Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History
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- Author：Thomas Barfield
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Summary
A major history of Afghanistan and its changing political culture
Afghanistan traces the historic struggles and the changing nature of political authority in this volatile region of the world， from the Mughal Empire in the sixteenth century to the Taliban resurgence today。 Thomas Barfield introduces readers to the bewildering diversity of tribal and ethnic groups in Afghanistan， explaining what unites them as Afghans despite the regional， cultural， and political differences that divide them。 He shows how governing these peoples was relatively easy when power was concentrated in a small dynastic elite， but how this delicate political order broke down in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries when Afghanistan's rulers mobilized rural militias to expel first the British and later the Soviets。 Armed insurgency proved remarkably successful against the foreign occupiers， but it also undermined the Afghan government's authority and rendered the country ever more difficult to govern as time passed。 Barfield vividly describes how Afghanistan's armed factions plunged the country into a civil war， giving rise to clerical rule by the Taliban and Afghanistan's isolation from the world。 He examines why the American invasion in the wake of September 11 toppled the Taliban so quickly， and how this easy victory lulled the United States into falsely believing that a viable state could be built just as easily。
Afghanistan is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how a land conquered and ruled by foreign dynasties for more than a thousand years became the graveyard of empires for the British and Soviets， and what the United States must do to avoid a similar fate。
Afghanistan traces the historic struggles and the changing nature of political authority in this volatile region of the world， from the Mughal Empire in the sixteenth century to the Taliban resurgence today。 Thomas Barfield introduces readers to the bewildering diversity of tribal and ethnic groups in Afghanistan， explaining what unites them as Afghans despite the regional， cultural， and political differences that divide them。 He shows how governing these peoples was relatively easy when power was concentrated in a small dynastic elite， but how this delicate political order broke down in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries when Afghanistan's rulers mobilized rural militias to expel first the British and later the Soviets。 Armed insurgency proved remarkably successful against the foreign occupiers， but it also undermined the Afghan government's authority and rendered the country ever more difficult to govern as time passed。 Barfield vividly describes how Afghanistan's armed factions plunged the country into a civil war， giving rise to clerical rule by the Taliban and Afghanistan's isolation from the world。 He examines why the American invasion in the wake of September 11 toppled the Taliban so quickly， and how this easy victory lulled the United States into falsely believing that a viable state could be built just as easily。
Afghanistan is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how a land conquered and ruled by foreign dynasties for more than a thousand years became the graveyard of empires for the British and Soviets， and what the United States must do to avoid a similar fate。
Reviews
Jacoobali
，
Enjoyed reading it， maybe the authors conclusion could of came true if the Taliban didn't take over the country within one week。 Enjoyed reading it， maybe the authors conclusion could of came true if the Taliban didn't take over the country within one week。 。。。more
Andrew Jose
，
A must read for anyone seeking an introduction into the distant and recent past of the country to better comprehend present events and the trajectories Afghanistan's future heads along A must read for anyone seeking an introduction into the distant and recent past of the country to better comprehend present events and the trajectories Afghanistan's future heads along 。。。more
David Feitzinger
，
A detailed and extensive description of Afghan history。 The author does not just focus on chronologically listing historical events but also takes into account cultural， religious and political developments。 This book really helps in understanding the complex situation in Afghanistan and overcoming the many stereotypes about the country。 I really hope I get to visit this historic place sometime。
M。J。
，
Great overview of Afghanistan's history from as early as can be traced。 I came away with a much better understanding of the country and cyclical problems that have persisted into today。 I wish the nation and its people the best for its future overcoming many challenges。 Afghanistan is fascinatingly diverse and rich with culture。。 plus Afghan food is amazing！ Great overview of Afghanistan's history from as early as can be traced。 I came away with a much better understanding of the country and cyclical problems that have persisted into today。 I wish the nation and its people the best for its future overcoming many challenges。 Afghanistan is fascinatingly diverse and rich with culture。。 plus Afghan food is amazing！ 。。。more
