books about: afghanistan

books about: afghanistan

books:

Afghanistan

Khaled Hosseini

Riverhead, 2007

Overwhelming
I first listened to CD's of this book on a very long and boring car trip. Of course I had already read and immensely enjoyed The Kite Runner. Well, this is even better, although somewhat more harrowing. It shares the same elegance of writing style, surprising, when one ...

One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer

Nathaniel C. Fick

Mariner Books, 2006

Outstanding read for warriors and civilians alike
In a time when many people already consider the war in Iraq pure hubris and stretching of muscles by a superpower gone mad, it is refreshing indeed to read true, honest stories from the men who fought the war. The good intentions, the fears, the disappointments and ...

The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century

Steve Coll

Penguin Press HC, The, 2008

Amaze your friends on how much you know about the Bin Ladens!
I started reading this book mainly because the author is a pulz prize winner. I started it back in April. Mind you I am a slow reader but this is one that I can't put down. I remember after 9/11 hearing that the Bin Laden family had been flown out the next day or so by ...

Shantaram: A Novel

Gregory David Roberts

St. Martin's Griffin, 2005

A great book
I read Shantaram about a year ago and hands down it is the best book I read all year, maybe in the past five years. It is really memorable. The prison scenes, life in Mumbai, the characters, stay alive long after I stopped reading. The book is long, but I never ...

Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and ...

Ahmed Rashid

Viking Adult, 2008

A deeply troubling book
Ahmed Rashid has long been a leading expert on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Muslim states of Central Asia that were once part of the Soviet Union. In 2000, the year before 9/11, he published 'Taliban', a book which politicians rushed to read after the attack on the ...

The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini

Riverhead Trade, 2004

Living In Afghanistan
The Kite Runner is a very well written novel that portrays the hardships of life growing up in the floundering world of war-time Afghanistan. Khaled Hosseini uses perfect imagery and truth to show the reader the world of his childhood. He describes everything, even (or ...

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

Marcus Luttrell

Back Bay Books, 2008

Lone Survivor
Lone Survivor should be a must read for every American. I bought 3 more books for friends to read. The sacrifice, discipline and attitude of the Navy Seal in the book really made me realize how lucky we are to have people like him serving our Country. His first hand ...

Kill Bin Laden: A Delta Force Commander's Account of the Hunt for the World's Most Wanted Man

Dalton Fury

St. Martin's Press, 2008

An exceptional, superb, first hand account by the team leader of US Army Special Forces Detachment Delta
It is rare that readers are provided a first hand, accurate, contemporary, non politically constrained account of a major special operation by US Army Special Forces Detachment Delta. Many organizations claim the title, "special operations;" it takes more than a ...

Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September ...

Steve Coll

Penguin (Non-Classics), 2004

Execellent Book -
Don't let the size of this book scare you - it is accurate and full of great information! I know some people who were close to the information and say it is very accurate - Enjoy - Jan Simpson

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin

Penguin (Non-Classics), 2007

Amazing....
I will only repeat what so many have said before me; this story is simply amazing and most of all, humbling. It reiterates a point made by so many people working in developing countries; education (especially of girls) is the key to eradicating terrorism, combating ...

The Wasted Vigil

Nadeem Aslam

Knopf, 2008

exquisite
Nadeem Aslam has woven exquisite beauty out of great tragedy. It is easy to fall into despair when dealing with the last 30 years of Afghanistan's history, yet Aslam not only navigates away from despair, he imbues this tragedy with both delicate beauty - both human and ...

The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East

Robert Fisk

Vintage, 2007

well worth the weight
I opened this one Christmas, and thought, here's one that I'll never get to. That is until I actually opened it and started reading. Like many "journalistic" histories this book does jump around a bit, and there were sections I "blip-read", but this is the first ...

First In: An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan

Gary Schroen

Presidio Press, 2007

A very informative view of CIA in Afganistan
After watching an interview with Gary Shroen on FOX TV, I knew this was going to be an interesting read. It is a very good description of the CIA spearhead into the war against Osama Bin Laden. "First In" leaves the reader with an understanding of how the CIA works ...

Winter in Kandahar

Steven E. Wilson

Hailey-Grey Books, 2003

Great Read!!
I REALLY enjoyed this novel and would rate it up there with some of my favorite all-time entertaining books like The Day of the Jackal and The Firm. I'm a former business major, but I found the scientific part about the new type of virus weapon understandable and ...

Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia

Ahmed Rashid

Yale University Press, 2001

All about religion and Mullah Omar fundamentalism ...
If you want to understand Afghanistan latest history, this is a great choice. The narrative is center on the Talibans of course, how this group was invented after the end of the cold war and after fighting against the Soviets in a united front known as the Mujaheddin. ...