Taliban: The Story of the Afghan Warlords (Islam, Oil and the New Great Game in Central Asia) - Softcover

AHMAD RASHID

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0330492217 ISBN 13: 9780330492218

Publisher: Pan Macmillan, 2001

Synopsis

The definitive account of the history of the Taliban and its uncertain future. This is the book that Tony Blair and Alistair Campbell consulted to gain a better impression of the unique circumstances of the Taliban. An exploration of the overwhelming complexity of Afghan politics, The Taliban: The Story behind the Afghan Warlords explains how it came in to being, how it is sustained and how Osama bin Laden has risen to such a figure of absolute power. Ahmed Rashid clarifies the often confusing racial and religious tensions that dominate this fractious land. And describes why the drug trade has exacerbated an already untenable situation. Rashid argues that Taliban is incapable of reform, and that, in the current crisis, it may implode due to defections. With the Northern Alliance an unpredictable alternative, Rashid concludes that without a multi-tribal government in which bordering states do not seek predominant influence, there will never be peace. 'Read this remarkable book and the bewildering complexity of Afghan politics and the deadly over-spill of chaos, narcotics and sectarian violence into the surrounding region will become clear.' Patrick Seale, Sunday Times 'Ahmed Rashid's book describes the stuff that Bond [films] are made of. Warring tribes, clashing empires, fanatics with dreams of world domination, violence and sex . If anyone understands the place Rashid does.' Jason Burke, Observer

About this title

Review

This is the single best book available on the Taliban, the fundamentalist Islamic regime in Afghanistan responsible for harboring the terrorist Osama bin Laden. Ahmed Rashid is a Pakistani journalist who has spent most of his career reporting on the region--he has personally met and interviewed many of the Taliban's shadowy leaders. Taliban was written and published before the massacres of September 11, 2001, yet it is essential reading for anyone who hopes to understand the aftermath of that black day. It includes details on how and why the Taliban came to power, the government's oppression of ordinary citizens (especially women), the heroin trade, oil intrigue, and--in a vitally relevant chapter--bin Laden's sinister rise to power. These pages contain stories of mass slaughter, beheadings, and the Taliban's crushing war against freedom: under Mullah Omar, it has banned everything from kite flying to singing and dancing at weddings. Rashid is for the most part an objective reporter, though his rage sometimes (and understandably) comes to the surface: "The Taliban were right, their interpretation of Islam was right, and everything else was wrong and an expression of human weakness and a lack of piety," he notes with sarcasm. He has produced a compelling portrait of modern evil. --John Miller

About the Author

Ahmed Rashid has been a correspondent for the Far Eastern Economic Review and the Daily Telegraph for more than twenty years, reporting on Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. He appears regularly on international TV and radio networks such as CNN and BBC World. He lives in Lahore, Pakistan, with his wife and two children.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0330492217
• ISBN 13: 9780330492218
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 200