Customer Reviews

Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics

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Martin Ewans, who previously served as a British diplomat in Afghanistan, is clearly someone who is very knowledegable of Afghan history and its people. However, the title "A Short History" may be a bit misleading, as this is, in fact, a thorough examination of Afghan history with some rather dense writing. Certainly it is more for those seriously interested in the subject matter rather than the casual reader.

Another thing to consider is that this book covers Afghanistan from its earliest days to the modern era. Personally, I was most interested in Afghanistan's ancient history as well as the contemporary period, especially the Taliban and the current U.S. military presence. Instead its ancient history is only briefly discussed, with the bulk of the book being devoted to the 1800's and 1900's. The book does offer substantial and insightful coverage of the Soviet occupation, the mujahidin and the Taliban. But, since the book was written in 2002, it's not completely up to date on what is currently happening in Afghanistan. So someone primarily interested in post-Taliban Afghanistan might do better with one of the many books devoted solely to the contemporary era.

Still Ewans is a extremely intelligent man and has tremendous amounts of information and insight to convey regarding Afgan history. This one is worth reading for those with a serious interest in the country

I liked this book, had no problem reading it, and recommend it. Presumably when reviewers refer to it as "dry", they mean in comparison to such popular histories as Peter Hopkirk's fascinating "The Great Game". But, Hopkirk's point of view lends to the events an air of "the plucky British soldiers" fighting against "incredible odds" in their 19th century incursions into Afghanistan. What happened is that the disciplined British military with the aid of superior tactics and weaponry massacred numerous Afghanis in their quest to keep their Indian empire secure (from a Russian invasion that might never have occurred anyway), and, in due course, suffered some massacres of their own. I don't suggest Hopkirk whitewashed these events. Rather, he knows a story is more appealing with "heros" and "villains", and constructing these is how the very readable "The Great Game" makes a century of fairly detailed Central Asian history palatable.

Ewans's book lacks heros and villains. It's briefer and is consciously even-handed, written with a diplomat's grasp of how the personalities of leaders and the policies of powerful countries towards poor ones steer events. If you want a pithy review of Afghanistan's interactions with the world's great powers, its politics, and the succession of leaders from Dost Mohammed forward, this is your book. It certainly served me well.

Weaknesses of this book include, first, the sketchiness of the pre-19th century history and, second, a sharp focus on leaders and politics giving little idea of how ordinary Afghans lived, especially in rural areas (that is, until the closing chapters dealing with the Communist government, Soviet invasion, and regimes of the Mujahidin and Taliban). I'd like to know more about life in and leaders of the powerful rural tribes, who for 150 years have erected road blocks to the policies of kings, prime ministers, and presidents.

One source for conditions in the country-side are the travelogues of 20th century adventurers: Robert Byron "The road to Oxiana" (1930s - 6 stars out of a possible 5, though about 2/3s of that book concerns Iran), Eric Newby "A short walk in the Hindu Kush" (1950s - humor in the mountains), and Peter Levi "The light garden of the angel king" (1970s - next on my stack to read, but seems highly regarded by all).

This is a great book for readers interested in a brief survey of Afghanistan's political history and foreign relations from ancient times to 9/11. Author Ewans, a retired British diplomat who served in Kabul, writes superbly, stays focused on issues that are important and interesting, and has a droll sense of the role played by stupidity in foreign affairs. The highlights are the chapters on Anglo-Afghan relations in the 19th century and the Soviet occupation and civil war in the 1980s and 1990s. Ewans does stumble in early chapters that reshash boring dynastic histories from the middle ages (hence my rating of four stars), but this is the only flaw in an otherwise excellent book.

Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics, by Martin Ewans, is a fantastic book. This fascinating account of this plucky country was chock full of facts that have immediate relevance. Covering from ancient times to 2002, this book provides a traditional history--no stories of the working classes or women. But it covers the byzantine regime changes of Afghanistan very well. It als does a fine job of explaining how the Afghanistan state was in constant tension between the local tribal powers and the more modern central authority of the king. The foreign situation was also an exercise in balance, with the Afghans depending on money, guns and expertise from British India to fend off the Russian Empire. However, the relationship with the Brits wasn't entirely godlen, as the three Anglo-Afghan wars suggest.

