Until you’ve consumed all of the best Afghanistan books, can you even claim to be a true fan?
- Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History (Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics) (2012)
- Afghanistan in Kashmir & other stories (2019)
- Games without Rules: The Often-Interrupted History of Afghanistan (2014)
- Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan (2019)
- Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the War against the Taliban (2009)
- Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 (2004)
- I See the Sun in Afghanistan (3) (2011)
- Najiba: A Love Story from Afghanistan (2019)
- Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan (2017)
- No Way Out: A Story of Valor in the Mountains of Afghanistan (2012)
- Afghanistan: A Russian Soldier’s Story (2001)
- The Wars of Afghanistan: Messianic Terrorism, Tribal Conflicts, and the Failures of Great Powers (2013)
- Afghanistan: A Memoir From Brooklyn to Kabul (2019)
- First In: An Insider’s Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan (2006)
Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History (Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics) (2012)
Afghanistan traces the historic struggles and the changing nature of political authority in this volatile region of the world, from the Mughal Empire in the sixteenth century to the Taliban resurgence today. Thomas Barfield introduces readers to the bewildering diversity of tribal and ethnic groups in Afghanistan, explaining what unites them as Afghans despite the regional, cultural, and political differences that divide them.
Afghanistan in Kashmir & other stories (2019)
Afghanistan in Kashmir & other stories are based on some real life experiences of the author in Kashmir. While many characters in these stories represent real persons in author’s life, a few have been created around the narration of some real life incidents.
Games without Rules: The Often-Interrupted History of Afghanistan (2014)
Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America’s Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan (2019)
Longlisted for the 2018 National Book Award for NonfictionFrom the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Ghost Wars, the epic and enthralling story of America’s intelligence, military, and diplomatic efforts to defeat Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan since 9/11Prior to 9/11, the United States had been carrying out small-scale covert operations in Afghanistan, ostensibly in cooperation, although often in direct opposition, with I.S.I., the Pakistani intelligence agency.
Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the War against the Taliban (2009)
For over 2,500 years, the forbidding territory of Afghanistan has served as a vital crossroads for armies and has witnessed history-shaping clashes between civilizations: Greek, Arab, Mongol, and Tartar, and, in more recent times, British, Russian, and American. When U.S. troops entered Afghanistan in the weeks following September 11, 2001, they overthrew the Afghan Taliban regime and sent the terrorists it harbored on the run.
Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 (2004)
To what extent did America’s best intelligence analysts grasp the rising thread of Islamist radicalism? Who tried to stop bin Laden and why did they fail? Comprehensively and for the first time, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll recounts the history of the covert wars in Afghanistan that fueled Islamic militancy and sowed the seeds of the September 11 attacks.
I See the Sun in Afghanistan (3) (2011)
Through the eyes of a child, I See the Sun in Afghanistan portrays a culture that emphasizes patriarchal family, love of country and fierce loyalty to family and tribe. Although the story takes place against the backdrop of war, it is not political, but a simple story about one day in the life of a young girl. After waking before dawn, Habiba and her sister go out to fetch water.
Najiba: A Love Story from Afghanistan (2019)
Just weeks after the devastation of September 11, 2001, the media splashed John Weaver's face across TV screens as an aid worker serving on the front line of Afghanistan's civil war. Among the few Americans born in Kabul before the Soviet invasion, Jeanne Bonner returned to her birthplace after 9/11, committed to serve the Afghan people. Neither was searching for love and marriage. But God had His own plans.
Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan (2017)
“In Fool’s Errand, Scott Horton masterfully explains the tragedy of America’s longest war and makes the case for immediate withdrawal. I highly recommend this excellent book on America’s futile and self-defeating occupation of Afghanistan.” — Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistleblower and author of The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner“The real story of the disastrous U.S.
No Way Out: A Story of Valor in the Mountains of Afghanistan (2012)
In a remote, enemy-held valley in Afghanistan, a Special Forces team planned to scale a steep mountain to surprise and capture a terrorist leader. But before they found the target, the target found them… The team was caught in a deadly ambush that not only threatened their lives, but the entire mission.
Afghanistan: A Russian Soldier’s Story (2001)
In 1984 Tamarov, then 19, was drafted into the Soviet Army and posted to Afghanistan where he spent 20 months in a minesweeper outfit.
The Wars of Afghanistan: Messianic Terrorism, Tribal Conflicts, and the Failures of Great Powers (2013)
As Ambassador and Special Envoy on Afghanistan from 1989 to 1992, Peter Tomsen has had close relationships with Afghan leaders and has dealt with senior Taliban, warlords, and religious leaders involved in the region's conflicts over the last two decades. Now Tomsen draws on a rich trove of never-before-published material to shed new light on the American involvement in the long and continuing Afghan war.
Afghanistan: A Memoir From Brooklyn to Kabul (2019)
After having visions of a strange land since childhood, Cat Parenti left New York and headed for the rugged landscape of Afghanistan, which felt like time traveling to the 12th century. There she fell in love with the people, the culture, and a tall, dark stranger.In book one of this sweeping two-volume memoir, Cat takes you on an unforgettable journey of full immersion into the sights, sounds, smells, food, rituals and beliefs of the people she came to know and love in this far off land.
First In: An Insider’s Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan (2006)
While America held its breath in the days immediately following 9/11, a small but determined group of CIA agents covertly began to change history. This is the riveting first-person account of the treacherous top-secret mission inside Afghanistan to set the stage for the defeat of the Taliban and launch the war on terror.As thrilling as any novel, is a uniquely intimate look at a mission that began the U.S.
Best Afghanistan Books You Must Read
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some afghanistan books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Run to the Sound of the Guns: The True Story of an American Ranger at War in Afghanistan and Iraq
Author(s): Nicholas Moore, Mir Bahmanyar
ID: 2394002, Publisher: Osprey Publishing, Year: 29 Nov 2018, Size: 43 Mb, Format: epub
Losing Afghanistan: The Fall of Kabul And The End of Western Intervention
Author(s): Brian Brivati
ID: 3226653, Publisher: Biteback Publishing Ltd, Year: 2022, Size: 530 Kb, Format: epub
The Comrades and the Mullahs : China , Afghanistan and the New Asian Geopolitics
Author(s): Stanly Johny, Ananth Krishnan
ID: 3228725, Publisher: HarperCollins, Year: 2022, Size: 743 Kb, Format: epub
Please note that this booklist is not errorless. Some books are absolutely best-sellers according to Washington Post, others are written by unknown writers. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant books you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.