Historical Dictionary of Afghan Wars, Revolutions and Insurgencies (Volume 30) (Historical Dictionaries of War, Revolution, and Civil Unrest, 30) - Hardcover

Adamec, Ludwig W.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810849488 ISBN 13: 9780810849488

Publisher: Scarecrow Press, 2005

Synopsis

Since its foundation in 1747, Afghanistan has seen seemingly limitless wars waged by the central government to consolidate its control over the country as well as rampant tribal warfare. There have been three Anglo-Afghan Wars (1839-42, 1878-79 and 1919); a Russian-backed Marxist government in Kabul battled a coalition of tribal armies, which was soon followed by the Taliban takeover. Now, in the midst of a war against terrorism, the United States is backing another central government in yet another sporadic struggle.

All the information currently available on the endless chain of wars stretching over two and a half centuries is traced in this book. It consists of the American involvement in Afghanistan since October 2001 as well as individual campaigns, including tactics and logistics of skirmishes, the weapons used, and biographical entries on the significant leaders involved in the battles. Extensive analysis of regional and ideological divisions within the country and the external forces that have brought around conflict in this remote, mountainous region, in addition to a chronology of the encounters, an extensive bibliography, and numerous maps and illustrations make this crucial volume indispensable.

About this title

About the Author:

Ludwig W. Adamec is a professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Arizona and has been director of its Near Eastern Center for ten years. Widely known as a leading authority on Afghanistan, he is the author of a number of reference works on Afghanistan and books on Afghan history, foreign policy, and international relations, including: Afghanistan 1900-1923: A Diplomatic History; Afghanistan's Foreign Affairs to the Mid-Twentieth Century; a six volume Historical and Political Gazetteer of Afghanistan; The Historical Dictionary of Islam; and The A to Z of Islam.

Review:

...serves as a quick reference to Afghan people, events, and issues from the Middle Ages to the present....With an extensive chronology, historical introduction, and helpful bibliography, this volume updates the 1996 edition to mid-2005. (Zentralblatt für Geologie und Paläontologie)

The volume's comprehensive, topically arranged bibliography is first rate. This is a most useful reference source... (American Reference Books Annual)

I was definitely fascinated by the subject matter, learnt a lot, and submit that it is much more than a 'historical dictionary,' more a handbook, and certainly a useful resource for reference collections. (Reference Reviews, Vol. 20, No. 8 (2006))

Sadly, Afghanistan has experienced a constant succession of wars since its founding in 1747 and is currently involved in another one, as the United States attempts to stabilize the country under the government they put into place after overthrowing the Taliban. This historical dictionary by Adamec (Middle Eastern studies, U. of Arizona) contains alphabetical entries providing information on these centuries of warfare, giving biographical information on important figures, describing important campaigns and battles, examining tactics and weapons, and delineating important ideological and regional divisions in the country. The dictionary also contains a chronology, a historical overview essay, a bibliography, and appendixes reproducing such documents as the 1979 Soviet Report on Intervention and the Military Technical Agreement between the interim Afghan government of Hamid Karzai and the American-led international forces. (Reference and Research Book News)

About this edition

• Publisher: Scarecrow Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0810849488
• ISBN 13: 9780810849488
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 520