No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes
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- Author：Anand Gopal
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Summary
Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction finalist
National Book Award in Nonfiction finalist
Helen Bernstein Journalism Award finalist
2014 Ridenhour Prize Winner
New York Times Notable Book
As U。S。 troops prepare to withdraw， the shocking tale of how the American military had triumph in sight in Afghanistan—and then brought the Taliban back from the dead
In the popular imagination， Afghanistan is often regarded as the site of intractable conflict， the American war against the Taliban a perpetually hopeless quagmire。 But as Anand Gopal demonstrates in this stunning chronicle， top Taliban leaders were in fact ready to surrender within months of the U。S。 invasion of Afghanistan， renouncing all political activity and submitting to the new government。 Effectively， the Taliban ceased to exist—yet the American forces were not ready to accept such a turnaround。 Driven by false intelligence from corrupt warlords and by a misguided conviction that Taliban members could never change sides， the U。S。 instead continued to press the conflict， resurrecting the insurgency that persists to this day。
Gopal’s dramatic narrative， full of vivid personal detail， follows three Afghans through years of U。S。 missteps: a Taliban commander， a U。S。-backed warlord， and a housewife trapped in the middle of the fighting。 With its intimate accounts of life in small Afghan villages， and harrowing tales of crimes committed by Taliban leaders and American-supported provincial officials alike， No Good Men Among the Living lays bare the workings of America’s longest war and the truth behind its prolonged agony。 A thoroughly original exposé of the conflict that is still being fought， it shows just how the American intervention went so desperately wrong。
Reviews
Tommy
，
This is a tough book to rate because I know that it was very well written， but it was quite challenging to stay engaged。 Truly， most Americans—myself chief among them—have no clue what is going on in what we have dubbed the "Middle East"。 Afghanistan—with its many tribes， ethnicities， regions， and cultural identities—is incredibly complex。 No Good Men Among the Living quite clearly made me realize that the United States government had no clue what we were doing in Afghanistan。 We just got tossed This is a tough book to rate because I know that it was very well written， but it was quite challenging to stay engaged。 Truly， most Americans—myself chief among them—have no clue what is going on in what we have dubbed the "Middle East"。 Afghanistan—with its many tribes， ethnicities， regions， and cultural identities—is incredibly complex。 No Good Men Among the Living quite clearly made me realize that the United States government had no clue what we were doing in Afghanistan。 We just got tossed around， and in turn， tossed everyone in prison on ridiculous charges。 My biggest problem with this book was simply how confusing this storyline was; yet， what is to be expected—this is real life， not some carefully crafted narrative。 Nonetheless， I had a very difficult time remembering all of the similar names and locations， and their importance to the region。 I nearly gave up multiple times throughout this book because of confusion， as well as the level of detail with which he described some of the brutal acts carried out by both Taliban and American troops。 My favorite parts of the book were certainly when Gopal was following the story of a "normal" Afghani woman as she traversed the ever-shifting expectations and mores of her society。Yet， what's the answer to all confusion？ As I write this， the US of A is finalizing the departure of all troops from Afghanistan by the end of this month， and the Taliban have taken control of almost all territories。 A mess， for sure， but no one has answers。Lastly， I'll say to anyone who read A Thousand Splendid Suns to get their rocks off by saying that they're woke/cultured needs to read this， then we can talk。 Ultimately， Gopal did the best he could at describing the wild playing field of Afghanistan， but it was a bit too complex/uninteresting for my little mind。3。4/5 stars 。。。more
Vincent Masson
，
My final project in film school was a feature film screenplay。 We started it at the beginning of our first term， and worked on it until the end of our studies。 Mine was called "Kabul" - a 130 page epic Drama about two young Afghan boys growing up in Kabul， Afghanistan。 One becomes a Taliban fighter， and the other joins the Afghan Army， and they meet up later in life to try and reconcile their situations。 A feeling bubbled up from my gut as I read Anand Gopal's great book， "No Good Men Among the My final project in film school was a feature film screenplay。 We started it at the beginning of our first term， and worked on it until the end of our studies。 Mine was called "Kabul" - a 130 page epic Drama about two young Afghan boys growing up in Kabul， Afghanistan。 One becomes a Taliban fighter， and the other joins the Afghan Army， and they meet up later in life to try and reconcile their situations。 A feeling bubbled up from my gut as I read Anand Gopal's great book， "No Good Men Among the Living"。 Something akin to shame or embarrassment， as I thought back to that script， and how inauthentic it was （I had to google what language people spoke in Afghanistan before starting）。But it was authentic， in a way。 Authentic in the sense that if you were writing a movie about Eskimo's， you might have an Igloo or two。 But it wasn't authentic in the ways that mattered。 My characters didn't talk about the history of their country， or take on nuanced opinions or thoughts， because I didn't have that history or know those thoughts。 Gopal's book now provides them。 For instance， Gopal recounts the story of a Helmand Province man who went to the only Movie Theater in town to see a Hindi romance movie so many times he memorized it。 When the Mujahadeen shut down the theater in 1992， effectively banning movies forever， he would recount the movie to anyone who would listen。 Now that's a story。 One can just picture some young whippersnappers walking past an old man， thinking he's completely crazy telling them about how they used to show a Bollywood romance movie in what is now a bombed out building。Or how about when an Afghan woman risked death to organize a sewing class， which was forbidden under Taliban rule？ The imagery that Gopal creates is something from a Hollywood movie， with sewing machines stashed away in corners from prying eyes like a weapons cache。 Let's see Clint Eastwood make that movie。 Those little stories create a bigger picture of this conflict - a picture I had been missing when I was writing my movie。 Gopal's strategy to look at this conflict from both sides and understand the real motives that are at play is one that has been missing from the literature of this conflict。And there are a lot of motives to consider。 