While the history was intensely interesting, the last chapters of the book, which cover the politics and battles of the last two decades which have left Afghanistan such a mess, were the most relevant for me. If you want to know how mcuh the CIA spent supporting the Taliban, it's in there. If you want to know which external nations supported which of the warring factions, it's in there. If you want to know why Afghanistan grows the majority of the world's opium, it's in there.

I won't say this book was easy to get through. The writing is quite dense. The frequent re-appearance of characters was at times confusing, but I fear that is more a feature of Afghan history. For a concise political history of a nation that we're becoming more and more involved with, check out this book.

Martin Ewans has given us a useful, highly readable introduction to the people and history of Afghanistan. It begins with a short introduction on the geography and the ethno-linguistic groups of the modern nation. Unfortunately, because it is only a general survey, a serious student will find this material inadequate. Moreover, Ewans' knowledge and experience as a diplomat can work against him as a scholar -- he relies too heavily on assertion and background knowledge, where the book would have profited from better footnotes and sourcing, especially for the modern era where his assertions are more controversial.

Just as one example, he asserts that "the Afghan fiasco was also one of the catalysts that led to the break-up of the Soviet Union on the late 1980s and early 1990s" (p. 169, all citations are to the hardback edition). I use this example because a detailed defense of this statement is clearly beyond the scope of a book on Afghanistan, and yet it is conroversial enough that Ewans should at least refer us to a book that does discuss the question.

This problem is minor for the first thirteen chapters or so, simply because political/social bias does not usually color historical works the further back in time one goes. This book easily earns three stars for these informative and useful chapters (although, again, the serious student will only find it useful as a starting point).

Chapters 14 through 18 cover the Afghan communist movement, through the Soviet invasion, through civil war, and the advent of the Taliban. Ewans does a good job of simplifying extremely complex issues, but again, not without problems. In describing the mujahidin, he acknowledges that "there are dangers in being too dogmatic in describing and classifying them." (pp. 153-54). But he continues to describe the very different (in terms of ideology, techniques, foreign support and degrees of success) groups with the broad label "mujahidin." This tendency is odd at first, but becomes more frustrating in the civil war chapters, where the different groups start to fight among themselves.

In final two chapters and epilogue, Ewans goes from historian to pundit, offering an analysis of the current state of Afghanistan, the blame for its problems, and where it will go in the future. As usual, some of his assertions are without support. On page 211, he quotes "one distinguished academic" without even identifying who that academic is, let alone the source of the quote.

He claims that "If there is to be a tolerable outcome, there will somehow have to be a settlement of all these issues, no doubt brokered by the united nations" (p. 214). This sentence is objectionable for a number of reasons. First, a "tolerable" outcome in a nation state does not necessarily involve the resolution of all problems (England's hyper-aggressive colonialism and denial of political rights in the 19th century, or America's constitutional protection of slavery for over a century, are black spots on their records, but don't make them "failed states"). Ewans points out that the Afghan government cannot provide for its citizens' basic needs, but it is by no means clear that a government is responsible for satisfying basic needs in the first place. Second, Ewans does not explain why the United Nations, with a striking track record of failure in resolving international conflicts, should suddenly become successful in Afghanistan. Ewans' own evidence underscores this point: starting with a totally useless resolution condemning the Soviet invasion (because the Russians have a veto power on the Securit Council; p. 151), and continuing through the present (because of the Taliban's total lack of concern with world opinion), all attempts to use the United Nations to broker political reconciliation have produced no results at all.

