It was an excellent read and very informative as it. Popular afghanistan books meet your next favorite book. The idea for the story came at least in part from josiah harlan, the first american in afghanistan. The women of afghanistan, iraq, and iran who risk their lives and their beauty to defy the foulness of theocracy. Mohammed zahir shah was the king of afghanistan from 1933 to 1973 and during his time as the monarch he transformed the country in more ways than one as a result of which he is regarded as a towering figure in the countrys history. The story of the british invasion of afghanistan in 183942 what was later called the first afghan war can be briefly told.
It happened under the rule of the ghaznavid dynasty in ancient khurasan, the mongol. William dalrymple in the spring of 1839 british forces invaded afghanistan for the first time, reestablishing shah shuja on the throne and ushering in a period of conflict over the territory still unresolved today. The taliban subsequently won control of kandahar, and by 1996 they had gained control over much of afghanistan, including kabul, either by force or through forming alliances with other mujahidin. Like an eagle 1967, the first afghan feature film shot entirely in afghanistan, takes as its subject the jeshnthe countrys annual national celebration, analogous to an independence day like the fourth of july or bastille day.
As afghanistan decides what it means to be afghan, it faces a kaleidoscope of moving perspectives. However, his ties with the infidel british make him unpopular. The best books on understanding the war in afghanistan. The return of a king, the battle for afghanistan, 183942 by william dalrymple, alfred a. Ayaan hirsi ali and azar nafisi as their ideal feminine model. Return of a king will come to be seen as the definitive account of the first and most disastrous western attempt to invade afghanistan. Id highly recommend the following books descent into chaos ahmed rashid if you only read one thing about american policy in afghanistan and pakistan, let it be this book. William dalrymple return of a king the battle f book. The book traces the mounting british interest in afghanistan as part of the great game, the balanceofpower competition between britain and russia for influence in the region. Return of a king is an account of britains invasion and occupation of afghanistan in 183942, known as the first anglo afghan war, which was fought between british east india company and afghanistan. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read return of a king. The taliban established a government headed by mullah muhammad omar, the groups spiritual leader and a military leader as well until his death c. Feb 02, 2014 the king of the book s title shah shuja was a british appointment and gratifyingly pliable.
The battle for afghanistan, written by the scottish historian william dalrymple. This acclaimed book by william dalrymple is available at in several formats for your ereader. Muhammad zahir shah, who has died aged 92, was king of afghanistan for 40 years. Feb 15, 20 it might come to be seen that all of william dalrymples previous books have served as his apprenticeship for the return of a king. The return of a king is the definitive analysis of the first afghan war. To my surprise, its a very carefully written, and wellreferenced book. The return of a king is both the definitive analysis of the first angloafghan war and a work of. Kingdom examines afghanistan through the prism of the. In a shop of used books, i found a used copy of this book with cheaper price and i decided to give it a try, and bought it. Dost mohammad khan greatgreat grandfather of the las. His travels are exciting, but compared to the places in between, they fall flat. The author spent time in both afghanistan and pakistan during its research and elaborates on the obvious parallels with the current situation, as western forces prepare their own ignominious exit from afghanistan. Sep 27, 2016 journalist joshua partlow was in afghanistan from 2009 to 2012, a time of corruption, government dysfunction and civilian hostility to u. On november 2014, british historian and writer william dalrymple discussed his book, return of a king.
I was expecting a lot of errors that westerns authors often make about specifics of afghanistan and its people. The author spent time in both afghanistan and pakistan during its research and elaborates on. The conflict resulted in the near complete destruction of an entire british army, with deaths of 4,500 british and indian soldiers, plus 12,000 of their camp followers. In the spring of 1839, the british invaded afghanistan for the first time. Ahmad shah durrani was the first to rule the durrani empire 1747 1823 and is regarded as the father of the nation.
The battle for afghanistan by dalrymple, william isbn. Postwithdrawal puzzle of policy options for india, pakistan and afghanistan postamerican withdrawal from afghanistan scenario after december 2014 and puzzle. In the spring of 1839 british forces invaded afghanistan for the first time, reestablishing shah shuja on the throne and ushering in a period of conflict over the territory still unresolved today. The battle for afghanistan by william dalrymple isbn. Return of a king, the battle for afghanistan by william. On the way in, the british faced little resistance.