Urie Kline
，
A wonderfully compact overview of an otherwise enigmatic country。 Impressively， it manages to both cover the deep span of history for the region while presenting said history in a compact and readable way。 An anthropologist， Barfield also does a nice job of injecting his history with a good deal of social science， so that readers can come away with a much better and more nuanced view of Afghan culture and the people themselves。 I will say that he repeats himself often， and as you get closer to t A wonderfully compact overview of an otherwise enigmatic country。 Impressively， it manages to both cover the deep span of history for the region while presenting said history in a compact and readable way。 An anthropologist， Barfield also does a nice job of injecting his history with a good deal of social science， so that readers can come away with a much better and more nuanced view of Afghan culture and the people themselves。 I will say that he repeats himself often， and as you get closer to the end， this becomes more grating。 Perhaps he wasn't confident that his audience would "get it"， or that may be his genuine presentation style。 In the long run it did not detract from my enjoyment and engagement with the subject。 。。。more
Jason Sebera
，
Notorious for incessant conflict。。。 Infamous for birthing the Taliban。。。 "Afghanistan is one of those places in the world in which people who know the least make the most definitive statements about it"（Barfield， 274）。 A very deep dive into Afghanistan's identity， Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History by Thomas Barfield， illuminates the reader to an incredibly diverse and， arguably， perplexing nation。 Covering its vast history and， perhaps more importantly， the cultural intricacies tha Notorious for incessant conflict。。。 Infamous for birthing the Taliban。。。 "Afghanistan is one of those places in the world in which people who know the least make the most definitive statements about it"（Barfield， 274）。 A very deep dive into Afghanistan's identity， Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History by Thomas Barfield， illuminates the reader to an incredibly diverse and， arguably， perplexing nation。 Covering its vast history and， perhaps more importantly， the cultural intricacies that form the context， Barfield's presentation is comprehensive。 A very informative read。 。。。more
Ironically Nostalgic
，
Stunning ethnographic and historiographic survey of Afghanistan。 While Barfield's commentary on the ongoing U。S。 counterinsurgency is essential reading， his overview of the Soviet-Afghan war and the ensuing civil war provides even more foundational work on the nature of conflict in the region。 A thorough text altogether。 One of the best portraits of a nation and its people that has come out in the last twenty years。 Stunning ethnographic and historiographic survey of Afghanistan。 While Barfield's commentary on the ongoing U。S。 counterinsurgency is essential reading， his overview of the Soviet-Afghan war and the ensuing civil war provides even more foundational work on the nature of conflict in the region。 A thorough text altogether。 One of the best portraits of a nation and its people that has come out in the last twenty years。 。。。more
Liam
，
"[F]or most of the past two and a half millennia the lands of the Hindu Kush were component part of larger empires， and constituted a frontier zone of conflict between neighboring states。 These had their centers in Iran （Achaemenid， Parthian， Sassanian， Seljukid， Il khanate， Safavid， and Afsharid）， India （Mayuran and Mughal）， or central Asia （Mongol， Timurid， and Uzebek）。 When Afghanistan itself was the center of an empire （Kushan， Ghazavid， Ghorid， and Durrani）， it served primarily as a base of "[F]or most of the past two and a half millennia the lands of the Hindu Kush were component part of larger empires， and constituted a frontier zone of conflict between neighboring states。 These had their centers in Iran （Achaemenid， Parthian， Sassanian， Seljukid， Il khanate， Safavid， and Afsharid）， India （Mayuran and Mughal）， or central Asia （Mongol， Timurid， and Uzebek）。 When Afghanistan itself was the center of an empire （Kushan， Ghazavid， Ghorid， and Durrani）， it served primarily as a base of operations for states that drew most of their revenue from India or Khorasan。 What might strike contemporary Afghans as surprising was that only the Durrani Empire was ruled by Pashtuns。 From the mid-tenth century to the mid-eighteenth century， every dynasty that ruled in this region was either of Turko-Mongolian origin or had a military that was dominated by Turko-Mongolian peoples。" （66-7）"Martyrdom in battle might be a noble sacrifice that granted entry into paradise， but becoming a ghazi， the living victor of a jihad， was better。 