His conclusions frequently contradict the evidence he produces in previous chapters. He claims that in Afghanistan, "a fiercely independent people have been more determined than almost any other to resist outside interference..." (p. 213). But Ewans' own survey belies his exaggeration of their independence. The warring mujahidin groups and the Taliban all receive foreign cash, training and equipment, from nations such as America, Iran and Pakistan, while Najibullah's government was directly controlled and armed by the Soviets. The pre-occupation communists (Taraki, Karmal and Amin) received education and political support from the Soviets. All previous presidents and kings accepted at least financial assitance from Russians, Americans and/or British, in the form of technical assistance, loans on highly favorable terms, roads, airports, military equipment and training, and a massive (but failed) dam project for the Helmand valley. In what sense, then, have the Afghans demonstrated their determination to resist outside interference?

A few final thoughts. This is primarily a political/military history. Religion and culture primarily figures only as an explanation for political developments. The few maps are good, but could be better (not all of the place-names mentioned in the text are shown in the maps). The writing style is straightforward and highly readable. And at only 214 pages, the book is fast and never boring. All in all, this is not a bad book by any means. It simply fails to live up to its potential, and so cannot rate more than three stars.

Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics
By Martin Ewans

This short and quick read easily lives up to its title. This would be a good introductory book to anyone who wants an overview of the history and culture that is very much alive in Afghanistan today. The citizens of Afghanistan have a very keen sense of their history and will talk about conflicts between tribes that happened decades or centuries ago as if they were yesterday. May of the conspiracy theories that this book says Afghans hold to the influence of Britian, the US or Russia on their lives have been echoed by the interpreters that I had here in country.

The book is good for anyone who wants an overview of Afghanistan's history in the last two centuries. While the book touches on Alexander and Genghis Khan, it does not give them nearly the treatment of some other books. Likewise, its treatment of the events of the Great Game between Russian and Britian are complete, but it rarely goes into detail on any particular event. This makes the book good for providing an overall framework for anyone looking to get deeper into the history and politics of the region.

Ewans, Martin
2002 Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. Contains 37 pictures and 8 maps; Appendix; Extensive Notes.

Martin Ewans's book on Afghanistan is a well-organized, and well-documented source on not only the history of Afghanistan, but also its people. The book is divided into twenty-one chapters. The beginning chapters deal with the Afghani people, as well as their religion and the geographical location of the country. However, the main emphasis of the book deals with the history of Afghanistan and all of the leaders and conquerors it has had. According to Ewans, there is no documented history of Afghanistan until the sixth century BC, when the empire of Cyrus the Great absorbed it. However, the book does not go into in-depth history until the period of Alexander the Great when he made Afghanistan part of his empire while trying to conquer the world. Due to all of the turnover in leaders after the book does a quick overview of the leaders after Alexander the Great, approximately the time period from the 300 BC until the 1700's.
After the 1500's the book begins to go into extensive coverage of the emergence of the first Afghan kingdom in the 1700's under the rule of the Ghilzai tribe, when it revolted against the Safavids. Ewan goes on to say that after a lot of in-fighting and revolt, Shah Amhed Kahn emerged as the leader of what is now today Afghanistan.
The book then moves on to the 1800's when Dost Mohammed rose to power through the use of force when he took Kabul. The book then delves into the first and second Anglo-Afghan wars, each having one chapter devoted to it. After these chapters, Ewans devotes approximately on chapter to the successive rulers of Afghanistan. The book breezes through Afghan history until the rule of Mohammed Daoud Kahn in the 1950's. The book explains how Daoud found himself in the middle of the Cold War and how he tended to side with his Soviet neighbors. However, this ended when the royal family, in pursuit of a constitutional monarchy, forced Daoud to resign in 1957. The book then discuss the rule of King Zahir and his constitutional monarchy until he was overthrown in a coup by Daoud himself while the king was in Italy for eye surgery. However, this reign only lasted for five years, when Daoud is also overthrown in a coup by the PDPA. The book then deals with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The book devotes three chapters to the Soviet invasion, dealing with the invasion itself, the occupation of the soviets and the resistance of the Afghani people, and eventually the withdrawal of the soviets. The book then deals with the civil war that ensued after the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, ending with the short rule of Sebghatullah Mujadidi. After this period, Ewan discusses the entrance of the Taliban and their subsequent rise to power. Ewan devotes two chapters to the Taliban, ending the book with a quizzical outlook on the future of Afghanistan. Ewan feels that as long as the Taliban and their opponents are in opposition of each other, the future of Afghanistan is highly speculative. An epilogue is added to discuss the September eleventh events, and Ewan ends his book describing Afghanistan as a "failed state". However, Ewan goes on to say that bin Laden and his followers represent a sick and twisted mind and a subculture of religious fanaticism. Ewan ends his book with acknowledging the issue of global terrorism but says that it is outside the scope of the book, as well as the Muslim attitude towards the West.
Bryon Wait

