Afghanistan: A Modern History - Tapa dura

BBC Persian Service: "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." History Today: "This is 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". Sydney Morning Herald: "if you want an insider's interpretation of modern Afghanistan (and one that is remarkably free from one-sided ideology), this is an excellent primer." "fascinating book"

Since 11th September, Afganistan has dominated the news, as it often did during the Soviet occupation (1979-89). But even in the 19th and early 20th centuries, when its mountain ranges provided the arena where much of the Great Game was played out, Afganistan was the focal point of East-West relations. Squeezed between four empires - Russia, China, India and Persia - it has a tortured history that provides an extraordinary glimpse ointo the patterns of world movements. Today Afghanistan sits at the pivot of a region where a new Great Game is taking shape as the US positions itself into becoming a major player in Central Asia. This modern history of Afghanistan is aimed at historians, policy makers and all those interested in the state of the world today.