Afghans therefore rejected the tactic of suicide bombings so popular among Arab jihadists， and did not employ them even during the Soviet war。 They also disapproved of terrorist acts that deliberately targeted noncombatants because they were dishonorable and not justified by Islamic law。 In Afghanistan， where today's enemy might be tomorrow's ally and blood feuds created rifts that were hard to mend， indiscriminate slaughter was ultimately counterproductive。 Of course， groups like al Qaeda had their own reasons for not seeking Afghan recruits: they were too independent and failed to follow orders when they disagreed with them。" （268）"The Durrani Pashtuns of southern Afghanistan lived under very different conditions。 Their territories generally lay within the zone of state control， and they had access to dependable sources of wealth based on irrigated agriculture， with access to trade and cities。 This helps explain why they developed a much more hierarchical social and political structure。 Benefiting from the large tax-free land grands first given to them by Ahmad Shah Durrani in the eighteenth century， they had developed a ruling class whose inherited power lasted centuries。 As a result， their leaders were generally better educated and more sophisticated than their rural Ghilzai counterparts。 Durrani leaders also had the ability to command their tribal followers because they had long ago reduced many of them to the status of clients whose support they could count on。" （286-7） 。。。more
Russ
，
I read one book about Afghanistan annually， and found this one to be among the most informative。 I'd long understood that Afghanistan never quite fit into other categories--too far east to be in the Middle East， too southern to be in Central Asia， too northern to be part of South Asia--but it had not fully sunk into me the extent to which Afghanistan has served as a buffer state between neighboring powers。 Persians， India， and Russia being the main but not the only ones over the centuries。Relate I read one book about Afghanistan annually， and found this one to be among the most informative。 I'd long understood that Afghanistan never quite fit into other categories--too far east to be in the Middle East， too southern to be in Central Asia， too northern to be part of South Asia--but it had not fully sunk into me the extent to which Afghanistan has served as a buffer state between neighboring powers。 Persians， India， and Russia being the main but not the only ones over the centuries。Relatedly， I did not appreciate how the old Afghan heads of state， particularly in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries， tended to partner with one of the neighboring powers （most often the British via India） and fall under their foreign policy umbrella in exchange for copious aid money。 These arrangements also helped the Afghan leaders domestically because it meant a lighter tax burden on the population and increased the subjects' political acceptance of the king。I also learned about the Swiss cheese model of nationhood/governance。 Imagine a map of a country governed by a king。 Then imagine that there are bands of isolated people in the mountains or other remote places that basically keep to themselves and do not live along major routes。 These are like the holes in Swiss cheese。 The old Afghan chiefs and kings recognized that， and were content not to have 100 percent overlordship of each little pocket of territory。 They understood that that's what Swiss cheese looks like。The book also debunks the myth that the country has always been in a state of war。 That has been true since the 1970s but before that there were long stretches of decades when the country was at peace。 The real problems started when Afghan Communists took over and then the Soviets invaded to prop them up， destroying opposition political parties and setting the stage （once the Soviet Union could no longer aid Afghanistan） for a power vacuum to be filled in the 1990s by Pakistan-backed jihadists。 The early sections of the book helped show that the concept of splitting the country apart into smaller countries along ethnic lines is as unlikely as it is inadvisable。 There's a lot of demographic overlap and blurring throughout the country， and that's never really been the driving force behind the "ungovernability" of Afghanistan。 The issue seems to be more that people in the countryside resent it when some muckety muck in Kabul tries to tell them how to live their lives。The format and tone of the book could have stood some improvement。 A lot of instruction about journalism and nonfiction writing tells authors to assume that their audience is intelligent but uninformed。 But in this book the writer seems to assume historical knowledge about Afghanistan that I simply did not have。 Sometimes I wished it would have started out a chapter with a straightforward， linear description of how a particular king rose and fell from power。 But there tended to be some jumping around and explanations of trends over dynasties， so it could be a little annoying to follow。The book was pretty much stuck to the facts when describing the foreign policy of Disraeli and Brezhnev。 But once we get to the 2000s there was a lot of negative opinion and ascribing of motives to Bush。 At that point the book became more assertion-based than fact-based。 。。。more
