Afghanistan war, international conflict beginning in 2001 that was triggered by the september 11 attacks. Why military history is important majorgeneral julian thompson, military historian and former royal marines officer, explains why military history is important, not just academically, but in the practical world of modern conflict. Csi press publications on afghanistan army university press. Oh, had this book been published just one decade earlier. Based on scrupulous research and firsthand accounts by key government, intelligence, and military personnel both foreign and american, ghost wars details the secret history of the cias role in afghanistan including its covert operations against soviet troops from 1979 to 1989, the rise of the taliban, the emergence of bin laden, and the. Existing explanations attribute the breakdown of the soviet union to the reformist leadership of gorbachev, andor. History of the war in afghanistan internet archive. Without these novels, learning the history of tragedies and war crimes would be difficult. The war in afghanistan, code named operation enduring freedom 200114 and operation freedoms sentinel 2015present, followed the united states invasion of afghanistan of 7 october 2001, when the united states of america and its allies successfully drove the taliban from power in order to deny alqaeda a safe base of operations in afghanistan. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan the guardian. In that time, the people have endured a brutal civil war, the rise of the taliban. To understand afghan society, read before taliban and heroes of the age by david edwards, and 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. Ancient gandhara kingdom was located in parts of modernday northern pakistan and eastern afghanistan. Discover librarianselected research resources on afghan history from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines, newspapers and more. Much has been written about three decades and more of war and turmoil in afghanistan. Lady sale was possibly the only brit to come out of the first afghan war with her reputation enhanced. Top 10 books about the iraq war books the guardian. However many children like to study this period of history in their early school years.
The attacks of september 11, 2001 surprised many americans. The best books on understanding the war in afghanistan. 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. There, they cultivated arab recruits to fight with the afghan mujahideen. Popular afghanistan war books showing 150 of 163 the kite runner paperback by. At the gateway between asia and europe, this land was. Sometimes the hardest part of going to war is coming home by bryan a. From the unpublished letters and journals of political and military officers employed in afghanistan throughout the entire period of british connexion with that country. When the us military and its diplomats and allies went into afghanistan in the fall of 2001, we really didnt know much about the country. Geography of ecuador learn information about south americas ecuador. On august 6, 2011, insurgents shot down a chinook transport helicopter in afghanistan. The declassified true story of the horse soldiers doug stanton. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Jan 17, 2020 the attacks of september 11, 2001 surprised many americans.
Excavations of prehistoric sites by louis dupree and others at darrae kur in 1966 where 800 stone implements were recovered along with a fragment of neanderthal right temporal bone, suggest that early humans were living in what is now afghanistan at least 52,000 years ago. Nato offers aid to united states following 911 attacks. Jan 17, 2020 by the 19th century, europeans began entering afghanistan when the british empire expanded into the asian subcontinent and in 1839 and 1878, there were two angloafghan wars. Mar 27, 20 william dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan.
The author tackles the struggle between the military and president obama during the year of the surge in southern afghanistan. Barfields book, which is a cultural and political history, was published in the spring of 2010. Before civil war erupted in 1978, afghanistan was a monarchy under muhammad zahir shah, who had come to power in 1933. In an age in which events in the middle east threaten increasingly to spin out of control, few books could be as timely as this history of afghanistan. Best nonfiction war books, around the world one book from each country, best iraq and afghanistan war books, best books on special forces m. History of the war in afghanistan by kaye, john william, sir, 18141876. 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.
Aug 25, 2014 capturing afghanistans troubled history. The best books on understanding the war in afghanistan five. Since the dawn of recorded history, the history of man has been nearly synonymous with the history of war, a history that begins with homer and continues today. Modern history books vietnam war, korean war, israel, china. The afghanistan war and islamic fundamentalism in the late 1970s the government faced increasing popular opposition to its social policies. In 1897, at a small outpost called saragarhi, 40 miles away from the british garrison town of kohat in what is now pakistan, 21 sikh soldiers stood their ground against an onslaught of 10,000 enemy tribesmen. This heading may be further subdivided by the subdivisions used under individual wars. They exposed all players in the war, and its beneficiaries. At the end of the second war, amir abdur rahman took control of afghanistan but the british still played a role in foreign affairs. Living books modern history for kids homeschooling downunder. Top 10 books about the iraq war ranging from forensic intelligence reports to biting reportage and searing fiction and memoir, these books lay. Jan 24, 2017 in 38 years, afghanistan has gone from being the downfall of the soviet union to the longest war in us history. The war was part of the great game between the british and russian empires.
Afghans carry a picture of massood in kabul, afghanistan. The history behind the graffiti of war the new york times. Khaled hosseini goodreads author shelved 9 times as afghanistan war. 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. Jan 09, 2017 there are several books that are excellent in covering different aspects of afghanistans history. See also whats at wikipedia, your library, or elsewhere broader terms. This page is over the subject of afghanistan and its related issues. Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features. The army university press books are traditional and interactive works relevant to the. This unique book, which studies the efforts of the united states in afghanistan, discusses potential corrective. Jul 31, 2017 the real story of afghanistans harrowing battle of ganjgal. 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. See also whats at wikipedia, your library, or elsewhere.
