Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #917802 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 310 pages

Review
'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.' --BBC Persian Service

'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'. --History Today

'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' --Sydney Morning Herald

About the Author
Angelo Rasanayagam was Chief of Mission for the UN in Iran and a number of other countries, before becoming Director of the UNHCR office in Peshawar, Pakistan. He now lives in Geneva.

Customer Reviews

A fascinating book, well researched and documented
A. Rasanayagam's book, although a work of considerable scholarship, reads like a novel. It is packed with the kind of relevant detail that gives coherence to the events and episodes described by putting them in context.As an example, the rivalries and fears of two expanding empires,Russia and Britain, resulted in the creation of Afghanistan as a buffer state in Central Asia. Another insight is given in the chapter on the prelude to the Soviet invasion, based on transcripts of the Soviet Politburo, casting doubts on the widely accepted idea that this act was just another blatant manifestation of Soviet expansionist aims.
The book is well-written and well organized, with a chronologically-arranged narrative structure that makes it an easy read.Each chapter is practically free-standing so the reader does not have to refer back to earlier chapters.
This book gives invaluable insights on a country very much on the headlines to any reader interested in world affairs, as much of what is described is of great contemporary relevance.