Daniel
，
Gute Übersicht， zum Ende etwas langwierig。 Durchaus keine leichte Lektüre， gehobenes Englisch。 Gut strukturiert und erklärt。
Roy McCullough
，
Although I am a bit removed from the subject nowadays and therefore probably ignorant of more recent contributions to the literature， I would be willing to bet that this still ranks up there as one of the best， if not the best， 1-volume treatment of Afghanistan's political and cultural history。 In this ambitious work， Barfield examines the long and typically unhappy history of foreign intervention in Afghanistan， the evolution of internal political structures and shifting political dynamics that Although I am a bit removed from the subject nowadays and therefore probably ignorant of more recent contributions to the literature， I would be willing to bet that this still ranks up there as one of the best， if not the best， 1-volume treatment of Afghanistan's political and cultural history。 In this ambitious work， Barfield examines the long and typically unhappy history of foreign intervention in Afghanistan， the evolution of internal political structures and shifting political dynamics that have often， and at great cost， been misunderstood by outsiders， and the complicated patchwork of ethnic tribal groups （and their rivalries） comprising this fractious country。 Still a useful read today。 。。。more
Dan Nuxoll
，
The subtitle is a good summary。 This book explores the past couple of hundred years of the history of Afghanistan， focusing on the cultural tendencies that have affected politics。 I appreciated that the book did not jump immediately into the current situation; only about a third of the book deals with the era after the Soviet invasion。 The book examines the persistent characteristics of Afghanistan， not current events which means that the book is relevant even a decade after publication。 The boo The subtitle is a good summary。 This book explores the past couple of hundred years of the history of Afghanistan， focusing on the cultural tendencies that have affected politics。 I appreciated that the book did not jump immediately into the current situation; only about a third of the book deals with the era after the Soviet invasion。 The book examines the persistent characteristics of Afghanistan， not current events which means that the book is relevant even a decade after publication。 The book emphasizes the Afghanistan has a number of regions that serve as the building blocks of the nation。 Because much of the economy is subsistence farming， these regions have been economically independent， and the ethnic composition differs signficantly across regions。 The author pays a good deal of attention to the tribes and sub-tribes。 Although the regions are quite distinct and although the people are fractious， the author is convinced that there is a commonality which will ensure the survival of the country。 The existence of these different regions raises the question of how the leaders of Afghanistan rose to power and how they maintained their power。 The author stresses that elections do not legitimate a leader; rather the people look to results， notably the ability to maintain order。 Afghanistan has been at war for almost forty years now， so the question of how to establish a stable government is obviously vital。 。。。more
Kaisa
，
4。5
Josh Friedlander
，
Went in hoping to have my heart won by Afghanistan's ancient cuisine， customs， music， etc etc。。。but contra the title this book is mostly politics and not much culture， and the politics is， as expected， pretty bleak！ Among lots of names and details the broad strokes are well known。 Afghanistan is the "graveyard of empires" not because it's very desirable territory - it's a harsh land， sparsely populated by primitive villagers eking out a living - but superpowers have invaded only for incidental r Went in hoping to have my heart won by Afghanistan's ancient cuisine， customs， music， etc etc。。。but contra the title this book is mostly politics and not much culture， and the politics is， as expected， pretty bleak！ Among lots of names and details the broad strokes are well known。 Afghanistan is the "graveyard of empires" not because it's very desirable territory - it's a harsh land， sparsely populated by primitive villagers eking out a living - but superpowers have invaded only for incidental reasons （Britain sought a buffer against Russian influence， Russia to prop up a Communists ally， the US to drive out al-Qaeda） and regretted it。