Afghanistan: Land of Conflict and Beauty

John Griffiths delves into the history, culture, social fabric, internal politics and economy of this intriguing and backward country. He reveals a nation living in the shadow of perpetual conflict: from the early incursions (Persian, Greek, and Hun Mongol) through the Russian invasion and subsequent withdrawal, to the rise of the Taliban and the resulting international crisis which led to the War on Terror and the ongoing Allied occupation of the country. Set against Afghanistan's deep-rooted religious, ethnic and social divisions and the more recent bitter civil war that left as many as 2 million Afghans dead and over 6 million homeless, Griffiths examines the political situation, in particular the role of the Taliban - who controlled approximately 90 per cent of the country before the war - under their fanatical and reclusive leader. He analyses their stance on minority groups, the importance of Islam, the place of women in Taliban society, their views on education and their support for the Islamic fundamentalist Osama bin Laden. He also discusses the difficulties that the West has and will continue to face when attempting to impose law and order on a country which has as its core a collection of diverse, independent and proud people, and stresses the importance of ultimately creating stability in what is becoming a vitally important strategic and political flashpoint. Fully updated, "Afghanistan: Land of Conflict and Beauty" provides an insightful and informative account of a country trapped between the middle ages and the twentieth-first century.

Table of Contents:
Preface; Introduction; 1. Fulcrum of Empires; 2. The Great Game; 3. Pushtunistan Unjast; 4. Who Are the Afghans?; 5. Before the Civil War; 6. Earning a Living - pre-1979; 7. Red to Move; 8. Experiments in Democracy; 9. Coups Sans Surprise; 10. The Bear Burns its Paws; 11. Fighters For God?; 12. The Last Marxist and Others; 13. The Taliban Phenomenon; 14. The Fourth Horseman; 15. Inconclusive Conclusions; Reading List; Index.

About the Author :
John C. Griffiths is a journalist who writes for numerous newspapers including the Daily Telegraph, the Financial Times and the Sunday Times. He has written 12 books (four about Afghanistan), and has visited virtually every part of Afghanistan including the remote north-east. He is also a broadcaster, businessman and politician. He lives in Gloucestershire.

Review :
Essential reading for anyone who seeks to understand the problems of Afghanistan. --Defence Journal