One book explains the root causes of all conflicts and turmoil in Afghanistan over the past 800 years
A complete account of all the history of Afghanistan since its founding
Tell all the problems in Afghanistan at once
A narrative of 800 years of Afghan history
Accurately predicting the chaos Afghanistan will face after the U. S. Withdraws its troops
Understand the ins and outs of the Taliban
Learn about the past and present of the Imperial Cemetery
Must read this book
Located at the intersection of Asia and the Middle East, Afghanistan has been of strategic importance for thousands of years. Modern Afghanistan is a culturally and ethnically diverse country but divided by conflict, political instability and mass displacement of its people. In this authoritative illustrated history, Jonathan L. Lee tells the story of how a small confederation of tribes in a politically and culturally important but volatile region became the modern nation-state.
Drawing on more than four decades of painstaking research, Lee places the current conflict facing Afghanistan in its historical context and challenges Western preconceptions about the country. Lee chronicles the region's monarchy and Durrani dynasty, focusing on each of the region's rulers and their efforts to balance tribal, ethnic, regional, and religious factions, examining the struggles for social and constitutional reform and the rise of Islamic and communist factions. He offers new insights into culture and politics by examining Polish history, memoirs of Afghan government officials, British government and Indian office archival documents, newly released CIA reports and WikiLeaks documents. Lee also sheds new light on the country's foreign relations, internal power struggles, and foreign military intervention similar to the "war on terror."
Reader comments
The first part was confused by the names of people and places, but in the 19th century, especially after the first Anglo-Afghan War, as the interaction with more familiar world history increased, it became fascinating.
This book is very detailed without losing depth.
The content of this book is so exciting! It tells the 800-year history of Afghanistan very clearly. I especially like the part about the monarchy and the Durrani Dynasty in the book. The author describes in great detail the efforts of the various Afghan rulers to balance the forces of all parties. This book also provided many new clues about Afghanistan and gave me a deeper understanding of the country. I highly recommend you read this book too!
The first part was confused by the names of people and places, but in the 19th century, especially after the first Anglo-Afghan War, as the interaction with more familiar world history increased, it became fascinating. This book is very detailed without losing depth.
The content of this book is so exciting! It tells the 800-year history of Afghanistan very clearly. I especially like the part about the monarchy and the Durrani Dynasty in the book. The author describes in great detail the efforts of the various Afghan rulers to balance the forces of all parties. This book also provided many new clues about Afghanistan and gave me a deeper understanding of the country. I highly recommend you read this book too!