The Russian's decade long occupation of Afghanistan was a significant turning point for Afghan life。 After the United States and Russia withdrew their troops in 1989， and funding in 1992， the Mujahadeen filled the leadership vacuum that was left， and instituted some extremely harsh laws and policy's。 The Taliban rose to combat the Mujahadeen sometime in 1996， and eventually instituted their own draconian laws that created it's own problem。 Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr was injured three times in the Civil War， including a very serious gunshot wound to the chest during the battle of Ball's Bluff in Virginia。 His father， Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr。， had published articles in support of the Union cause， but his son's injuries had made him reconsider not just his beliefs about the war， but his belief about beliefs。 "Certitude leads to Violence" was the lesson Holmes Sr。 took from the Civil War， as he realized both the Union and Confederacy both thought they had god on their side， and were certain their cause was the right one。 We know how history unfolded， but the consequences were so devastating that for Holmes - it was hard to say it was worth it。 This must be how both sides felt， I thought， as I read this wonderful book。 We have been engaged in a battle of certitudes。 We are certain their way of life is evil， and they are certain about ours。 But with so much lost on both sides， it's hard call anything a victory anymore。 。。。more
Atty。 Winston Pagador
，
Superb！ Narrative and investigative non-fiction of the very highest order。 No Good Men Among the Living by Anand Gopal is wholly absorbing。 Mr。 Gopal's storytelling is imbued with a sense of understanding and moral seriousness of the broad landscape of Afghanistan's war through the lives of ordinary people all trying to survive。 His close observations and delicate renderings of the war on terror is sad but true that， ultimately， the war has become a business for the opportunists， jockeying for p Superb！ Narrative and investigative non-fiction of the very highest order。 No Good Men Among the Living by Anand Gopal is wholly absorbing。 Mr。 Gopal's storytelling is imbued with a sense of understanding and moral seriousness of the broad landscape of Afghanistan's war through the lives of ordinary people all trying to survive。 His close observations and delicate renderings of the war on terror is sad but true that， ultimately， the war has become a business for the opportunists， jockeying for patronage， warlords and strongmen perpetuating for power in their own turfs， creating a massive avenue for corruption， thus， regenerating the war。 This book offers another perspective on this war， not from the officials or leaders but from the frontliners， brokers， civilians who most profited， suffered and endured。 。。。more
Rita Cruz
，
One of the best books I ever read。 Non-fiction done with the art and tools of fiction。 As illuminating as it is unforgettable。
Farooq Chaudhry
，
No Good Men Among the Living is an account of the US war in Afghanistan and a few years of civil war leading up to the US invasion， told through the perspectives of people in Afghanistan who lived， and continue to live， through these brutal years of military occupation and unfettered civil war that preceded the invasion and continues to rage on afterwards。 The narrative takes shape through the lives of three people: Akbar Gul， a leader of a local Taliban faction; Jan Muhammad， a warlord allied w No Good Men Among the Living is an account of the US war in Afghanistan and a few years of civil war leading up to the US invasion， told through the perspectives of people in Afghanistan who lived， and continue to live， through these brutal years of military occupation and unfettered civil war that preceded the invasion and continues to rage on afterwards。 The narrative takes shape through the lives of three people: Akbar Gul， a leader of a local Taliban faction; Jan Muhammad， a warlord allied with the US government; and Heela Achekzai， a civilian woman， whose story is tragic and remarkable， as she flees Kabul with her husband， eventually becomes widowed as her husband is killed for speaking out against the corruption of a group allied with the US， and eventually becomes a senator。 After the U。S。S。R。 was ousted from Afghanistan， the resulting power vacuum left behind gave way to a horrific civil war that was often fought along tribal and ethnic lines， as people did not trust anyone but their kinfolk。 The Communist government of Afghanistan collapsed three years after the Soviets withdrew， and the years that followed were unspeakably gruesome。 The magnitude of the violence that broke out cannot be understated， and many innocent people were killed， assaulted， or displaced in the name of a power struggle that was hard for anyone to identify with。 With so many splinter groups jostling for power， a no man's land of anarchy flourished， and it was in the backdrop of this anarchy that the Taliban came to power， imposing an extremely rigid， zealous mix of tribal and fundamentalist inversion Islamic law upon the masses to create a semblance of "order" that not existed in about a decade。A few months after the 9/11 attacks， when the U。S。 first began dropping bombs on Afghanistan， the Taliban as it we knew it at this point basically dissolved; their leader， the infamous Mullah Omar had fled， and many high ranking Taliban commanders and generals openly sought to make peace， accept the new government， hand-over their weapons， and go back to living civilian lives。 If you've been following the developments of the US war in Afghanistan， the fact that the Taliban essentially surrendered only a few months after 9/11 will come as a shock to you。 The question obviously arises， why is the war still raging on to this day？ The short answer， meticulously told through this book， is that the US allied with local warlords who basically used US military power to settle scores from the days of the civil war and Taliban rule。 These warlords used the world's most powerful military to become extremely rich and powerful themselves by contracting services to US military bases， and to bomb， raid， and destroy entire villages that had residents who once were allied with the Taliban， had former Taliban members residing amongst them， or had some other grievance associated with them from the civil war days 。 These members of the Taliban， though， openly supported the US government and turned in their weapons en masse， sought meetings with the newly formed Afghan government to initiate peace talks， and did everything in their power to move forward with a stable Afghan state。 However， because the US was taking their intelligence and forming allies with people who sought to wage revenge and amass power themselves， the bombing campaigns， arrests， disappearances to Guantanamo against people who were openly pledging their support to the US government （many of who were incorrectly labeled as former Taliban members， and were just plain civilians） led to the re-emergence of the Taliban， as they realized that the state-building efforts had become a farce， and they were not going to find protection or peace in the future that was unfolding in front of them。 