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9781250069269

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A brilliant, incisive work of storytelling and analysis. Of all the recent books on Afghanistan, this one stands out like a bright shining light, revealing the truth of the war from the ground up. Breathtaking and magnificent, this is a must read.--Ahmed Rashid, author of Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia

Gopal has produced the best piece of investigative journalism to come out of Afghanistan in the past twelve years. He has a deep knowledge of the rural south, took great risks in visiting some of the most dangerous insurgent areas and has conducted thousands of hours of interviews.... His book should be a model for all our analysis of intervention, from Libya to contemporary Iraq. Rory Stewart, New Statesman (UK)</p> A brilliant, incisive work of storytelling and analysis. Of all the recent books on Afghanistan, this one stands out like a bright shining light, revealing the truth of the war from the ground up. Breathtaking and magnificent, this is a must read. Ahmed Rashid, author of Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia</p>

Gopal has produced the best piece of investigative journalism to come out of Afghanistan in the past twelve years. He has a deep knowledge of the rural south, took great risks in visiting some of the most dangerous insurgent areas and has conducted thousands of hours of interviews.... His book should be a model for all our analysis of intervention, from Libya to contemporary Iraq. --Rory Stewart, New Statesman (UK) A brilliant, incisive work of storytelling and analysis. Of all the recent books on Afghanistan, this one stands out like a bright shining light, revealing the truth of the war from the ground up. Breathtaking and magnificent, this is a must read. --Ahmed Rashid, author of Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia

A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice Gopal's book is essential reading for anyone concerned about how America got Afghanistan so wrong. It is a devastating, well-honed prosecution detailing how our government bungled the initial salvo in the so-called war on terror, ignored attempts by top Taliban leaders to surrender, trusted the wrong people and backed a feckless and corrupt Afghan regime.... It is ultimately the most compelling account I've read of how Afghans themselves see the war. -- The New York Times Book Review A brilliant analysis of our military's dysfunction and a startlingly clear account of the consequences. --Mother Jones Extraordinary . . . Brilliantly written . . . Gopal's method of going deep into the lives of several Talibs, warlords, and ordinary Afghans--he includes an exhilarating portrait of one Afghan woman--demonstrates how different the Americans' 'mistakes' feel when the dead, injured, and traumatized people have been amply humanized. --Bookforum With a plethora of policy-oriented works on Afghanistan having appeared in recent years, Anand Gopal wisely chooses to tell the war's story from the personal perspective of three characters.... Gopal displays a keen understanding of the levers of power in Afghan society and their sometimes devastating effect on individuals trying to make their way in the world. -- Los Angeles Times The level of craftsmanship in this book is often awe-inspiring. . . . Provides unique insights into America's intervention in Afghanistan and makes important contributions to our understanding of the conflict there. --Foreign Policy Haunting . . . Presents a stirring critique of American forces who commanded overwhelming firepower, but lacked the situational knowledge to achieve their objectives . . . Gopal reveals the fragility of the tenuous connection between intention and destiny in a war-torn land. --Publishers Weekly

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ANAND GOPAL has served as an Afghanistan correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and The Christian Science Monitor, and has reported on the Middle East and South Asia for Harper's, The Nation, The New Republic, Foreign Policy, and other publications. He is an INCITE fellow at Columbia University.

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