The battle for afghanistan, 183942 ebook written by william dalrymple. The battle for afghanistan no one else could have written such a book, for no living writer has so completely unpicked the narrative threads of britains greatest imperial disaster. In the spring of 1839, a gaudy pageant of 20,000 british and east india company troops marc. Time and again as you read the book youll be struck, like dalrymple, by the. The battle for afghanistan 18391842, draws on afghanistans violent history to provide lessons for its future. List of books and articles about taliban online research. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. There is no need to tell the story here, this is the second dalrymple book i have read in a short space of time. A company of paratroopers and its heroic struggle to survive in the mountains of afghanistan zoroya, gregg, mcraven, admiral william h. Afghanistan is bordered by iran on the west, by pakistan on the east and south, and by turkmenistan, uzbekistan, and tajikistan on the north. The battle for afghanistan, 183942 book online at best prices in india on. Rashid is also the author of the authoritative taliban.
But after two years of occupation, the afghan people rose in. New book on afghanistan war is revealing, misleading the. Nfp root 82645 that in been vbn mark 82474 this dt book nn det 82320 a dt. Vb aux 10852 afghanistan nnp in in pobj 10852 through in made vbn prep. The battle for afghanistan 183842, in a dean of facultyrectors tea talk at yalenus. Return of a king is a work of deep scholarship, informed by the authors decades of engagement with india and extensive research in pakistan and afghanistan the times a major contribution to the historiography of southwest asia and of the british empire. Informed by the authors decadeslong firsthand knowledge of afghanistan, and superbly shaped by his hallmark gifts as a narrative historian and his singular eye for the evocation of place and culture, the return of a king is both the definitive analysis of the first angloafghan war and a work of stunning topicality. Jun 26, 20 the book traces the mounting british interest in afghanistan as part of the great game, the balanceofpower competition between britain and russia for influence in the region. Analysis of the first afghan war, 18391842, told through the lives of characters on all sides and using. Return of a king, now available in paperback, is dalrymples eighth book and it is, of course, marvellous. In the 1950s, zahir shah began modernizing the country. Book burning was a common practice in the despotic empires and authoritarian regimes of the middle ages, as well as the nationstates of the 20 th century. Your last book is ben macintyre s the man who would be king. Return of a king is a catalogue of military incompetence, stupidity and treachery on a monumental scale, and the story is told in simple, yet very elegant, prose.
Led by lancers in scarlet cloaks and plumed shakos, nearly 20,000 british and east india company troops poured through the passes and reestablished on the throne shah shuja ulmulk. In fact lets just say that in my opinion, narrative history that is as good as it gets. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan books. Return of a king is a history of the british invasion of afghanistan in 1839, one of those passages of history the close examination of which requires a strong stomachand which therefore also require the most thorough investigation. We are in fact going to consider the future of afghanistan and its retreat from afghanistan, the wests retreat, by virtue of going back to 1942, much like the retreat in 1842 was done by way of kabul, william. The politics of literary censorship in afghanistan fair. Literary censorship in afghanistan has always been part of a larger cultural project of nationbuilding. The story of the british invasion of afghanistan in 183942 what was later.
I remember i finished this book flying from herat to mazaresharif in the summer of 2009. He expanded afghanistan s diplomatic relations with many countries, including with both cold war sides. Books set in afghanistan 518 books set in afghanistan. A british army entered the country in april 1839, captured kabul and.
Im so pleased to welcome into the studio william dalrymple, the author of return of a king. New book on afghanistan war is revealing, misleading by scott taylor may. He expanded afghanistans diplomatic relations with many countries, including with both cold war sides. The return of a king focuses on the first british battle for afghanistan in 183942, where the british military under the command of the east india company, reinstated shah shuja to replace dost mohammad on the afghan throne, before facing an uprising the following year. The battle for afghanistan, 183942, by william dalrymple. Dalrymple spices up the early chapters with new information on espionage in afghanistan, including the cloakanddagger rivalry between the british diplomat and.