They eventually viewed the Americans as a brutal occupying force and began fighting once again， though this time in a much more guerilla and splintered manner， employing tactics like suicide bombings and justifying civilian casualties in ways that they had not done before。 The US did not really understand the country they invaded， its people， or its history。 That， combined with the extremely hawkish， pro-war sentiment that was fervent throughout the US government and media in the years following 9/11 led to a very costly （in both human lives and material resources） war that seemed to fought for its own sake， in a very crude manner。 The US created more instability the longer it was （is） there， and more dollars were spent on arming and contracting warlords than building up the necessities of a civilian government in Afghanistan （like spending on schools， hospitals， etc。）。 Consequently， millions of innocent people in Afghanistan have suffered tremendously。 It becomes clear throughout the book that the lines between good or bad， rebel-allied or US-allied， blur quite dramatically， and people make decisions based on on survival alone， and not loyalty to any particular side。 As Heela says in the book: "Living a war was different from fighting one; it meant keeping yourself somewhere in the gray area of survival。" The trumped up songs of war that celebrate the virtues of liberty， valor， and honor all become irrelevant in the face of mass death and civil/social decay， and people make decisions based on whatever they deem necessary to stay alive for one more day。 At the end of the day， people just want to live in stability and peace， ordinary lives， and the people of Afghanistan have not been able to do that for decades。 This book was extremely well written， and the stories and details from these peoples lives were incredibly riveting and powerful in their own right， and the book was hard to put down。 I strongly recommend this book to anyone， but particularly those interested in understanding the US war in Afghanistan。 。。。more
Nishat
，
The title is borrowed from an Afghan proverb: “There are no good men among the living and no bad men among the dead。”Journalist Anand Gopal spent several years， navigating the ruins of a war-torn Afghanistan， in search of answers that remained elusive to his touch。 Instead， he faced even greater questions and dilemmas， which transformed his preconceived notions of war and blurred the line between good and bad。Gopal primarily attempted to study the war through the lives of three people: a vicious The title is borrowed from an Afghan proverb: “There are no good men among the living and no bad men among the dead。”Journalist Anand Gopal spent several years， navigating the ruins of a war-torn Afghanistan， in search of answers that remained elusive to his touch。 Instead， he faced even greater questions and dilemmas， which transformed his preconceived notions of war and blurred the line between good and bad。Gopal primarily attempted to study the war through the lives of three people: a vicious， widely-feared Taliban commander， Mullah Cable; a powerful local leader of the US-backed Afghan government， Jan Muhammad Khan; and a housewife， Heela Achekzai。Mullah Cable， who knows little about Middle Eastern politics or theology – to the surprise of the author， was the leader of a fierce Taliban unit。 During his raids， he carried a whip or a cable， the evidence of which was imprinted on the backs of his many victims， earning him the ominous name of Mullah Cable。 Beneath the mask of his brutality， however， lie family tragedies inflicted on him， from a young boy， by the Afghan Northern Alliance rebels， following the 1992 outbreak of civil war。Jan Muhammad Khan， who previously governed Uruzgan province in Southern Afghanistan and was a dear friend of Hamid Karzai， rotted away in prison， awaiting his execution during the Taliban rule。 The torture and the humiliation， which was regularly visited upon him during those days， would later shape his actions in a newly-Taliban-free country and instill in him an unquenchable thirst for revenge。Heela Achekzai， one of the few educated women from Kabul， goes through tremendous shifts in her daily life over the course of only a few years， paralleling the instability of her own country as well as the resilience of her people。This exquisite journalistic piece tries to meaningfully explore the question of how the US invasion of Afghanistan was destined to fail from the very beginning and the stage was set for Taliban to resurface after a quick， near-total collapse。 In a land where no one ever truly acquired the taste of nationhood， where more than forty ethnicities are divided in different political blocs， where mountains hide devastating secrets and foreign troops make for regular， unwanted guests， and where nearly every adult man carries a scar of his own and every woman is confined within the four walls of her home， the fates of Mullah Cable， Jan Muhammad and Heela are unfortunately intertwined， and the war is the only certainty they can afford to hold on to。 。。。more
James Carley
，
Along with "A Peace to End All Peace"， this book should be required reading for every politician and military commander who wants to send US troops to the Middle East。 Very well written （it reads like a novel）， it details the effects the war had on those non-combatants who had to live through it。 A great read。 Along with "A Peace to End All Peace"， this book should be required reading for every politician and military commander who wants to send US troops to the Middle East。 Very well written （it reads like a novel）， it details the effects the war had on those non-combatants who had to live through it。 A great read。 。。。more
Andrés Torres
，
Well， what a surprise。 Another episode of America screwing up the lives of millions of innocent people， and of course George fucking Bush being one of the most responsible actors。 I'm awed by Gopal's work in this book， it's simply sensational。 The war in Afghanistan is such a complex situation， and Gopal manages to show every side of the story in an extremely detailed way。 You get a clear sense of why the Taliban is so strong now even when they were wiped out in 2001， of why Americans overstayed Well， what a surprise。 Another episode of America screwing up the lives of millions of innocent people， and of course George fucking Bush being one of the most responsible actors。 I'm awed by Gopal's work in this book， it's simply sensational。 The war in Afghanistan is such a complex situation， and Gopal manages to show every side of the story in an extremely detailed way。 You get a clear sense of why the Taliban is so strong now even when they were wiped out in 2001， of why Americans overstayed in the country and of how different is for civilians to live in a war instead of fighting in it。 。。。more
Anant
，
