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One book can understand the root causes of all conflicts and turmoil in Afghanistan over the past 800 years, completely tell the history of Afghanistan since its founding, and explain all the problems in Afghanistan at once. Through the narration of 800 years of Afghan history, it accurately predicts the chaos that Afghanistan will face after the US withdrawal, and you must read this book to understand the ins and outs of the Taliban and the past and present of the Imperial Cemetery. 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."