afghanistan meant losing to the. Andrew exum recommends the best books for understanding the war in afghanistan 1 afghanistan. May 16, 2010 the best way to describe jungers book is to say what it is not. Sebastian junger on war and restrepo in afghanistan. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. From the 12th annual national book festival, author rajiv chandrasekaran discusses his book, little america. The first phasetoppling the taliban the ultraconservative political and religious faction that ruled afghanistan and provided sanctuary for alqaeda, perpetrators of the september 11 attackswas brief, lasting just two months. The best way to describe jungers book is to say what it is not. But what do americans know about the land where this conflict is taking place. Firing the shots that killed osama bin laden and my years as a seal team warrior. Did the government mislead the public about the war in.
Afghanistan war, 2001personal narratives, afghanistan. The best books on understanding the war in afghanistan. In the interwar period, afghanistan again was a balancing point between two. For more than 3,000 years, kabul has occupied a strategic location along central and southern asian trade routes. Apr 14, 2017 15 great books about iraq, afghanistan.
The same tendency was evident during my visits to afghanistan as an informal advisor to the u. One of the great pleasures of writing my new book, return of a king. British royal marines take part in the clearance of nade ali district of helmand province. Afghanistan s strategically significant lands have long been fought over by foreign invaders. But the soldiers who work in afghanistan today especially. Mar 27, 20 one of the great pleasures of writing my new book, return of a king. In short order, nearly 100,000 soviet soldiers took control of major. A fair assessment of the afghan war backed up by credible evidence. In the late eighteenth century, kabul was established as afghanistan s capital. The afghanistan war and islamic fundamentalism in the late 1970s the government faced increasing popular opposition to its social policies. A reading list of modern war stories the new york times. I t critiques the western engagement in afghanistan as fragile and points to the confusion and bewilderment that characterise it.
Afghanistan war, international conflict in afghanistan beginning in 2001 that was triggered by the september 11 attacks and consisted of three phases. Weve got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day. Section 60 of arlington national cemetery offers tragic. Not only does it give them a summary of afghanistans colorful geography and history, but it also presents an uptodate picture of where the war is heading and an informed discussion of. The number grows even more when taking into account increases in the base budgets for the department of defense and the department of veterans affairs.
It touches on just about every aspect of the war, from the legal issues surrounding the original coalition intervention to the vexed problem of the status of combatants. Aug 04, 2014 the ussr entered neighboring afghanistan in 1979, attempting to shore up the newlyestablished prosoviet regime in kabul. Americas 17year war in afghanistan was never going to be won by brave soldiers blowing things up, but by winning the battle of the narrative, writes johnson, now a professor at the naval. The latest survey also asked americans, for the first time, what effect they believe the afghanistan war has had on u.
Best iraq and afghanistan war books 228 books goodreads. Gert berthold, a forensic accountant who served on a military task force in afghanistan during the height of the war, from 2010 to 2012, said he helped analyze 3,000 defense department contracts. A selection of books related to the wars in iraq and afghanistan. In turners second, brilliant book of war poetry, war follows the poet home. Afghanistan war, international conflict beginning in 2001 that was triggered by the september 11 attacks. Need another excuse to treat yourself to new book this week. 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. This epic threevolume masterpiece is to war what gibbons decline and fall of the roman empire was to history. Messy, complex areas of operations are highly relevant for the future.
Dec 09, 2019 confidential documents obtained by the washington post reveal that top us officials misled the american public about the war in afghanistan in order to conceal doubts about the likelihood that the. A firsthand account of the most extraordinary battle in the afghan war hardcover. Discover the best afghan war military history in best sellers. At its present shape, it provides a useful o vervie w of the ev olving situation in afghanistan. Postwithdrawal puzzle of policy options for india, pakistan and afghanistan postamerican withdrawal from afghanistan scenario after december 2014 and. 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 war books meet your next favorite book. Csi press publications on afghanistan army university press. Sometimes the hardest part of going to war is coming home by.
Its most notable as the place where a lot of the people killed in iraq and. At least half a million afghansgovernment forces, taliban fighters, and civilianshave been killed or wounded. The united states must at some point depart from afghanistan and bring this costly forever war to a conclusion. Read on to understand how the war began in, but not against, afghanistan in 2001, and who the actors are now. For 18 years, america has been at war in afghanistan. Medal of honor recipient john chapman and the untold story of the worlds deadliest special operations force. The purpose of this book is to share army special operations soldier stories with the general. In 1919 afghanistan signed the treaty of rawalpindi, which ended the third angloafghan war and marks afghanistans official date of independence. The united states went to war in afghanistan to destroy al qaeda and punish the taliban, which had granted al qaeda sanctuary. Confidential documents obtained by the washington post reveal that top us officials misled the american public about the war in afghanistan. Discover book depositorys huge selection of afghan war books online.