This is a page turner - investigative journalism meets evocative story telling。 Anand Gopal walks you through the conflict， infact almost the entire history of the region which has seen small factions in the form of tribes。 How conflict over time became a way of life with allegiances that shift。 It also shows how foreign powers when they war monger into such delicate societies， perhaps imagining a single act of force to instill peace - perhaps just makes it worse。 I found the stories moving。 One This is a page turner - investigative journalism meets evocative story telling。 Anand Gopal walks you through the conflict， infact almost the entire history of the region which has seen small factions in the form of tribes。 How conflict over time became a way of life with allegiances that shift。 It also shows how foreign powers when they war monger into such delicate societies， perhaps imagining a single act of force to instill peace - perhaps just makes it worse。 I found the stories moving。 One can almost feel the sense of resignation to the state of affairs with violence being a means of life in this part of the world。 There are no easy solutions to such conflicts， and the book shows that a country who thinks otherwise will only make things worse。 。。 。。。more
Paul Santamore
，
A truly astounding display of reporting。 Gopal digs deeply into the lives of Afghans and the why behind America’s failure in their country。 Moving， eye opening， and shocking to the system of an American who too infrequently assumes that we’re right in our national approach to conflict resolution。Gopal uncovers a quagmire of intricate system of power and in doing so points out where America went wrong。
Lily Werlinich
，
Really solid read and I learned a lot。 It felt a bit repetitive by the end， and I definitely think he， uh， how to put it gently？ Could’ve been slightly less sympathetic to the Taliban
George Kettler
，
An interesting weaving of individuals stories within the extremely complex conflict in Afghanistan。 The book fails to give a broad over view of the conflict， however through focusing on a few stories the author is able to give an understanding of the on ground experiences of people living through the conflict。 A somewhat scattered and confusing narrative but an interesting read。
Elliot Horen
，
An on-the-ground history of the violence perpetrated against Afghans from without and within， and a long overdue corrective to my ignorance about America's longest war。 An on-the-ground history of the violence perpetrated against Afghans from without and within， and a long overdue corrective to my ignorance about America's longest war。 。。。more
Fred Dameron
，
This was a hard read for me。 This work will also not be popular with the U。S。 audience。 Both of these things for the same reason: it blows up the American myth that there are only good Afghans and bad Afghans。 Through the individual memories of three Afghans we see how the U。S。 was played。 Now if you've read my other posts about books on Afghanistan you know that I've been critical of how the U。S。 has dealt with this region。 This works shows how I was both right and also how wrong I have been。 Y This was a hard read for me。 This work will also not be popular with the U。S。 audience。 Both of these things for the same reason: it blows up the American myth that there are only good Afghans and bad Afghans。 Through the individual memories of three Afghans we see how the U。S。 was played。 Now if you've read my other posts about books on Afghanistan you know that I've been critical of how the U。S。 has dealt with this region。 This works shows how I was both right and also how wrong I have been。 Yes， the Taliban were a bunch of semiliterate to totally illiterate religious fanatics。 But that was 20 years ago。 After the U。S。 invasion of Afghanistan we entered an area where clans and family relationships reign supreme。 We have backed those groups who used the U。S。 to eliminate the enemy clans and leadership to the ruling Kharzi government。 The U。S。 followed these warlords and clan leaders。 They would call loyal government members Taliban and the U。S。 would go raid， kill， and detain these leaders and followers。 Next stop for many was Gitmo。 Many Jag officers in Gitmo were asking these people why are you here？ They had no answers。 The modern Afghanistan is a country of clans who tell the U。S。 hey bad guys are here and the Afghan Army with U。S。 support go and make raids and arrests。 The solution: here's mine。First the U。S。 must stay in Afghanistan！ If we don't， ten years after the last U。S。 troop leaves there will be another attack on U。S。 soil that will make 9/11 look like a Sunday church picnic。 Afghanistan is a failing state。 To fix the country I believe a clan council has to be appointed by each clan in each area of the country。 From Kandahar to the North to the Iranian border each clan and or war lord controlled area must pick a elder to go to Kabul and elect a king。 Before we hold these local appointments and King Election the U。S。 should reestablish relations with Iran。Iran can be a great help in Afghanistan。 They have been open to U。S。 forces on their soil in the past: U。S> Green Berets in eastern Iran training Afghans to march on Kabul。 U。S。 sailors loosing power on their inflatables and being helped home by the Iranian Navy。 We just have to get over the idea of Iran bad because they outed Regan in Iran - Contra。 Once we get over that idea then we can use Tehran to help provide religious leaders to assist the clan elders to bring peace。 If Tehran can get multiple Fatwas lifted from Greg Mortensons head because he is doing good for the people， then they would be willing to help secure their eastern border。 Side line would be a drop in the Poppy trade as the U。S。 could work with Iranian border forces and Afghan forces to eradicate poppy production。 This would help American Hospitals who are fighting a continuing increase in heroin Over Doses。 Cut the heroin off at the source。 But I digress。 The King would have control over all foreign affairs。 This would mean axis to Foreign Governments， NGO's， Aid groups etc。 The elected King will serve until the clan elders remove him from office through a vote。 This will ensure that the King will distribute foreign aid down to the individual areas of the country。 Any King who kept to much aid and had 1/3 of the Clan Elders file complaints could be brought up for reelection by the Council of Clans。 All Council elections would be monitored by the U。N。 The King would control a Capital district around Kabul where he， or She， would rule by fiat。 This type of government worked in Afghanistan for 2500 years until the 70's when the Communists took over。 It worked well during the Great Game between Russia and the U。K。 and during both world wars when the Germans tried to corrupt and convince the Afghan King into invading India。 As long as the King ensure enough cash flows down ward to the Clan Elders and their communities he stayed in power。 This system is NOT Democracy， but it has worked in the past and can be made to work again。 