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As with his earlier book "Jihad," author Ahmed Rashid illustrates his unbounded knowledge of Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan, along withe the relevant players in all the local terrorist groups, including the Taliban. Rashid, whose fluid, conversational style resembles that of Thomas Friedman ("From Beirut to Jerusalem," "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" and "The World is Flat" among others) expertly weaves the group's history in context with the war against the Soviets and, later, the entrance of the United States military into Afghanistan.
My only problem with the book (in this case the updated 2nd edition) is the 17th and final chapter, which ruins a lot of what Rashid had written up to that juncture.
Cases in point:
• Throughout the book there are many references and anecdotes of days in which hundreds and even thousands are killed in a single day during the repressive, Sharia-driven Taliban's merciless rule. Yet he waxes on about a day in which nine U.S. soldiers are killed and 15 wounded in a day in 2008, when more than 150,000 troops were in country. Not a tragic loss in proportion to the troops involved and when compared to the days before they came to the country.
• The same catastrophic verbiage is used when the U.S. troops, who had "surged" in order to engage more Taliban fighters, lost 91 troops in two months in 2008. Not unexpected casualties considering what was at stake.
• Rashid goes on a Monday-morning quarterback orgy, fault-finding just about everything to do with the U.S., while never once — not a single time — showing how things had improved in comparison to when the Taliban ruled. He runs on and on about IEDs — as if they were winning the conflict for the Taliban — rather than illustrating the basic reasons, tactical and otherwise, that were holding back victory.
• Rashid's solution? "A vast new social and economic development program" as a long-term answer to the problems in Afghanistan, Central Asia and Pakistan. Not too abstract or non-specific, right?
• Rashid never addresses why any country in its right mind would want to invest in offer military aid to a country like Afghanistan, whose troops shot U.S soldiers in the back, or ran, or didn't fight, or weren't double agents.
• No mention at all of the ridiculously restrictive rules of engagement that prevented U.S. troops from doing something as simple as undertaking night raids because they might upset the Afghanis, who Rashid never bothered to mention hate the U.S. troops and aided the Taliban.
• While it was addressed, the fact that the Pakistanis refused to take massive action against the Taliban and whined about the few times U.S. troops and drones (which were never mentioned) attempted to do something about the porous border, which sheltered the Taliban and prevented U.S. victory.
• Afghanistan President Harmid Karzai, while correctly portrayed as corrupt, was never called on the carpet for his endless harangues against the U.S. for inevitable collateral damage while it tried to help his country. Nor was it ever mentioned that Karzai never even thanked the U.S. for its sacrifice.
And yet countries should want to throw money at and rebuild Afghanistan?
I could go on and on and on, but my point is made. It really is essential reading — and good writing until the final chapter. I'm going to read his "Descent Into Chaos" book next, though I have reservations that it will be a longer version of U.S. fault-finding. Still, the payoff is in the presentation of the history of the Central Asian countries and their peoples, and even Islam. Rashid is the best-informed writer extant on these topics. It's a must-read.
- Paperback: 344 pages
- Publisher: Yale University Press; Second edition (April 13, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 9780300163681
- ISBN-13: 978-0300163681
- ASIN: 0300163681
- Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.9 x 8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
- Customer Reviews: 197 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#88,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #15 in Pakistan History
- #20 in Central Asia History
- #13 in Middle Eastern History (Books)
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