Overview

A clear-eyed view of the conflict in Afghanistan and its century-deep roots. The war in Afghanistan has consumed vast amounts of blood and treasure, causing the Western powers to seek an exit without achieving victory. Seemingly never-ending, the conflict has become synonymous with a number of issues--global jihad, rampant tribalism, and the narcotics trade--but even though they are cited as the causes of the conflict, they are in fact symptoms. Rather than beginning after 9/11 or with the Soviet invasion in 1979, the current conflict in Afghanistan began with the social reforms imposed by Amanullah Amir in 1919. Western powers have failed to recognize that legitimate grievances are driving the local population to turn to insurgency in Afghanistan. The issues they are willing to fight for have deep roots, forming a hundred-year-long social conflict over questions of secularism, modernity, and centralized power. The first step toward achieving a solution to the Afghanistan problem is to have a clear-eyed view of what is really driving it.

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9798200156108

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Phil Halton has lived, worked, or traveled in war-zones and other dangerous places across five continents. He served for three decades as a senior officer in the Canadian Army, as well as working as a defense and security consultant before turning to writing full-time. His debut novel, This Shall Be a House of Peace, was published by Dundurn Press in 2019, and received a starred review from Book List. Sean Runnette, a multiple AudioFile Earphones Award winner, has produced several Audie Award-winning audiobooks and has also narrated works by John Steinbeck and Richard P. Feynman. Of his performance of The Courage to be Free, AudioFile Magazine wrote Runnette's tender approach to every sentence and paragraph helps the author's wisdom glow. Along with the understated power of the author's writing, Runnette's performance makes this one of the most arresting and thought-provoking audiobooks available today. He is a member of the American Repertory Theater company and has toured internationally with Mabou Mines, an avant-garde theater company. Sean's television and film appearances include Two If by Sea, Copland, Sex and the City, Law & Order, Third Watch.

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