books about: afghanistan     books:       A Brief History Of Afghanistan (Brief History)2 reviews Shaista Wahab, Barry Youngerman Facts on File, 2007 Afghanistan: At the Vortex of Worldpower Rivalry Afghanistan is often viewed through the lens of "the war on terror." But area specialists, however, see Afghanistan as the gateway to the energy-rich Central Asian and Caspian fossil-fuel deposists. Endemic violence and dwindling supply from traditional sources serves as a midwife among world powers to control sources now thought to surpass the Middle East. Afghanistan is key to their ...             Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures Fredrik Hiebert National Geographic, 2008 Almost 30 years ago, a precious trove of art was spirited away from the National Museum of Afghanistan by a small group of "keyholders" —museum guards, curators, and antiquities lovers who risked their lives to save the country’s cultural treasures. Their actions spared these magnificent pieces from the threat of destruction, first by the invading Soviets in 1979 and more recently by the Taliban. Exquisitely crafted in gold and ivory, ...             Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September ...128 reviews Steve Coll Penguin (Non-Classics), 2004 Well-documented lead-up to 9-11 "Ghost Wars" is a very good, well documented, presentation of facts leading up to 9-11, focusing mainly on the CIA's involvement in Afghanistan starting with the anti-Soviet rebellion in the early 1980's. What comes through very clear is how complex the situation was, presenting very little options which could ever work out well. Probably the USSR would have broken apart even if we weren't ...             Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics11 reviews Martin Ewans Harper Perennial, 2002 A must read on this subject This book can be recommended to anyone interested in the history of the general mess now known as Afghanistan. In addition to being scholarly (which some people call "dry") and concise, Ewans, as a former diplomat, tends to be honest about many issues which Westerners were previously clueless or not bothered about, or which they deliberately "fudged up", so as to justify their anti-Soviet policy. ...             The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban26 reviews Sarah Chayes Penguin Press HC, The, 2006 An interesting read Despite the fact that the author doesn't 'beleive in the clash of civilizations' she hits the nail on the head with a number of observations. Foremost among them is the fact that international aid organizations, because of their hatred towards the U.S, blew the death of one of their own out of proportion so as to scare people away from Post-Taliban Afghanistan. There is also much to learn ...             Come Back to Afghanistan: A California Teenager's Story12 reviews Said Hyder Akbar, Susan Burton Bloomsbury USA, 2005 It will make you want to go to Afghanistan Yesterday a friend asked what I was reading. I just finished 'Come Back to Afghanistan: My Journey from California to Kabul' written by Said Hyder Akbar, a 20-year old college student in California. Like many others, Akbar's story is a migrating one - from Afghanistan to Pakistan, India, and then the USA. When the Taliban were ousted in 2001, Akbar's father, a long time friend of President ...             The Taliban and the Crisis of Afghanistan Harvard University Press, 2008 The Taliban remain one of the most elusive forces in modern history. A ragtag collection of clerics and madrasa students, this obscure movement emerged out of the rubble of the Cold War to shock the world with their draconian Islamic order. The Taliban refused to surrender their vision even when confronted by the United States after September 11, 2001. Reinventing themselves as part of a broad insurgency that destabilized Afghanistan, they ...             Afghanistan: A Companion and Guide6 reviews Bijan Omrani, Matthew Leeming Odyssey, 2005 The unknown Afghanistan This hefty tome oozes quality. From its 768! pages printed on very fine paper to the wonderful photographs to the heavy duty binding. The authors convey a deep love for this intriguing country so often only heard of in terms of war and violence. This is also a most comprehensive history of Afghanistan. Its blue lapis lazuli was used as ornament on The Mask of Tutankhamun. Coins of the ...             Lonely Planet Afghanistan (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) (Country Guide)1 review Paul Clammer Lonely Planet, 2007 The only book out there This is a great first edition guide to Afghanistan. For a book without much competition, LP has provided a lot more detail than they needed to to corner this market. Helpful sidebar commentaries on Hekmatyar and other political personalities in Afghanistan. The security situation has worsened since the book was written, so some of the land routes described here are no longer viable. Only ...             Afghanistan: A Military History From Alexander The Great To The Fall Of The Taliban11 reviews Stephen Tanner Da Capo Press, 2003 Overall Hostory of Afghanistan I wanted to study up on the region while I was assigned there, and I read many books from Amazon.com. Many had bits and pieces of the history, but this book had a grand view from early times of Alexander the Great, the Muslim invasions, the Mongol conquest to later times during the Soviet invasion and the later rise of the Taliban. This book is essential and provides a basic understanding of ...             