Ewans, Martin, Afghanistan: A Short Story of Its People and Politics, (New York: HarperCollins, 2002). Pp. ix, 244. 37 Ill. 8 Maps. Epilogue. Annotated Bibliography. Index. ISBN: 0-06-050507-9.
Afghanistan: A Short Story of Its People and Politics is a complete and concise synopsis of Afghanistan's leaders and foreign occupation. It gives a quick chronology of its many leaders, including Alexander the Great and ending with the Taliban. Furthermore, it describes the interplay between politics, especially in regards to Kabul, and the people of Afghanistan, relaying the constant power struggle either within Afghanistan or against foreign powers.
Martin Ewans is a credible source in terms of an accurate historical record. He served as a U.S. diplomat to both Afghanistan and Pakistan, and relies upon a wide variety of references for his information. In this respect, the book is extremely useful for the average reader looking for a quick overview of Afghani history. Moreover, the focus upon leadership and occupation sheds much light upon the present day struggle for autonomy and the extreme antagonism/skepticism of Afghani leaders towards foreign powers.
However, in the last two chapters of the book, Ewans describes the contemporary position of Afghanistan, in particular the rise of the Taliban and future outlook for the country. This on first glance appears to be extremely useful, as there are very few up to date books on Afghanistan that include the 9/11 attack and modern perspective on the Taliban. Yet, Ewans goes too far here, condemning Afganistan as a failed and "wretched" state. His opinions on the Taliban leadership contradict one another, and it is clear a hint of bias enters the author's attitude towards the end of the novel. He goes so far as to deem Afghanistan the center of global terrorism.
On the one hand, Ewans may indeed be correct in these opinions. But, the underlying tone seems to point towards the notion of unsupported and hasty conclusions of the part of the author, who had for the better part of the novel maintained an objective point of view. Now, more than ever, an attitude of understanding and hope for the state of Afghanistan is needed to help its people. To call it a wretched state and the center of global terror will only further antagonism and prevent cooperation with Afghanistan for both the masses and foreign diplomats. Hence, while I would recommend the book for a quick overview of Afghani history, I would warn the reader against giving creit to the author's bias towards the end of the book.

Shirin Raza

Former diplomat Martin Ewans' interest in Afghanistan shines in this well-written book on the history of Afghanistan and the events that has made this country what it is today. Ewans talks about the ancient history, the rise of the Pashtun, the British domination which warped and jaded the fabled compassion and openness of the people, the often overlooked and turbulent developments of the mid-20th century and a rare and balanced view of the soviet occupation from 1979 to the mid-eighties.

For students of Afghanistan who have trouble wading through dry histories, this book is a breath of fresh air. Well written and engaging, this work does not get bogged down with an overabundance of details, but rather gives a clear layout of the histories inlaid with rich details that bring to life the people who made the history. A clear logical flow makes the narrative easy to follow and easy to refer back to previous events. Highly recommended by a student of this fascinating country.

Ewan's book is an excellent primer for those who need to get up to speed on Afghanistan history through 2002. Although it doesn't cover "current" events of Operation Enduring Freedom and the ensuing efforts by the international community, it sets the conditions for a deeper understanding of the Afghan people and the challenges we all face in the region.