The U。S。 just has to understand that Afghans are still horse thieves， poppy growers， extortion experts， liars， and all loyalty is to the Elders as they were during the Great Game and going back to Alexander the Great。 These are skill sets passed down from generation to generation for all these years。 The Bush administration walked into Afghanistan and immediately started to be taken in by the Afghanis。 This last part is why this work s a hard read。 As an Air Force retire I believed all the lies that my leaders told。 But as I served I started to understand that we were not being told the truth。 That politics left a large grey area in all our areas of operation。 That large grey area is good Kurds and bad Kurds in northern Iraq and eastern Turkey。 It's that the ISI of Pakistan， Pakistani Intelligence Agency， is on our side， there Not。 Pakistan is backing some Taliban groups and calls other bad Taliban to get them hit with U。S。 air power。 Locals don't like U。S。 forces and attack us because they see the U。S。 as another occupier just as the Soviets。 But were told were their to bring Freedom and Democracy because our system is best。 This book puts paid to all these fictions that we are told， and that as individuals we tell ourselves about our time in country。 It validates what we suspected but ignored for our own sanities sake。 As we move towards a new Democratic President I hope that Biden takes a long look at the U。S。 Afghan policy and starts a reevaluation of that policy。 Bringing Iran back into the fold of friendly nations would help the U。S。。 Would help Afghanistan reestablish real religious training。 A new policy on dealing with Afghanistan where we bring the clans together to work together for the countries common good。 An elected King to work with and deal with foreign policy and aid would be a historic use of Afghan pride to bring peace。 Democracy will NOT work with these tribal/clannish people， but a historic governing set up will。 I have learned a lot from this work and if you want to see how badly U。S。 policy has fouled up you need to read this。 。。。more
Sarah
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http://www。bookwormblues。net/2020/10/。。。When I go on current event nonfiction binges， I tend to look for books that are written from the other point of view。 I know my own well enough。 I want to see whatever I’m reading about through the eyes of those who lived it。 So， when I came across this book， I knew I’d found something really special。 A book that would not only challenge my perspective of what happened， but also of the people who were the most impacted by the things that happened。 The peop http://www。bookwormblues。net/2020/10/。。。When I go on current event nonfiction binges， I tend to look for books that are written from the other point of view。 I know my own well enough。 I want to see whatever I’m reading about through the eyes of those who lived it。 So， when I came across this book， I knew I’d found something really special。 A book that would not only challenge my perspective of what happened， but also of the people who were the most impacted by the things that happened。 The people who so often do not have a voice。I will say， before I get too far into this review， that this book has the potential to offend people。 It will drastically reinterpret the war in Afghanistan， and it unflinchingly paints some of the things America has done over there in a questionable light。 If you are a person who has your mind made up about all things War on Terror related， then I really think you should skip over this book。 Pass it on by。 You won’t like it， and it will just make you mad。 On the other hand， if you’re a person who finds this sort of thing interesting， then you’ll likely want to read this book， but keep an open mind。 You won’t agree with everything said here （I didn’t）， but it is worth reading because knowing how other people experience and understand things is an important part of being a human。Anand Gopal is a United States journalist。 He was sent to Afghanistan to report on the war， and somehow managed to travel quite a swath of the country in the process。 In this book， he tells the stories of three individuals who got sucked into the fray。 There is a teenager who is unavoidably pulled into the conflict， a warlord who ends up with US-support， and a housewife who is， quite literally， trapped。 “The first time a woman enters her husband’s house，” Heela told me about life in the countryside， “she wears white”—her wedding dress—“and the first time she leaves， she wears white”—the color of the Muslim funeral shroud。Intermixed into this are stories from a few others， vignettes that tell stories about things that happened。 A baker who gets arrested routinely by US soldiers; a freed warlord prisoner; a man wrongly identified and arrested for crimes he never committed， and more。 The power of this book comes from the stories being told， but Gopal recognizes the complexity of the region and the conflicts he is writing about， and he does an absolutely marvelous job at setting up the backdrop， the story that supports everything that is coming next。 Starting in USSR days， and then sliding through the chaotic years that follow until Taliban and then US intervention。 Gopal boils it all down and makes this region’s numerous dramas easy to understand and incredibly digestible。 To become a mullah， you studied for up to twelve years in a madrassa， where you learned the intricacies of Islamic law， along with history， philosophy， and logic。 In Pashto， such students were called taliban。 Because a mullah was guaranteed employment for life， this was a course of study particularly well suited to those from the humblest backgrounds。 It was in greater Kandahar， where tribal structures were the weakest， that the taliban were most fully integrated into social life。There is a whole lot I didn’t know， for example， I did not know that the Soviet Union and the US used Afghanistan as a sort of proxy Cold War battle ground， where the USSR dug its heels in in Kabul， while the CIA funded religious militants known as mujahedeen， out in the surrounding countryside。 I didn’t know that when the USSR left， the US followed， creating a power vacuum which resulted in a catastrophic civil war and unbelievable unrest between tribal groups。 I didn’t know that this was the setting wherein the Taliban were called down from their mountainous homes in an effort to calm things down， and that this hotbed of blood and death and strife was where Bin Laden， with lots of money and guns marched in from Saudi Arabia and set up camp。 I didn’t understand the cultural context for any of this until I read the book。 Not just the war-torn region itself， but also the role of the Taliban， how it was created， why it was a thing in the first place， or how they got the power they eventually attained。Outside the capital， mujahedeen rule veered into the tyrannical。 A commander in the northwestern province of Faryab decreed it permissible to rape any unmarried girl over the age of twelve。 