Afghanistan has long been the focal point of East-West relations, from the 19th and early 20th centuries when its mountain ranges provided the arena where the world's greatest powers sought to expand their influence to its center role in international struggles today. Squeezed between four empires--Russia, China, India, and Persia--Afghanistan's tortured history provides an extraordinary glimpse into the patterns of world movements. This serious, yet accessible history of modern Afghanistan is of vital importance for understanding the country's current crisis and is essential reading for historians, policy makers, and all those interested in the state of the world today.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Excellent - a veritable textbook, and a reference source for anyone interested in Afghanistan."--Thomas Withington, Jane's Intelligence Review
"A magisterial study of the troubled nation, from the accession of the Iron Amir in 1889 up to the Taliban, the war of the winter of 2001-02, and search for a new state structure thereafter."--History Today
"Rasanayagam's work connects a difficult past with a difficult present in order to extract necessary lessons for the future. He presents a complex history, which will be understood by the general reader, drawing attention to a large range of issues in the contemporary world."--Zahir Tanin, BBC
"Well written, succinct, accessible, analytical, objective and balanced - this is one of the best introductions to the history of modern Afghanistan available to the general public."--Baqr Moin, Head, BBC Persian Service
"A magisterial study of the troubled nation, from the accession of the Iron Amir in 1889 up to the Taliban, the war of the winter of 2001-02, and search for a new state structure thereafter."--History Today
"Rasanayagam's work connects a difficult past with a difficult present in order to extract necessary lessons for the future. He presents a complex history, which will be understood by the general reader, drawing attention to a large range of issues in the contemporary world."--Zahir Tanin, BBC
"Well written, succinct, accessible, analytical, objective and balanced - this is one of the best introductions to the history of modern Afghanistan available to the general public."--Baqr Moin, Head, BBC Persian Service
About the Author
Angelo Rasanayagam was Chief of Mission for the UN in Iran and a number of other countries, before becoming Director of the UNHCR office in Peshawar, Pakistan.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Detailed but Insightful,
By Keith (Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Afghanistan: A Modern History (Hardcover)
A very good book that helps to explain Afghanistan’s present situation by describing the conflicts and power struggles of the past. It is hard to keep track of all the names of Afghani warlords and tribal leaders but I do not fault the author for this. The devastation caused as a result of super power struggles during the Cold War is made abundantly clear. The book demonstrates how little loyalty Afghan leaders and family have toward each other. The book describes a level of suffering that is hard for North American’s to imagine. Unfortunately if the past is any indication the future, does not look bright for Afghanistan. One of the clear themes of the book is how the complex Afghanistan political and ethnic situations defy simple solutions. I was impressed by the author’s unbiased approach and his insightful predictions. His suggestions to reduce future violence are novel and very thought provoking.
2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A general preview - yeah right !,
By "glif" (Zagreb, Croatia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Afghanistan: A Modern History (Hardcover)
Well ... this is not a bad book! If you want to learn something about the 19th century or early 20th century Afghanistan.On the other hand, if u need fresh info, and think "Well look at this book, it was printed in May 2003! So it must be current and cover things up to ... hmmm ... beginning of 2003 ??" And that is a mistake ... up to about 2000. or 2001. is OK, but then it starts talking not of Afghanistan but all the popular stuff ... drugs, Osama, 9/11 ... just no Afghanistan!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
When Abdur Rahman was recognized as Amir of Afghanistan by the British in 1880 he had spent 11 years in exile in Samarkand and Tashkent, living on a generous stipend from the governor-general and commander of the Russian forces in Central Asia, General K. von Kaufman. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
mujahideen parties, madrasa students, loya jirga, tribal agencies, million afghanis, pipeline politics, billion rupees, rentier state, poppy cultivation Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, Central Asia, Soviet Union, Saudi Arabia, Abdur Rahman, Durand Line, Ismail Khan, Mullah Omar, United Nations, British India, Cold War, Northern Alliance, Nadir Shah, Zahir Shah, Security Council, Sher Ali, Dost Mohammad, New York, Ahmed Rashid, Kabul University, East Africa, Geneva Accords, New Democracy, Salang Tunnel, State Department New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
When Abdur Rahman was recognized as Amir of Afghanistan by the British in 1880 he had spent 11 years in exile in Samarkand and Tashkent, living on a generous stipend from the governor-general and commander of the Russian forces in Central Asia, General K. von Kaufman. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
mujahideen parties, madrasa students, loya jirga, tribal agencies, million afghanis, pipeline politics, billion rupees, rentier state, poppy cultivation Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, Central Asia, Soviet Union, Saudi Arabia, Abdur Rahman, Durand Line, Ismail Khan, Mullah Omar, United Nations, British India, Cold War, Northern Alliance, Nadir Shah, Zahir Shah, Security Council, Sher Ali, Dost Mohammad, New York, Ahmed Rashid, Kabul University, East Africa, Geneva Accords, New Democracy, Salang Tunnel, State Department New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 46
books:
See all 46 books this book cites
4
books
cite this book:
- Afghanistan: Key to a Continent by John C. Griffiths in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- The Failure of Political Islam by Olivier Roy in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Saudi Arabia (Creation of the Modern Middle East) by Heather Lehr Wagner in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Russian Foreign Policy: Essays in Historical Perspective by Ivo Lederer in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Islam and Resistance in Afghanistan (Cambridge Middle East Library) by Olivier Roy in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 46 books this book cites
- Faith and Sword: A Short History of Christian-Muslim Conflict (Reaktion Books - Globalities) by Alan G. Jamieson in Back Matter
- Aid that Works: Successful Development in Fragile States (Directions in Development) by World Bank on page 226
- Satanic Purses: Money, Myth, And Misinformation in the War on Terror by R. T. Naylor in Back Matter
- China and International Institutions: Alternate Paths to Global Power (Asian Security Studies) by Marc Lanteigne in Back Matter
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