In the graveyard of empires : [America's war in Afghanistan]

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Title:

In the graveyard of empires : [America's war in Afghanistan]

Author:

Jones, Seth G., 1972- author.

Hughes, William, 1957-

Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Summary:

Following the September 11 attacks, the United States successfully overthrew the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The U.S. established security throughout the country-- killing, capturing, or scattering most of al Qa'ida's senior operatives-- and Afghanistan finally began to emerge from more than two decades of struggle and conflict. But, Jones argues, that as early as 2001, planning for the Iraq War siphoned resources and personnel, undermining the gains that had been made. Jones introduces us to key figures on both sides of the war. He then analyzes the insurgency from a historical and structural point of view, showing how a rising drug trade, poor security forces, and pervasive corruption undermined the Karzai government, while Americans abandoned a successful strategy, failed to provide the necessary support, and allowed a growing sanctuary for insurgents in Pakistan to catalyze the Taliban resurgence.

General Note:

Unabridged.

Compact discs.

Physical Description:

11 sound discs (13 hr.) : digital ; 4 3/4 in.

Genre:

Audiobooks.

Corporate Subject:

Taliban.

Subject Term:

Afghan War, 2001-

Counterinsurgency -- Afghanistan.

Geographic Term:

Afghanistan -- Politics and government -- 2001-

Author(s):

Hughes, William, 1957-

Added Corporate Author:

Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Publisher:

Blackstone Audio,

Publication Date:

2010

ISBN:

9781441769749

9781441769756

Publication Information:

[Ashland, Or.] : Blackstone Audio, p2010.

Call Number:

CDB 958.104 JONES

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607002654021	Adult Nonfiction Books on CDs	958.104 JONES	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

This definitive account of the American experience in Afghanistan is a political history of Afghanistan in the "Age of Terror" from 2001 to 2009, exploring the fundamental tragedy of America's longest war since Vietnam. After the swift defeat of the Taliban in 2001, American optimism has steadily evaporated in the face of mounting violence; a new "war of a thousand cuts" has brought the country to its knees. After a brief survey of the great empires in Afghanistan, Seth G. Jones examines the central question of our own war: how did an insurgency develop? Following September 11, the United States successfully overthrew the Taliban regime. It established security throughout the country, and Afghanistan finally began to emerge from more than two decades of conflict. But Jones argues that, as early as 2001, planning for the Iraq War siphoned off resources and talented personnel, undermining the gains that had been made. After eight years, the United States had pushed al-Qaeda's headquarters about one hundred miles across the border into Pakistan.While observing the tense, often adversarial relationship between NATO allies in the Coalition, Jones introduces us to key figures on both sides of the war. Using important new research and integrating thousands of declassified government documents, Jones analyzes the insurgency from a historical and structural point of view, showing how a rising drug trade, poor security forces, and pervasive corruption undermined the Karzai government, while Americans abandoned a successful strategy, failed to provide the necessary support, and allowed a growing sanctuary for insurgents in Pakistan to catalyze the Taliban resurgence. Examining what has worked thus far--and what has not--this serious and important book underscores the challenges we face in stabilizing the country and explains where we went wrong and what we must do to avoid the disastrous fate that has befallen many of the great world powers to enter the region.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Since 2001, RAND Corporation political scientist Jones (The Rise of European Security Cooperation) has been observing the reinvigorated insurgency in Afghanistan and weighing the potency of its threat to the country's future and American interests in the region. Jones finds the roots of the re-emergence in the expected areas: the deterioration of security after the ousting of the Taliban regime in 2002, the U.S.'s focus on Iraq as its foreign policy priority and Pakistan's role as a haven for insurgents. He revisits Afghan history, specifically the invasions by the British in the mid- and late-19th century and the Russians in the late-20th to rue how little the U.S. has learned from these two previous wars. He sheds light on why Pakistan-a consistent supporter of the Taliban-continues to be a key player in the region's future. Jones makes important arguments for the inclusion of local leaders, particularly in rural regions, but his diligent panorama of the situation fails to consider whether the war in Afghanistan is already lost. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Library Journal Review

Political scientist Jones's (RAND Corporation) groundbreaking, detailed account of American involvement in Afghanistan from the Soviet invasion of 1979 through 2009 is finally available on audio. Drawing from declassified documents and interviews with military, political, and national security experts, Jones holds that the United States followed the same failed path taken in Afghanistan by both Britain and the former Soviet Union. The chapter outlining the theoretical basis for insurgency is particularly enlightening. Voice-over artist William Hughes does an excellent job of presenting this important work, a definitive account of perhaps the most questionable American military and foreign policy exercise since Vietnam. Essential listening for all.-Stephen Hupp, West Virginia Univ. Parkersburg Lib. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.