In the western city of Herat， authorities curtailed musical performances， outlawing love songs and “dancing music。” It was the mujahedeen—not the Taliban， who did not yet exist as a formal group—who first brought these strictures into politics。 Many of these same commanders would be returned to power by the United States to run the country after 2001。Gopal goes into a lot of detail， but never manages to get bogged down in it。 From the setup to this war on terror， to how the Taliban formed and what they are， and so much more。 In this regard， Heela， the housewife， is probably the perspective that I found the most interesting and engaging。Heela was raised in Kabul during Soviet times， when she did not have to wear a headscarf， and she was allowed to go to school。 In fact， Heela had an advanced college education， a rather enlightened husband regarding women’s rights， and a promising future ahead of her。 Then the USSR fell， civil war broke out， and in an effort to save themselves， she， her husband， and her son， fled to his remote roadless， electricity-less village seven hours from the nearest town， where she had to don the garb we all associate with women in Afghanistan， stay behind the walls of her house， and never be heard by any man but her husband。 Pre-Taliban， the mujahedeen rule was tyrannical， especially toward women。 I was rather surprised to learn that most of what I associate mentally with women in Afghanistan was actually started with the mujahedeen， not the Taliban （though， let’s be honest， they didn’t really help matters at all）。 Her change from the open atmosphere of Kabul to the oppressive countryside must have been like entering another planet。Women are not to leave their homes at all， unless absolutely necessary， in which case they are to cover themselves completely; are not to wear attractive clothing and decorative accessories; are not to wear perfume or jewelry that makes any noise; are not to walk gracefully or with pride in the middle of the sidewalk; are not to talk to strangers; are not to speak loudly or laugh in public; and they must always ask their husbands’ permission to leave the home。Her story was incredibly gripping， but there were a lot of other stories and details woven in that were incredibly illuminating as well。 I also found the story of an ex-Taliban officer who fled when America invaded， defecting the cause he’d believed in along with so many others， quite interesting。 Gopal managed to interview warlords， as well as the everyman。 He showed not just how the war impacted their lives， but their unflinching perspective of what happened， as people who lived there， on the ground， and had to traverse this reality every day of their lives。 It was brilliantly well done， if disturbing and extremely depressing。 There were a lot of mistakes made on all sides， and a lot of lives lost。 Gopal set out to tell the story of America’s war on terror from an Afghan perspective， and he managed it with flying colors。 Not only do I have a better understanding of what happened on the ground （including how warlord feuds became US military-backed conflicts）， but I have a much better understanding of the culture and the strife of this region， and what laid the groundwork for the war that is still being waged to this day， and the terrible human cost on both the American and Afghan sides。 This book is not anti-American。 Rather， Gopal is stepping back and giving us a window into the lives of those impacted by our decisions and our policies。 You can agree or disagree with what is presented in this book， but I do believe it is important for us to try to understand not just the policies this country enacts， but the lives it impacts as well， and in that respect， there are not enough books like this in the world。 In times of strife， taliban have usually mobilized in defense of tradition。 British documents from as early as 1901 decry taliban opposition to colonialism in present-day Pakistan。 However， as with so much else， it was the Soviet invasion and the US response that sent the transformative shock。 In the 1980s， as guns and money coursed through the ranks of the Kandahar mujahedeen， squabbling over resources grew so frequent that many increasingly turned to religious law to settle their disputes。No Good Men Among the Living haunted me。 I could not stop thinking about it。 I couldn’t stop reading it。 I just couldn’t stop。 I have so many highlights and notes from this book， it’s ridiculous。 I have read a lot of books about Afghanistan。 The region fascinates me， probably because we really know so little about it， and the area is， from my Western perspective， so incredibly foreign to me。 I don’t understand a whole lot about it， and I doubt I ever will。 Afghanistan has an absolutely abysmal record regarding women’s rights， and isn’t that great about people in general， either。 I’m horrified and fascinated。 Gopal did an amazing job of not just presenting the nuances of an incredibly complex conflict， but also painting a rich cultural backdrop with which all of this is presented， giving context and layers to things that had seemed so obviously one-note to me before。 No Good Men Among the Living is one of the best books I’ve read in a long， long time， and I doubt I will stop thinking about it anytime soon。 I cannot recommend this book highly enough。 I consider it mandatory reading for anyone with even the slightest interest in Middle East affairs。 It is uncomfortable。 It is painful。 It is depressing。 It is so incredibly important。 “Winning a war such as this was not about planting flags or defending territory or building fancy villas。 It was not about titles or promotions or offices。 It was not about democracy or jihad， freedom or honor。 It was about resisting the categories chosen for you; about stubbornness in the face of grand designs and schemas。 About doing what you had to do， whether they called you a terrorist or an infidel。 To win a war like this was to master the ephemeral， to plan a future while knowing that it could all be over in an instant。 To comfort your children when the air outside throbs in the middle of the night， to squeeze your spouse’s hand tight when your taxi hits a pothole on an open highway， to go to school or the fields or a wedding and return to tell about it。 To survive。” 。。。more
Nicole
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Time to read some real stuff。 This is a book about categories that people create and then come to believe in—with a force of conviction so strong that sometimes it becomes literally a matter of life and death。
Robin
