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Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History
Ebook Free Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History
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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 16th century to the Taliban resurgence today. Thomas Barfield introduces listeners 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. He shows how governing these peoples was relatively easy when power was concentrated in a small dynastic elite, but how this delicate political order broke down in the 19th and 20th centuries when Afghanistan's rulers mobilized rural militias to expel first the British and later the Soviets.
Armed insurgency proved remarkably successful against the foreign occupiers, but it also undermined the Afghan government's authority and rendered the country ever more difficult to govern as time passed. Barfield vividly describes how Afghanistan's armed factions plunged the country into a civil war, giving rise to clerical rule by the Taliban and Afghanistan's isolation from the world. He examines why the American invasion in the wake of September 11 toppled the Taliban so quickly, and how this easy victory lulled the United States into falsely believing that a viable state could be built just as easily.
Afghanistan is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand how a land conquered and ruled by foreign dynasties for more than a thousand years became the "graveyard of empires" for the British and Soviets, and what the United States must do to avoid a similar fate.
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Audible Audiobook
Listening Length: 17 hours and 22 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Audible Studios
Audible.com Release Date: September 21, 2012
Whispersync for Voice: Ready
Language: English, English
ASIN: B009ECLAX6
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
I have not actually completed this book, and it probably improves after the introduction and first section, but I read the first book and got really annoyed at the cliches about Afghanistan and how the author explained the people through Western metaphors, so I stopped reading and bought a history of Afghanistan by an Afghan. Therefore, I either recommend not reading this book, or if according to knowledgeable reviewers it gets better, then I recommend skipping forward to wherever it gets better. Overall, though, I think Afghanistan is one of those countries which outsiders have historically misunderstood even when they try to understand, so in the case of this country I think it’s best to start out with a history of Afghanistan by an Afghan. Also, I didn’t get the feeling from the bit that I read that this was a university style scholarly book so it wouldn’t be much use as a reference either.
Barfield brings an extremely useful combination of skills to bear on his explanation of Afghanistan. In his concise account of Afghani history over the last few centuries he draws on the ability of the social anthropologist to give us the whys of belief, behaviour and process that help us understand the whats of events. He also has the refreshing ability to draw on the whole range of sources in these explanations, including specifically Islamic analyses. One of the best things about this book is the way it avoids the convenient-thinking trap of "eternal Afghanistan": the author can draw sharp distinctions between elements of vigorous continuity in Afghani history and culture, and elements of dramatic and irreversible change. For students of Afghanistan as The Graveyard Of Imperial Ambition, I would rank this as one of the two most useful books to read, the other being Gen. Skeen's 1932 "Lessons In Imperial Rule", a cheerfully brisk booots-on-the-ground military analysis of why military invaders were inevitably bound for grief.
This is the best book if you really want to understand what happened in Afghanistan. This starts with very ancient history and works towards the more modern. He does a great job of delivering a ton of information in a concise and easy to read way. Yes, this book is academic. This is a serious book on a serious subject. It isn't designed for a housewife to read on the beach. If you're really interested in learning about Afghanistan you will need this book. He knocks it out of the park.
After reading this book, I feel that I have a much better understanding of Afghanistan, especially of the way the past explains the present. The author writes without frills and is not, for example, William Dalrymple (I strongly recommend "Return of a king", about the first contacts between Europe and Afghanistan), but he clearly knows the country very well and is quite convincing.I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because, in my opinion, the "cultural" of the title is quite weak compared to the "political". This is a pity because the author condemns the attempts to impose western cultural values on the local populations. I think he's right, but this issue could have been better developed.
Fascinating read. Many times you wonder about the countries that we hear about in the news and to completely understand the back-story it is important to pick up a book like this one.To call Afghanistan backward would be improper; to call them out of date would be accurate. The author takes is through the turmoil that the country has dealt with for nearly 3 centuries. The conquers and those that the people defeated.In the end you come out with a deep respect for these people but wonder what is the best course of action to take. Should the US support this country with troops and financial aid or would it be best to back out and allow the country to do what it has always done.The author makes the process much more convoluted when he clearly shows his bias against President Bush near the end of the book. He clearly does not appreciate the near complete withdrawal of troops after the defeat of the Taliban but then makes it clear that the problems that have arisen in the aftermath are issues that only Afghanistan can correct...so which is it?The fact that this country has so much potential and growth makes it a country to continue to watch for years to come.
A must read for any soldier or statesmen serving in AFGHANISTAN. An incredible historical account that puts all my observations in perspective. Young politically ambitious Afghans should read this book. It does not have the answers but certainly provides sound and logical advice. I personally knew that the rural Afghan seeks greater autonomy in his daily affairs and how actions by GIRoA to govern this rural constituency were counter productive. Still a tough problem, but this book offers not only suggestions, but much hope for the future. WELL DONE!!!!
Afghanistan is a notoriously complex country with a notoriously complex history. Barfield has done a fantastic job of presenting a balanced overview of its history. At times, my head spun as I tried to keep the long cast of characters straight, but when I finished I felt like I had a better grasp on Afghanistan than when I started.If I had to make a light criticism, I would say that the first half of the book is a bit tougher to read because it deals in demographics and geography. It reminded me a bit of of the early sections of Louis Dupree's book, Afghanistan.The book's biggest strength is the history of Afghanistan since 1901. (I felt like it was the most relevant part to understanding the US effort there.) Since 1901, every Afghan leader has been either killed or exiled. I thought that was a striking piece of information given the US's contentious relationship with President Karzai.I give the book five starts and a must read for anyone interested in the US effort in Afghanistan. For people who follow Afghanistan very closely, some of it will be a review, but I suspect Afghan watchers of all levels of expertise will benefit from reading this book.
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