Nov 30, 2012 peter tomsen has crafted an immense project with the wars of afghanistan. His views of afghanistan are very romantic and blackandwhite, and the book is a lot about him. Jan 01, 20 in the spring of 1839 british forces invaded afghanistan for the first time, reestablishing shah shuja on the throne and ushering in a period of conflict over the territory still unresolved today. The battle for afghanistan, 183942 by william dalrymple. As the lengthy bibliography and 34 pages of endnotes. Jan 26, 20 of dalrymples recent works, return of a king is perhaps the most directly relevant to the present day. The battle for afghanistan, 183942 dalrymple, william on. List of books and articles about afghan history online. The title is taken from the kipling novel of the same name, in which a westerner goes to somewhere like afghanistan and is made king. Like the first alifrazier fight, its a full 15 rounds of breathtaking drama and. Feb 04, 20 in the spring of 1839, the british invaded afghanistan for the first time. Of the books swooped into being by his scholarship to which he himself has applied the adjective obsessive, this one is the most magnificent. This latest book in the saga, the return of a king, captures the british at the cusp of a.
Of dalrymples recent works, return of a king is perhaps the most directly relevant to the present day. But after two years of occupation, the afghan people rose in answer to. Like rory stewart, seierstad came to afghanistan two weeks after the fall of the taliban. What are some good books to read about afghan history. Return of a king is an account of britains invasion and occupation of afghanistan in 183942, known as the first angloafghan war, which was fought between british east india company and afghanistan.
William dalrymple a towering history of the first afghan war by bestselling historian william dalrymple in the spring of 1839, the british invaded afghanistan for the first time. Mohammed zahir shah biography childhood, life achievements. The british retreat in 1842 was an extraordinary defeat for the empire at. Powerfully written, wellresourced and wellreferenced, it serves as a large mainstream addition to understanding the political situation of afghanistan and pakistan in relation to previous empires and to the united states in particular. The seductive artistry of dalrymples narrative gift draws the reader into events that are sometimes. The first book, heroes of the age, looks at the competition within afghanistan between tribe, state and islam. William dalrymple on return of a king the hugh hewitt show.
All books set in afghanistan on mappits literary map. The battle for afghanistan, 183942 william dalrymple on. Identity and perception local, tribal, and religious identities in the hindu kush region have always shifted depending on ones point of view. Afghanistan was strategically important for the british to stabilize and expand their control and trade in asia. One of the great pleasures of writing my new book, return of a king. Apr 14, 2017 15 great books about iraq, afghanistan indispensible from the familiar to the obscure, novelist and military man jesse goolsby runs down the poetry, fiction, memoir and history you need to make.
Colorful afghan history in return of a king newsday. It is definitely not a book without merit, but the places in between is just so much more. So a plan was made, defying the intelligence reports suggesting otherwise, to invade afghanistan and install a puppet shah shuja as the king, and take indirect control of afghanistan. William dalrymple return of a king the battle f book za. The battle of afghanistan which has been shortlisted for the samuel johnson, duff cooper and pen hesseltiltman prizes. Sixteen topnotch academicians, generals and young scholars were invited to discuss the topic american withdrawal from afghanistan in december 2014. I bought this book as a history about the first afghan war of 18391842, a conflict most people are not aware of. Both a ripping yarn and a warning from history, an epic of a past debacle echoes through the present. Mirwais hotak was the first emperor of the hotaki empire 1709 1738. This article lists the heads of state of afghanistan since the foundation of the first afghan state, the hotak empire, in 1709 the hotak empire was formed after a successful uprising led by mirwais hotak and other afghan tribal chiefs from kandahar against mughal and persian rule. However, her book is a different kind of portrait of afghans and afghanistan than stewarts account of his walk from herat to kabul. Led by lancers in scarlet cloaks and plumed shakos, nearly 20,000 british and east india company troops poured through the high mountain passes and reestablished on the throne shah shuja ulmulk.
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