Barfield is is an anthropologist* （another reason I'd hoped for more about religion， poetry， customs， rather than war and politics） and talks about Ibn Khaldoun's model of nomadic vs sedentary peoples， and the four-generational model of societies - starting with energetic desert tribes attacking sedentary urbanites， success and prosperity， the descent into decadence and eventual renewal of the cycle。 This is a better way of dividing Afghanistan's various rulers than as different empires （Ottoman/Safavid/Moghul， or Russian sphere/British sphere/Arab sphere） or by ethnicity。 The country has a potpourri of ethnicities （Turk， Persian， Arab， Indian， Tajik， Uzbek）， but a plurality is Pashtun。 No one has any real idea how large the population is。Some terms: tanistry， feudatory， segmented lineage。A word often used about the country is "mediaeval"。 Barfield acknowledges that there is some truth to it， both in terms of the premodern economy and lifestyles prevalent in much of the country， and in how identity is defined primarily by religion。 Afghanistan's religious identity runs deep （legend has it that the father of the Pashtuns， Qais Abdul Rasheed， went to Mecca and met Mohammed）。 Afghans see their country as the defender of the faith， and assume that even their more heterodox practices must automatically be Islamic by definition。The end of the book is a long， dreary chronicle of America's bloody and expensive failures。 In conclusion Barfield argues that Afghan ungovernability is a myth: most of its history has worked well， just with a "Swiss cheese" model （decentralized rule with gaps， control the economically productive bits and do what you can about the remote areas that don't listen）， not the homogeneous， centralised "American cheese" of post-2001 （or the Communist regime）。 On hot issues like social change， it's better to start in cities， and not try force things onto the rural areas。This book was a good guide， though it did feel more like a CIA briefing and less like National Geographic。 But in its wake I'm now rereading The Road to Oxiana - now here is a book enchanted by the culture of Persia and Central Asia， rapt by Timurids and Uzbeks！ - so all is good。*A historiographic note from Barfield I enjoyed but couldn't fit into the body of this review: generally people describe things in terms of what they're used to。 So they'll recount "the famine was so bad that grain cost twenty zigs for a flurkel！" but WITHOUT SAYING THE REGULAR PRICE OF GRAIN！ （By the same token， I guess， that they don't explain what "grain" is。） That's why chronicles by outsiders like de Tocqueville are useful， because they notice things that seem obvious to insiders。 。。。more
Wendy
，
Wholly appreciate the different perspective of this book， written by an anthropologist with extensive experience in Afghanistan。 It's easy to get bogged down in millennia of history， constant invasions or occupations， internal intrigue， and wind up with an impression that Afghanistan is a place to which military things happen， the end。 Yeah， there's plenty of war and intrigue to go around still， but this book does a wonderful job of zooming out to understand the social， cultural， ethnic dynamics Wholly appreciate the different perspective of this book， written by an anthropologist with extensive experience in Afghanistan。 It's easy to get bogged down in millennia of history， constant invasions or occupations， internal intrigue， and wind up with an impression that Afghanistan is a place to which military things happen， the end。 Yeah， there's plenty of war and intrigue to go around still， but this book does a wonderful job of zooming out to understand the social， cultural， ethnic dynamics that generate and influence the politics （and fighting）。 If you're diving into Afghan history， I think this really is a great primer to start with; it will breathe much more sense and understanding into your read of more unruly histories down the road。 。。。more
Dolf Haven
，
This was my first experiment listening to an audio book on my commute to work， and I am happy to say I survived without problems！ Robin Bloodworth is a fantastic narrator， who manages to navigate through complex Afghan names （some patchwork due to corrections is audible） and manages to make a relatively dry book an interesting listen。As a history of Afghanistan， this book is solid。 That said， the balance between the cultural and political sides of history is heavily on the political side， which This was my first experiment listening to an audio book on my commute to work， and I am happy to say I survived without problems！ Robin Bloodworth is a fantastic narrator， who manages to navigate through complex Afghan names （some patchwork due to corrections is audible） and manages to make a relatively dry book an interesting listen。As a history of Afghanistan， this book is solid。 That said， the balance between the cultural and political sides of history is heavily on the political side， which is a pity， for culturally （apart from history being dominated by religious concerns） there is much more to say about Afghanistan。 Also， oddly， the role of foreign influences in Afghanistan， such as the CIA support in the rise of the Taliban， is mysteriously missing or only touched on in a general sense。 I actually became mesmerised with Afghanistan by the 2001 movie Kandahar by Mohsen Makhmalbaf and have been waiting for an opportunity to visit ever since。 The current situation in the country has sadly made that impossible。 I'll take this book as some consolation for not being able to go there。 。。。more
