From AudioFile
This work is filled with remarkable scholarship, covering nearly 2,500 years and drawing from a vast number of sources. Raymond Todd handles the names of the many nationalities, locations, and individuals well. Generally, his strong tenor voice is pleasant, but at times his reading is stilted, a quality that may actually have more to do with the prose. The story of Afghanistan is more interesting than most would realize. Its geographic location has placed it at the center of various empires and given it longstanding geopolitical significance. M.L.C. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Choice September 2003
"A carefully researched account...a worthy addition to both academic and public libraries."


Wargamer.com 11/23/03
"Provides a good first step into the fascinating world of Afghan history."


Book Description
The only complete single-volume military history of Afghanistan, from ancient times to the war waged by the United States after September 11. Following the events of September 11, 2001, the world was riveted as American military power contested the legendary warrior culture of Afghanistan. By spring 2002, America began to draw down its forces, its mission accomplished: The Afghan Taliban regime has been overthrown and the terrorists it harbored were on the run. Was America's easy victory proof of its military superiority, or were the Afghans merely eyeing the newcomers as they have watched foreign armies in centuries past, knowing time is on their side? For over 2,500 years, the forbidding territory of Afghanistan has served as a vital crossroads--not just for armies but for clashes between civilizations--the Greeks, Arabs, Mongols, and Tartars, and in more recent times, Britain and Russia. Now America must face a new enemy on this land--a land that for centuries has become a graveyard of empires past. This first-ever complete military history of Afghanistan illuminates the broad historical context into which American forces have been drawn--a cautionary tale, perhaps, about the dangers that may lie ahead.


About the Author
Stephen Tanner is a military historian and free-lance writer. His previous works include Epic Retreats: From 1776 to the Evacuation of Saigon and Refuge from the Reich: American Airmen and Switzerland During WWII. He lives in Long Island, New York.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The only complete single-volume military history of Afghanistan, from ancient times to the war waged by the United States after September 11.

Following the events of September 11, 2001, the world was riveted as American military power contested the legendary warrior culture of Afghanistan. By spring 2002, America began to draw down its forces, its mission accomplished: The Afghan Taliban regime has been overthrown and the terrorists it harbored were on the run. Was America's easy victory proof of its military superiority, or were the Afghans merely eyeing the newcomers as they have watched foreign armies in centuries past, knowing time is on their side?

For over 2,500 years, the forbidding territory of Afghanistan has served as a vital crossroads—not just for armies but for clashes between civilizations—the Greeks, Arabs, Mongols, and Tartars, and in more recent times, Britain and Russia. Now America must face a new enemy on this land—a land that for centuries has become a graveyard of empires past.

This first-ever complete military history of Afghanistan illuminates the broad historical context into which American forces have been drawn—a cautionary tale, perhaps, about the dangers that may lie ahead.

Author Biography: Stephen Tanner is a military historian and free-lance writer. His previous works include Epic Retreats: From 1776 to the Evacuation of Saigon and Refuge from the Reich: American Airmen and Switzerland During WWII. He lives in Long Island, New York.

FROM THE CRITICS

Choice - September 2003