Afghanistan to Zimbabwe: Country Facts That Helped Me Win the Nationa Geographic Bee5 reviews Andrew Wojtanik National Geographic Children's Books, 2005 Interesting... I was roommates with the author at the 2004 National bee, and while he was away getting interviewed, I managed to sneak a peek at his book. I was overwhelmed by the information presented in just the first few pages I read, and while I have yet to read the actual published work, I can definitely say that this book is an asset to any geography classroom or geobee contestant, and that the author ...             Opium Season: A Year on the Afghan Frontier9 reviews Joel Hafvenstein The Lyons Press, 2007 Massively more exciting than my college lectures, and lots more edifying than my other pleasure reading Reading the Opium Season felt like reading a first-rate adventure novel starring a particularly likeable and honest protagonist. The great thing about the book though is that, by the time I finished, I had real insight into Afghanistan and into international development and counter-insurgency strategies. The Opium Season is the story of a young development worker thrust into a role above his ...             Afghanistan And the Troubled Future of Unconventional Warfare5 reviews Hy S. Rothstein US Naval Institute Press, 2006 Fixing Special Forces Generals fight the last war. In the last war they were lower ranking officers in charge of troops actually doing the fighting. This gives them a lesson in how wars are fought. Most United States troops are skilled in the fighting of conventional wars. They well understand what the M-1 tanks did in Gulf War I, they understand about air power, logistics, all kinds of things that enable a heavily ...             Battlefield Afghanistan1 review Mike Ryan Spellmount Publishers Ltd, 2007 GREAT STUFF Currently the only book on the market that gives you a total overview of what has been going on in Afghanistan in recent times. The author also offers his views and opinions on current tactics and techniques currently being employed - and compares them against those developed and practised by the Russians. If you are going to be sent out to Afghanistan on operations you should read it, as ...             Love and War in Afghanistan6 reviews Alexander Klaits, Gulchin Gulmamadova-Klaits Seven Stories Press, 2006 A girl's ankle Laying in my hammock, warm from the late August sun and surrounded by the sounds of bird songs, waves lapping against the beach and children playing, I found myself pulled, fascinated, into Love and War in Afghanistan. The contrast between my comfortable, summer surroundings and the world of hunger, fear, displacement and pointless brutality served up by the book couldn't have been starker. ...             Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan22 reviews Robert D. Kaplan Vintage, 2001 A first rate book on Afghanistan Kaplan is an American journalist who made several trips into Afghanistan during the time that the Soviet Union had occupied Afghanistan and was intent on turning Afghanistan into a communist country. In his trips, Kaplan experienced and describes the life common to all mountain peoples, the cruelty and gruesomeness of war especially in its counter-insurgency edition, and the traditions of the ...             Afghanistan Nelles Map (Nelles Maps S.) (Nelles Maps)2 reviews Nelles Nelles Verlag GmbH, 2006 Only one flaw It is the best Afghanistan map I have found. I like the detail and accuracy. I only wish the format was smaller so the entire country was on one side. It is not convenient to hang this on the wall with half of the country on each side. I would also like street maps of the major cities on the reverse side. We know enough about the cities now and have enough military and civilian maps to provide ...             The Places In Between140 reviews Rory Stewart Harvest Books, 2006 Rory, Babur and Babur I understand and concur to a qualified extent with some of the less than glowing reviews here. Yes, the prose is sparse. Yes, our author doesn't seem to talk very much about himself. Yes, Tom Bissell's review in the NYT is ridiculously encomiastic...."a novelist's sense of character"...??? I wonder what particular novelist Mr. Bissell had in mind. But to counter these criticisms, I would ...             Desperate Lands: The War on Terror Through the Eyes of a Special Forces Soldier20 reviews Regulo, Jr. Zapata Nadores Publishing & Research, 2007 A Must Read, True Life Account of a Special Forces Soldier! I loved this book! It was a real story, written by a real special forces soldier. It was compelling, and had me hooked. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in what the war is like from a soldiers perspective.             Building a New Afghanistan2 reviews Brookings Institution Press, 2007 An absolute "must-read" for anyone seeking the latest insights, perspective, and possible solutions Building a New Afghanistan offers a host of essays from a diversity of learned contributors discussing the complex problem of rebuilding Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban's severe occupation. Afghanistan today is riddled by security problems connected to poppy growing, opium and heroine production, and drug trafficking; Building a New Afghanistan offers creative and controversial ...              search for books afghanistan, alexander, battlefield, between, building, california, companion, country, desperate, frontier, geographic, history, invasion, islamic, military, pakistan, politics, punishment, september, soldier, soldiers, special, taliban, teenager, through, treasures, troubled, unconventional, warriors, zimbabwe books:    Kindle - Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device This is the future of book reading. I have used it and love it! randomly chosen toys & games: Peyton Manning Indianapolis Colts McFarlane NFL Series 15 Action Figure Impressum - about us get your own tag board