K。M。 Weiland
，
Overall， an excellent and insightful glimpse through some of the misconceptions surrounding this country of unlikely significance。
Carol Palmer
，
I originally bought this book because I wanted to understand Afghanistan and it's history。 This book only made me more confused。 Alas， it is also a very dry readWhat I did learn:"Graveyard of Empires" is more myth than factThe nation is made up of many ethnic regions that choose to stick together under one countryRulers of Afghanistan have no problem taking another's country's side as long as they are paid well。The Taliban came from Pakistan。Pakistanis do make a lot of trouble in modern Afghanis I originally bought this book because I wanted to understand Afghanistan and it's history。 This book only made me more confused。 Alas， it is also a very dry readWhat I did learn:"Graveyard of Empires" is more myth than factThe nation is made up of many ethnic regions that choose to stick together under one countryRulers of Afghanistan have no problem taking another's country's side as long as they are paid well。The Taliban came from Pakistan。Pakistanis do make a lot of trouble in modern AfghanistanThe Taliban's strict rules are a combination of Islam and Pashtoon ethnic traditionsThe Afghanis think that no other people are as Muslim as they are。 They are the Southern Baptists of Islam。 Why should they listen to a cleric from Egypt because they are way more Muslim than the Egyptians （despite the country being incredibly illiterate and can't read the Koran）Despite having the money and the power， Afghanistan's rulers did nothing to build up the country's infrastructure during the 20th century。Many Afghanis were against educating women long before the Taliban came along。It was a big mistake for the US to change focus from Afghanistan to Iraq。 。。。more
Austin Bash
，
Chapters 1-3 of this book will make your head explode， but provide an extremely detailed and necessary look into the nuts and bolts of Afghan society。 Chapters 4-6 deal with the 20th century-present， and contain lots of nuance and uncomfortable truths that will lead you to re-examine your beliefs。 Don't worry about memorizing all the names， dates， etc - focus on the big picture - the important stuff will stick。 Admittedly， Barfield's writing style is a bit pretentious， but overall this is a grea Chapters 1-3 of this book will make your head explode， but provide an extremely detailed and necessary look into the nuts and bolts of Afghan society。 Chapters 4-6 deal with the 20th century-present， and contain lots of nuance and uncomfortable truths that will lead you to re-examine your beliefs。 Don't worry about memorizing all the names， dates， etc - focus on the big picture - the important stuff will stick。 Admittedly， Barfield's writing style is a bit pretentious， but overall this is a great book。 I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about Afghanistan。 。。。more
Will G
，
I got lost in the different tribes and power struggles。 It did lay a good framework for thinking about the motivations of rural vs urban and tribal vs modern。
Rana Sarwar
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 efqpwehfpqwfqwwfjqwefqwfjqwf
Nathan
，
Excellent book covering the mysterious landlocked region known as Afghanistan。 Little is known about this region， despite the West being at war with it for the past 19 years。 This is controversial （not really - it might sting a little bit）。。。Afghanistan has defeated some of the greatest empires in history。 They beat the British （twice）， the Soviets， and the Americans。 The Americans have lost this this war。 They have。
Gabo
，
The book gave me a completely new perspective on the history behind Afghanistan。 I like most others only knew about Afghanistan and its history from news coverage and opinions。 It was very interesting to see how our cultures differ and why one form of government can work in one region and not another。 The reason I took off two stars is because the book repeated itself to many times。 I believe the book might have been reduced by 1/4th had the author not decide to repeat the history line every so The book gave me a completely new perspective on the history behind Afghanistan。 I like most others only knew about Afghanistan and its history from news coverage and opinions。 It was very interesting to see how our cultures differ and why one form of government can work in one region and not another。 The reason I took off two stars is because the book repeated itself to many times。 I believe the book might have been reduced by 1/4th had the author not decide to repeat the history line every so often。 Especially after the US involvement I felt here restated events already addressed multiple time。 。。。more
