- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: I.B.Tauris (27 Aug 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1850434379
- ISBN-13: 978-1850434375
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14.7 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,315,409 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
The Middle East Magazine: "authoritative study of Afghanistan and its troubles...accessible to both general readers and specialists alike." Peter Avery, King's College, Cambridge: "successfully sustains a new approach to Afghan history... excellent and lucid: a much needed account." Sydney Morning Herald: "if you want an insider's interpretation of modern Afghanistan (and one that is remarkably free from one-sided ideology), this is an excellent primer." "fascinating book" 'This is an excellent book. Clear, analytical, easy to read - on occasion positively gripping. Indeed, this reviewer, when reading it on the train, became so engrossed that he missed his station.' Paul Bergne, Asian Affairs, March 2006
Product Description
Afghanistan's history is a sad one: Soviet invasion in 1979; Pakistan-backed internal conflict in the 1980s; the Taliban regime and then the US invasion after the catastrophe of September 11th. Why does Afghanistan remain so vulnerable to domestic instability, foreign intervention and ideological extremism? Amin Saikal provides us with a sweeping new understanding of this troubled country that grounds Afghanistan's problems in rivalries stemming from a series of dynastic alliances within the successive royal families from the end of the eighteenth century to the pro-Communist coup of 1978. This is the definitive study of Afghanistan.
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RARE IS THE COUNTRY that has sustained as many blows, and such hard blows, as has Afghanistan since its foundation as a distinct political unit in 1747. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
RARE IS THE COUNTRY that has sustained as many blows, and such hard blows, as has Afghanistan since its foundation as a distinct political unit in 1747. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Saikal's "Modern Afghanistan" has several merits that make it stand out among numerous other books about Afghanistan's history:
1. Unlike most Western histories it draws extensively on Russian-language and indigenous Afghan sources, usually ignored by Western scholars
2. It starts with the creation of Afghanistan, moves quickly to the 20th century, and analyses the different political movements that emerged in the last century in considerable detail, and with a refreshing neutrality.
3. Instead of focusing on Afghanistan as a playground of external powers in the 'Great Game', Saikal emphasizes the role of indigenous political forces, without denying the major role played by foreign interference.
4. It is a very readable book, written by an Afghan (for a change) and firmly based on research
What I don't find convincing is the theoretical framework he uses. For example, when insisting that one of the main three variables that shaped Afghan history is 'royal polygamy' it turns out that in fact the problem is the lack of a stable and generally accepted system to transfer power to the heirs (a succession system), not polygamy per se.
Altogether I find it an extremely relevant book to understand the internal politics of Afghanistan today, and I strongly recommend it.
1. Unlike most Western histories it draws extensively on Russian-language and indigenous Afghan sources, usually ignored by Western scholars
2. It starts with the creation of Afghanistan, moves quickly to the 20th century, and analyses the different political movements that emerged in the last century in considerable detail, and with a refreshing neutrality.
3. Instead of focusing on Afghanistan as a playground of external powers in the 'Great Game', Saikal emphasizes the role of indigenous political forces, without denying the major role played by foreign interference.
4. It is a very readable book, written by an Afghan (for a change) and firmly based on research
What I don't find convincing is the theoretical framework he uses. For example, when insisting that one of the main three variables that shaped Afghan history is 'royal polygamy' it turns out that in fact the problem is the lack of a stable and generally accepted system to transfer power to the heirs (a succession system), not polygamy per se.
Altogether I find it an extremely relevant book to understand the internal politics of Afghanistan today, and I strongly recommend it.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
AN INSIDER'S HISTORY OF AFGHANISTAN
24 July 2010
Format:Paperback
Modern Afghanistan
Most books about Afghanistan, are written from the perspective of an informed outsider. Often times this is someone with significant academic experience and even some time on the ground, in country. An argument could be made that the outsider's perspective is a good thing - and has its advantages. Someone who has not experienced the violence that has characterized much of Afghanistan's recent history (1970s to date) is not as personally invested in the events, and can therefore approach the subject more objectively. Again: outsiders are less likely to be subject to ethnic bias, than are those that hail from within those ethnic groups. For all that, however, something has to be said for the advantages of the insider. Some kinds of knowledge are only gained by one who as actually lived the events about which they write. The author of this book falls into the latter category.
Modern Afghanistan is a book about Afghan history, from an insider's viewpoint. The author suggests, up front that "virtually all western scholarly works [on Afghanistan] overlooked some fundamental issues". He numbers these issues as three, and structures his book accordingly. The issues are these: "the dynamic interactive relationship which had evolved between the factors of royal polygamy, major power rivalry and ideological extremism in heavily influencing the evolution of the modern Afghan state ever since its foundation in 1747". The author presents that history broken down chronologically according to Afghanistan's successive rulers. Because of this, it is a history of Afghanistan's elite. Perhaps another example of the fact that history is written by the winners.
As for what the author promises: the book promises much and delivers some. I say that because while I found good information, the book did not contain for me the great revelation that the author promised at the outset. When compared to other books on the subject. Saikal's book is a good compliment to Barnett Rubin's "The Fragmentation of Afghanistan" or Oliver Roy's "Islam and Resistance in Afghanistan". It is similar in scope, content and style to both of those, but does provide a somewhat different perspective. For those wishing to understand the background history of afghanistan, this book is well worth the time and effort invested to read it.
Most books about Afghanistan, are written from the perspective of an informed outsider. Often times this is someone with significant academic experience and even some time on the ground, in country. An argument could be made that the outsider's perspective is a good thing - and has its advantages. Someone who has not experienced the violence that has characterized much of Afghanistan's recent history (1970s to date) is not as personally invested in the events, and can therefore approach the subject more objectively. Again: outsiders are less likely to be subject to ethnic bias, than are those that hail from within those ethnic groups. For all that, however, something has to be said for the advantages of the insider. Some kinds of knowledge are only gained by one who as actually lived the events about which they write. The author of this book falls into the latter category.
Modern Afghanistan is a book about Afghan history, from an insider's viewpoint. The author suggests, up front that "virtually all western scholarly works [on Afghanistan] overlooked some fundamental issues". He numbers these issues as three, and structures his book accordingly. The issues are these: "the dynamic interactive relationship which had evolved between the factors of royal polygamy, major power rivalry and ideological extremism in heavily influencing the evolution of the modern Afghan state ever since its foundation in 1747". The author presents that history broken down chronologically according to Afghanistan's successive rulers. Because of this, it is a history of Afghanistan's elite. Perhaps another example of the fact that history is written by the winners.
As for what the author promises: the book promises much and delivers some. I say that because while I found good information, the book did not contain for me the great revelation that the author promised at the outset. When compared to other books on the subject. Saikal's book is a good compliment to Barnett Rubin's "The Fragmentation of Afghanistan" or Oliver Roy's "Islam and Resistance in Afghanistan". It is similar in scope, content and style to both of those, but does provide a somewhat different perspective. For those wishing to understand the background history of afghanistan, this book is well worth the time and effort invested to read it.
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