The war in afghanistan has produced stories of tragedyand heroism. The breakdown of the soviet union surprised most scholars of international relations, comparative politics, and soviet politics. Its main cities were purushapura modern day peshawar, meaning city of men, and takshashila modern day taxila. It highlights a lot of the ambiguities and contradictions within afghan society and culture and history that are unrealistic for a us military officer to try to wrap his. Here are the statistics behind the longest war in us history.
A group called the taliban had controlled most of the country since 1996 but they were overthrown in november 2001 by british and american armed forces. A secret history of the war in afghanistan the new york times. The taliban, which rose from the ashes of afghanistans postsoviet civil war, provides alqaeda sanctuary for operations. Mostly, these books depict a land that was once a buffer. Jan 17, 2017 the costliest day in seal team six history. Jul 18, 2018 the history behind the graffiti of war. While it might not make into history books, latrine art has come to characterize the wars in iraq and afghanistan for many of the men and women who. Discover the best afghan war military history in best sellers. But it tells the history of the epic war between athens and sparta it is geopolitics, its strategy, its leadership, its lessons in grief, rhetoric, and persuasion. Sri lanka exotic island nation in the indian ocean.
William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan books. Read on to understand how the war began in, but not against, afghanistan in 2001, and who the actors are now. This story shows the incredible lengths soldiers will go to for. The context is essentially a secret history of the entire war in afghanistan, involving hundreds of interviews with senior white house, state department, pentagon officials, military commanders.
Afghanistan is often depicted as a middle eastern country that requires women to wear burqas in public, but the real story here is actually much more complicated than that. History military history war in iraq and afghanistan. 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. On august 6, 2011, insurgents shot down a chinook transport helicopter in afghanistan, killing all 38 people on board, including 15 navy.
This book is a must read for those who are interested in afghanistans war torn history or for those who find themselves deploying to afghanistan as a civilian or member of the armed forces. Andorra learn about the geography and history of europes andorra. Dec 16, 2019 the context is essentially a secret history of the entire war in afghanistan, involving hundreds of interviews with senior white house, state department, pentagon officials, military commanders. Gandhara was located mainly in the peshawar valley, pothohar plateau and the kabul river valley. A reading list of modern war stories the new york times. The land that is now afghanistan has a long history of domination by foreign conquerors and strife among internally warring factions.
The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden. For those of you who like to read about the politics behind the war, this is definitely one of the books about the war in afghanistan that you should read. The real story of afghanistans harrowing battle of ganjgal. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states. There are several books that are excellent in covering different aspects of afghanistans history. In 38 years, afghanistan has gone from being the downfall of the soviet union to the longest war in us history. The idea that the 911 attacks have their roots in the sovietafghan war comes from bin ladens role in it. The history of these warsespecially as it relates to the battle tactics, force structure.
The reading of war novels is now part of the universities culture, as well. Ancient gandhara kingdom kandahar, afghanistan history. A selection of books related to the wars in iraq and afghanistan. List of books and articles about afghan history online. Aug 19, 2019 the frontier between colonial india and afghanistan in the 19th century was a place of danger and unrest. Publication date 1874 topics afghan wars publisher london w. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union rafael reuveny and aseem prakash1 abstract. Sep 09, 2016 afghanistan is often depicted as a middle eastern country that requires women to wear burqas in public, but the real story here is actually much more complicated than that. The middle east, june 2009 illuminates the broad historical context into which our forces have been drawna carefully researched account. The invaders of afghanistan find themselves waging a war against an enemy who is never there. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan books the. Mar 05, 2020 afghanistan war, international conflict beginning in 2001 that was triggered by the september 11 attacks. The frontier between colonial india and afghanistan in the 19th century was a place of danger and unrest. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union.
Persia and afghanistan in 19334 being recognised as the greatest of all prewar travel books. Best iraq and afghanistan war books 228 books goodreads. Aslams haunting novel takes us deep into pre and post911 pakistan and afghanistan, and offers equally searing takes on the talibans fanaticism and america s. During much of the war he, and ayman al zawahiri, the egyptian head of islamic jihad, an egyptian group, lived in neighboring pakistan. A secret history of the war in afghanistan the new york. History of the war in afghanistan, sir john william kaye volume 2 of history of the war in afghanistan. The secret history of the cia, afghanistan, and bin laden from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 paperback by. Why the united states triumphed in world war ii, fought to a stalemate in korea, lost in vietnam, and failed in iraq. Australian history is usually covered in primary school but the other topics are not required subjects in primary school. A group called the taliban had controlled most of the country since 1996 but they were overthrown in november. Online shopping for afghanistan war military history books in the books store. 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. While it might not make into history books, latrine art has come to characterize the wars in iraq and afghanistan for.