Ahmadullah Azadani
，
A very nice read elaborating and explaining more than any thing else the social context and structure of Afghanistan and applying to the politics of different times starting from Ahmad Shah Abdali to the more recent time of karzai's administration。 A very nice read elaborating and explaining more than any thing else the social context and structure of Afghanistan and applying to the politics of different times starting from Ahmad Shah Abdali to the more recent time of karzai's administration。 。。。more
James S
，
I approached this book with a near to non-existent knowledge of Afghanistan and it’s history。 I chose the book based on several recommendations due to Barfield’s renown in the field of Afghanistan’s anthropology and politics。 His credibility also takes another big boost due to the fact he actually worked there for several years in the 70’s。 The man knows what he’s talking about！ I’d recommend the book to anyone wanting an in-depth introduction to Afghanistan， even if you already have some backgr I approached this book with a near to non-existent knowledge of Afghanistan and it’s history。 I chose the book based on several recommendations due to Barfield’s renown in the field of Afghanistan’s anthropology and politics。 His credibility also takes another big boost due to the fact he actually worked there for several years in the 70’s。 The man knows what he’s talking about！ I’d recommend the book to anyone wanting an in-depth introduction to Afghanistan， even if you already have some background knowledge。 It is absolutely fascinating and Barfield manages to make a subject that I was expecting to be quite dry a very accessible and enjoyable read。 He describes the multitude of tribes， ethnic groups and their politics at great lengths before even delving into the countries history of nearly continual wars。 Which really provides you with the context required to understand something so alien to Westerners。After reading this book I can really see why American （like so many others） has failed so spectacularly in Afghanistan。 Just like in Iraq after the war （during the creation of the CPA）， they have put so little importance on understanding the culture， and the tribal politics of Afghanistan。 Through this blindness to tribal politics they helped create the Taliban， as they did with ISIS。 The U。S。 government would have done well to make this book mandatory to any personnel on the ground there。 。。。more
Robert C
，
an very well researched and and well written analysis of afghanistan。 I highly recommend reading this book if you're looking for a primer on the history， culture， and politics of Afghanistan。 an very well researched and and well written analysis of afghanistan。 I highly recommend reading this book if you're looking for a primer on the history， culture， and politics of Afghanistan。 。。。more
Lis
，
I was assigned this book for a class I took， Development and Change in Iraq and Afghanistan with a great professor， and I could not recommend this book ENOUGH for how much it taught me about recent Afghan history， the impact of the U。S。 intervention， and the nuances of Afghan identity and cultural history。It's a seriously comprehensive， thoroughly researched and very readable book， and definitely a must-read for people who are interested in learning more about Afghanistan。 I was assigned this book for a class I took， Development and Change in Iraq and Afghanistan with a great professor， and I could not recommend this book ENOUGH for how much it taught me about recent Afghan history， the impact of the U。S。 intervention， and the nuances of Afghan identity and cultural history。It's a seriously comprehensive， thoroughly researched and very readable book， and definitely a must-read for people who are interested in learning more about Afghanistan。 。。。more
Joseph
，
Fantastic， thematic approach to Afghanistan's history。 I have read a handful of other histories of the country and this was the best。 Fantastic， thematic approach to Afghanistan's history。 I have read a handful of other histories of the country and this was the best。 。。。more
Sakendar
，
It is in fact a very intelligent analysis of political and cultural history of Afghanistan。 Thomas Barfield has a masterly command on Afghan history。 I'm of 。I am of the opinion that every political minded Afghan should read this book to understand what Afghanistan is and where it is needed to be lead。 It is in fact a very intelligent analysis of political and cultural history of Afghanistan。 Thomas Barfield has a masterly command on Afghan history。 I'm of 。I am of the opinion that every political minded Afghan should read this book to understand what Afghanistan is and where it is needed to be lead。 。。。more
（a）lyss（a）
，