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This book gives a very good look into the last 30-40 years of life in Afghanistan。 The only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is because it was slightly hard to read due to all the unfamiliar names and I would forget them a bit but that's all on me due to having no familiarity with afghan names。 But it makes reading a book like this more difficult because it's easy to confuse people or not understand their significance。That being said， this book really shows how messed up the situation in afgh This book gives a very good look into the last 30-40 years of life in Afghanistan。 The only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is because it was slightly hard to read due to all the unfamiliar names and I would forget them a bit but that's all on me due to having no familiarity with afghan names。 But it makes reading a book like this more difficult because it's easy to confuse people or not understand their significance。That being said， this book really shows how messed up the situation in afghanistan was （and still is）。 It feels similar to reading the book 'Congo' where you read about all the awfulness that happened there and you wonder how can they possibly recover from this much corruption。So here there is now living a generation in afghanistan that has only known war， uncertainty， fear。 How do you build again from that？ It also shows that clearly US did a horrible job in their 'war on terror' destroying this country even further。 I really like how much background is given so you have a clear understanding of what people went through and why they would join or not join the taliban。 。。。more
Franco Pasqualini
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How did this not win a pulizter price？ An incredible work of journalism。
Beverly Davis
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Brilliant execution of a very complex subject。
Mrs Reddy Mallender-Katzy
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I enjoyed the first chapter but then not so much the next one， i found the writing one minute interesting and the next written in such a way it didnt capture my attention and i hate to admit it but there are a few words in there that ive never come accross before - it's up and down type made me loose interest compleately - maybe my husband would prefer this book ？ I enjoyed the first chapter but then not so much the next one， i found the writing one minute interesting and the next written in such a way it didnt capture my attention and i hate to admit it but there are a few words in there that ive never come accross before - it's up and down type made me loose interest compleately - maybe my husband would prefer this book ？ 。。。more
Andrew Wanner
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Very interesting perspectives。。。 factual， but does a great job of still following a narrative structure。 Great job of helping to understand the characters involved in the story and excellent descriptions of the landscape where it is all taking place。
Rose
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This book should probably be required reading for anyone studying IR or aiming to get involved in foreign policy in any capacity。 No class can communicate the impact of America's longest war with such raw and human focus as this book does， and the lessons apply not only to US action in Afghanistan but probably all policies that involve foreign action。 The book is a remarkable feat of investigative journalism， somehow managing to use a foundation of rigorous and detailed fact-finding to project a This book should probably be required reading for anyone studying IR or aiming to get involved in foreign policy in any capacity。 No class can communicate the impact of America's longest war with such raw and human focus as this book does， and the lessons apply not only to US action in Afghanistan but probably all policies that involve foreign action。 The book is a remarkable feat of investigative journalism， somehow managing to use a foundation of rigorous and detailed fact-finding to project a sweeping understanding of the war's broad reach。 Gopal brought to life theories I've read about in articles， all of which in those formats offered clear analyses of what went wrong （for example， the fact that both the Soviets' and US' outsourcing of war activities inevitably tied counterterrorism to a new contract economy， preventing any hope for reform）。 But the amazing thing about this book is that Gopal deftly communicates the sweeping scope of US failures， covering everything from cultural incompetence to bureaucratic inefficiencies and counterproductive incentive systems， while all the while remaining grounded in the intimate human cost。 Gopal does this through explorations of a few people with whom he conducted interviews for a number of years。 The most compelling person in my view was Heela， a woman who through the course of the book goes from living in a Taliban-occupied village to becoming the first female regional Senator， along the way losing her husband and witnessing her children maimed and captured。 The title is derived from the saying that "there are no good men among the living， and no bad men among the dead，" which is described by Gopal as epitomizing the failure of US-imposed categories on the people of Afghanistan。 Heela's story drives this point home。 Her raw reflections underscore my main take away from this book: that strategy/policy as I and my classmates study it is insufficient without a simultaneous reckoning with profound human， individual experience。 The book closes with this quote: "Winning a war such as this was not about。。。 democracy or jihad， freedom or honor。 It was about resisting the categories chosen for you; about stubbornness in the face of grand designs and schemas。。。 To win a war like this was to master the ephemeral， to plan a future while knowing that it could be over in an instant。 To comfort your children when the air outside throbs in the middle of the night， to squeeze your spouse's hand tight when your taxi hits a pothole on an open highway， to go to school or the fields or a wedding and return to tell about it。 To survive。" 。。。more
John Stieven
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If you question America's involvement in Afghanistan， then this book is one should absolutely read， It tells the story through 3 sets of eyes -- an Afghani freedom fighter， a lady who would eventually become a senator， and an American allies。 Riveting。 If you question America's involvement in Afghanistan， then this book is one should absolutely read， It tells the story through 3 sets of eyes -- an Afghani freedom fighter， a lady who would eventually become a senator， and an American allies。 Riveting。 。。。more
Peter Stuart
