AFGHANISTAN

In this broad introductory volume, Ralph Magnus and Eden Naby detail Afghanistan's physical situation, human environment, and modern history, as well as the rise and fall of competing internal forces, most recently the Taliban. The authors offer analytical insight into Afghanistan's political position within the restructured Central Asian region, the ethnic relationships that complicate its political history, and the potential for stability.

Ralph H. Magnus is the coordinator of Middle Eastern Studies at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey. He is a former assistant cultural attaché of the American embassy in Kabul.

A scholar of ethnic culture and politics, Eden Naby has resided throughout Central Asia. She has served on the faculties of Harvard University, Columbia University, the University of Massachusetts, and the University of Wisconsin.