- 320 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
About this book
Since September 11th, 2001, Afghanistan has dominated the news, as it did for a long time during the Soviet occupation two decades ago, and long before, when, in the 19th and early 20th century, its mountain ranges formed the backdrop to the Great Game. In the Western imagination it is one of the most romantic, as well as harsh, beautiful and dangerous places on earth. Squeezed as it is between four empires – Russia, China, India and Persia – its tortured history provides and extraordinary glimpse into the patterns of world movements. Today Afghanistan sits at the pivotal point of a region where a new Great Game is taking shape for the War on Terror and control of the oil-rich steppes of Central Asia.
Angelo Rasanayagam's magisterial work – the fruit of personal experience as well as years of scholarship – is the first major history of modern Afghanistan. It traces the country's development from the accession of Abdul Rahman Khan, the 'Iron Amir' in the 1889, right up to the demise of the Taliban under US bombing over the winter of 2001, and the search for a new state structure in 2002. Of vital importance for understanding the country's current crisis, it will be essential reading for historians, policy makers, journalists, students, and all those interested in the state of the world today.
"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."
Baqer Moin, Head of the Persian Service, BBC.
"Excellent – a veritable textbook, and a reference source for anyone interested in Afghanistan"
Dr. Thomas Withington, Jane's Intelligence Review and King's College, London.
"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, Producer for the Eurasian Region, BBC
Angelo Rasanayagam's magisterial work – the fruit of personal experience as well as years of scholarship – is the first major history of modern Afghanistan. It traces the country's development from the accession of Abdul Rahman Khan, the 'Iron Amir' in the 1889, right up to the demise of the Taliban under US bombing over the winter of 2001, and the search for a new state structure in 2002. Of vital importance for understanding the country's current crisis, it will be essential reading for historians, policy makers, journalists, students, and all those interested in the state of the world today.
"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."
Baqer Moin, Head of the Persian Service, BBC.
"Excellent – a veritable textbook, and a reference source for anyone interested in Afghanistan"
Dr. Thomas Withington, Jane's Intelligence Review and King's College, London.
"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, Producer for the Eurasian Region, BBC
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Yes, you can access Afghanistan by Angelo Rasanayagam in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & 20th Century History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Contents
- Foreword by Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Maps
- Introduction: The Origins
- 1. The 'Iron Amir': Abdm Rahman Khan (1880-1901) The Afghan Monarchy
- 3. Daoud's Modernization Programme and the Pashtll11istan Issue (1953-63)
- 4. The Democratic Experiment (1963-73)
- 5. The Abolition of the Monarchy and the Daoud Presidency (1973-7 8)
- 6. The 'Sam Revolution' 0978- 79)
- 7. Prelude to the Soviet Invasion
- 8. The Sovietization of Afghanistan (1979-89)
- 9. Pakistan, the United States and the Afghan Resistance
- 10. The Geneva Accords and the Soviet Withdrawal
- 11. The Fragmentation of Afghanistan
- 12. Afghan Buzkashi: The Players and the Stakes (1989-98)
- 13. Regional and International Reactions and Repercussions
- 14 Pakistan and the T aliban
- 15. The Withered State (1996-2001)
- 16. Holy War, Unholy Terror
- 17. Winning a War, BUilding the Peace
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index