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For this reader， with Western eyes and Australian values， this is a gut wrenchingly galling， vexing and infuriating work。The work recounts， predominately through three main Afghan eyes， the period from post-Communist to current day Afghanistan， with an emphasis on the events and actions since al-Qaeda’s 11th September 2001 attack on mainland America。 The Americans， and their coalition partners， saw Afghanistan as the effective home base of al-Qaeda and their hosts being the Taliban regime that c For this reader， with Western eyes and Australian values， this is a gut wrenchingly galling， vexing and infuriating work。The work recounts， predominately through three main Afghan eyes， the period from post-Communist to current day Afghanistan， with an emphasis on the events and actions since al-Qaeda’s 11th September 2001 attack on mainland America。 The Americans， and their coalition partners， saw Afghanistan as the effective home base of al-Qaeda and their hosts being the Taliban regime that controlled most of Afghan territory at the time of the al-Qaeda attack。 Hence， American launched military operations into Afghanistan against both al-Qaeda and their hosts。As the three prime Afghan sources within the work attest， it appears that there was however an almost total lack of any understanding of life within Afghanistan， of the nature of either the societies within， or at times， with even the physical terrain of the country and the multiple implications of that terrain。 No understanding， appreciation or preparation for the centuries old clan warfare， tribal conflict， ethnicities， varying religious interpretations or history of broken alliances and duplicity。 The decay set in almost immediately。 Soon after the American actions began Arab al-Qaeda were in flight from the country， the Taliban regime collapsed with former loyalists deserting。 Hence the Americans and their partners had no material or actual enemies to engage， to fight， enmasse from circa November 2001。 Many Afghans sought to fill in the void left by the Taliban collapse and many appeared to either rally towards the Western vision of what the country needed to， and would， become or effectively retire as trying to shape their society in search of peaceful lives 。Yet mistakes， or outright stupidity， saw the western forces either kill or imprison time and time again those who were pro-Western， pro-American from as early as January 2002。 There followed multiple and recurring examples of the killing or shattering of pro-government militia’s formed against corrupt police chiefs put in place by the Western supported Afghan government。 Denounced by said police to the Americans as Taliban， the Americans were either mono simplistic tools， or willing partners， in killing and imprisoning those who were effectively on their side。 Time and again they allowed themselves to be manipulated in their singly focused pursuit of wiping out “the Taliban” to rid someone’s rivals from the scene on that person behalf or word。 One case where a “tea boy”， who was being abused by an Afghan government appointed official， ends up in Cuba at 12 years old as the youngest inmate at Guantanamo， is truly mind boggling inhuman and stupid to a degree， for this reader， of incomprehension。 So to those who are arrested， tortured and when subsequently found to have been wrongly arrested are released with nothing more than a “sorry”， who are expected to forgive an forget and align again with Western visions of their new society。In an ancient culture of rampant corruption， conflicting tribal laws and brutal， often fatal， man v man， tribe re tribe， ethnicity vs ethnicity could America and the Western forces， or indeed anyone， have succeeded in riding the country of one main regime and several others to bring peaceful and effective unity to Afghanistan？ History tells us it is very unlikely。 Will lessons be learned ？ The last ~120 years of Western engagement in the country points very likely also to not。Afghanistan， grave yard of empires， only ever conquered by vary interpretations of a common religion。 Afghanistan where women and children remain brutally supressed， person fights person for the meagre resources to survive， ethnicity pool with ethnicity and tribe with tribe to survive has again resisted non-religious doctrines to remain the way it has been for millennia。 As told through Afghan eyes。 。。。more
Jacob Christian Stergos
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This book is a masterpiece of journalism， and nonfiction writing more broadly。 The incredible lengths to which Anand Gopal went to capture these stories is amazing enough。 That he writes them well and that the people and the country he writes about are so stunningly brought to life is a gift I can’t quite measure。 This was the first book I had read after years of not reading much at all， and it not only got me back into reading， but inspired me to begin getting involved in political work to figh This book is a masterpiece of journalism， and nonfiction writing more broadly。 The incredible lengths to which Anand Gopal went to capture these stories is amazing enough。 That he writes them well and that the people and the country he writes about are so stunningly brought to life is a gift I can’t quite measure。 This was the first book I had read after years of not reading much at all， and it not only got me back into reading， but inspired me to begin getting involved in political work to fight back against the American madness and depravity that has wrought such pain on the people of Afghanistan。 Not many books have that kind of power， but this one did， for me at least。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Susan Conard
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It's a thought provoker for sure。 Afghanistan people have to be resilient to tolerate the hell their country has been through， from those within and those who invaded。 It's a thought provoker for sure。 Afghanistan people have to be resilient to tolerate the hell their country has been through， from those within and those who invaded。 。。。more
Chris
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We are the bad guys。
Darko
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Gut wrenching and eye opening account on the war in Afghanistan told through stories of real people who lived through it all。 Recently published （and for some reason largely ignored） Afghanistan papers confirm Gopal's version of US military's ignorance of the culture and the region they invaded and still inhabit。 Gut wrenching and eye opening account on the war in Afghanistan told through stories of real people who lived through it all。 Recently published （and for some reason largely ignored） Afghanistan papers confirm Gopal's version of US military's ignorance of the culture and the region they invaded and still inhabit。 。。。more
Wendy
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Truly excellent and absorbing account of American （mis）adventures in Afghanistan， told through the lives of several very different Afghans。 The overarching narrative is unsurprisingly distressing and uncomfortable， but so necessary。 Had the feel of "The Seasons of Trouble: Life among the Ruins of Sri Lanka's Civil War，" another amazing/awful piece of nonfiction。 Truly excellent and absorbing account of American （mis）adventures in Afghanistan， told through the lives of several very different Afghans。 The overarching narrative is unsurprisingly distressing and uncomfortable， but so necessary。 Had the feel of "The Seasons of Trouble: Life among the Ruins of Sri Lanka's Civil War，" another amazing/awful piece of nonfiction。 。。。more
Mithilesh Vaidya
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