Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the War against the Taliban Kindle Edition

No one has conquered and been able to control all of Afganistan. And countries don't learn that lesson. Alexander the Great, the Persians, Ghengis Khan, the Brits, the Soviets, the U.S. All can easily invade and dominate cities and some roads, but the mountain tribes are made up of diverse ethnic groups and are fiercely independent, and no one dominates them, at least not everywhere and not for long. I thought this was great history and I thought it was highly respectful of the Afgan people and their will to govern themselves. Unhappily, it was a territory of strategic importance for so long that others sought to control it for their political, religious or colonial purposes. This is a good read if you want to understand that place and the ongoing conflict there in a broader historical perspective.

History books can be extremely boring, all dates and names jumbling into a brain-numbing mess. Tanner's work is a happy exception. Starting with Alexander the Great and moving to the early days of the America's entrance in the war, Tanner walks the reader through a land where the geography and culture, more than any other place, change the rules of warfare. It was fascinating, to see how the land shaped events, to see how men and empires suddenly change course when confronted with the rugged, harsh ways of Afghanistan. I found this book enthralling and I highly recommend.

The author tells the tragic tale of the series of armies that have tried to conquer a country which is difficult beyond the power of armies and where high tech weapons are the least effective, even counter effective tools. Very sad, very much worth reading.

The problem with military histories, as with action films, is that they tend to be tedious--endless accounts of blunders, bloodshed and futile justifications for the worst impulses of human history. This book sends one clear message though-"Don't mess with the Afghans--it's like trying to kiss a rattlesnake." The baddest conquerers in ancient history from Alexander the Great to Ghengis Khan all crashed on the rocky island of Afghanistan. For me the book was personally meaningful in that one of the many actors on this crowded stage was Sir William McNaughton--my Grandfather nine generations past. He was like Hunter Thompson hanging with the Hells Angels--well-meaning, clueless and tragi-comic. Unable to comprehend the brutish intrigues of the Afghans, who understandably hated their invaders, McNaughton, the British, the Russians and now, the USA, became fatally enmeshed in wars they had no business fighting. Low-rent or not, the Afghans, like the Swiss, want to be left alone. We are and should be leaving soon--let's invest our capital there and enjoy the new ski lodges that are sure to pop up.[After a stop at the tourist beaches of Vietnam on the way!] A good read--lean and mean, like the Afghans!

This book is a must read for those who are interested in Afghanistan's war torn history or for those who find themselves deploying to Afghanistan as a civilian or member of the armed forces. The book is well-written, well-researched, and very detailed giving outstanding insight into the culture of the people as well as the mistakes that those who have tried to conquer Afghanistan made. The book does not just inform the reader on Afghanistan but ties in other areas, both ancient and present, that have affected Afghanistan.The only drawback to this book is that it is very easy to get lost in the names of the key players and the names of the ancient areas, especially if you are not familiar with these areas before picking up the book. I think it helps to have an ancient map next to you so that you can follow where Alexander and the Mongols were maneuvering. There are maps in the book but it is difficult to have to keep going back and forth from the map to the page you are currently reading (especially on a Kindle).Finally, the author ends the book with a piece of advice about his opinion on what needs to be done in order to restore peace to Afghanistan. This book was worth picking up and I enjoyed reading it.

No one can hope to understand the conflict in the Middle East, specifically Afghanistan without first reading this astounding historical tome by Stephen Tanner. The first thing I have to say is the rare combination of historian and writer makes this work easy to read and very difficult to put down. Stephen Tanner takes us right back to Alexander The Great, Genghis Khan then through to modern America and it's continuous bungling of the Middle East conflict. If only President Bush had read the history of the Middle East before pursuing blindly the rhetoric in his mind, we probably wouldn't be in such a mess today. And yet, the author stays quite unbiased in his storytelling, except when necessary.This book should be in every high school in America definitely, and possibly in all schools around the globe.This is the book I've been wanting to read since September 11.

Story teller Stephen Tanner has done a fine job of presenting Afghanistan history. It a good read that keeps your interest while telling the story of empire building and collapsing in and around Afghanistan. A good overview of the big picture while giving enough details to make the history interesting. Many of the ancient battles come alive displaying strategy and audacity.

Well written and now I fully understand why so many great nations have gone there to conquer and left with their tails between their legs.

Thanks for the book.

excellant

An good read and informative.

It was enjoyable but at times I would lose interest and hurry to the next chapter