Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24841 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

From the Back Cover
'This is an impressive and eminently readable analysis of the Taliban movement. The author is especially well-placed, having covered Afghanistan for two decades and having direct access to policy-makers in Pakistan, Iran and Central Asia. It would be hard to see how anyone could rival this account: it bids well to be the leading book on the subject.' Professor Fred Halliday, London School of Economics

The presence of Osama bin Laden and his terrorist bases in Afghanistan has brought the Taliban into sharp focus as the most radical and extreme Islamist movement in the world today. Little is known about the Taliban because of the deep secrecy that surrounds the organization, its leaders and aims. The Taliban has attracted fascination and loathing, controversy and fear both in the Muslim world and the West.

The geo-strategic implications of Taliban expansion are already creating severe instability in Russia and Central Asia. The Taliban has become a major player in the new 'Great Game' - harking back to the late-nineteenth-century British and Russian confrontation in the region - involving competition between Wester oil companies, manupulation from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran, and covert operations by the CIA. The prize: access to the new oil fields and transit routes for oil pipelines, not to mention the allure - for some - of the narcotics trade. Ahmed Rashid, who has been reporting on Afghanistan since 1979, is one of the few international journalists to have interviewed the Taliban leaders. Taliban sheds new light on a shadowy movement which poses a real threat to world peace.

Ahmed Rashid is the Pakistan, Central Asia and Afghanistan correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and the Far Eastern Economic Review. He also broadcasts regularly with the BBC, CNN and other international news organizations.

Customer Reviews

A brilliant piece of work !!
A truly informative book. Ahmad Rashid has managed to cover every aspect of the Afghan crises, and in his analysis managed to bring up the view point of every single party to the conflict but still managed to stay amazingly unbiased. Both between the various countries involved in the crises since the Soviet invasion and between different Mujahideen groups fighting for control over Afghanistan since the end of the war.

Before reading this book I thought I knew a fair bit about the Afghan issue. I always did consider the issue as one of the main forces to determine the future of the whole of Asia, but this book has given me an insight into realities and possibilities I had no idea of.

It shows how much time and effort the author has put into the region, and how he has a deep love and affection for the ordinary people of the land. As he has a wide understanding and awareness of the whole Afghan problem and all the relating and influencing issues from the strong history of the land to the currant political, strategic and economic motives of the neighbouring and regional countries plus America. I only wish the book was slightly more up to date as I would like to know what effect, if any, the change of govt (the military take over) has had on the Pakistani approach to the issue. Plus the effect of the Sanctions applied on the Taliban (but not the opposition alliance). But I'm sure these topics would be covered in Ahmad Rashid's new book: Taliban : Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia , which came out after I had started reading this one, so I guess I'll be getting that too.

Essential reading for the what and the why of the Taliban
Absolutely excellent book - and could hardly be more timely, nor more essential as background reading on the most important events many of us have lived through.

I knew not a lot about the Taliban and the complexities of the Afghan power struggle before I read this.. Rashid's explanation of every faction has lifted several veils from my eyes.

I was particularly interested by his discussion of the roles played by the colonial super-powers in trying to get or prevent the oil pipelines crossing Central Asia. The graveyard of the Soviet push to remain a super-power of course, Afghanistan has dealt harshly with every force that has tried to monster it. The great game is still being played out from the Khyber Pass to the Hindu Kush and Rashid's book is an essential reference for the (very) concerned spectator. High marks from this reviewer.

Brilliant overview of the Taliban & colonialism
This book covers the taliban issue from three angles: 1 - the origins of the taliban which is about the end of the soviet afghan war, the CIA and pakistani ISI backing the mujahideen, and the initial pakistani ISI backing of the Taliban. 2 - The taliban's understanding of Islam, this part covers the connections with the Deobandi madrassas in Pakistan and the Wahabi/salafi movement in Saudi Arabia. 3 - finally it covers the Colonialists(US and Russia) game for control over the region so that perhaps a pipeline for oil can be built to transport oil from the central asian republics to Pakistan, Turkey or Iran. In this part it gives detailed analysis on the interests and activities of Taliban and the Foreign governments e.g. How Unocal lobbied the US government to recognise Taliban and how Russia funded the opposition factions so that fighting would continue and the interested oil companies would leave. Ahmed Rashid's book has produced a detailed picture of the reality that unfortunately spells out the extent of the devastation in the region which has resulted from the failure of the Taliban, Pakistan and others. Furthermore he exposes the Taliban's tribal nature which contradicts Islam and their political naivety which has landed them in the quagmire that is present day Afghanistan. However, I don't agree with the current thought that only the US can solve afghanistan's problem. Rather this for the muslims to resolve, after all the US has spectacularly messed up in this region already due to her ever changing interests. If the muslims adopt the correct thought and method from Islam without getting muddled in tribal or other issues it very possible for them to resolve this and other issues that they face today.