Already have Ghost Soldiers, Bear Over the Mountain, and Afghan Guerilla Warfare.

Looking for something more on the history side vs military.

Funny thing maybe only a few of you get, but the other day I sat down to read my daughter a kids book that someone gave us. The Bear Went Over the Mountain. I didn't know that was an old kids book.

The Kite Runner

[This message has been edited by 05RABag (edited 6/24/2009 11:33a).]

The Taliban by Peter Marsden

Taliban by Ahmed Rashid

The Great Game by Peter Hopkirk.

I'm about to start Every Rock, Every Hill, The plane tail of the North-West Frontier & Afghanistan. It's supposed to be a good history of the region.

I know you said you weren't looking for military history but Ghost Wars is very informative.

Sorry I meant Ghost Wars not Ghost Soldiers in my first post.

Thanks for the suggestions. Yesterdary, I was at our public library and found First In: Writting by Schoen who took the first CIA team into Astan after 911. I suppose you can say it picks up after Ghost Wars stops but from his POV. It looks like a quick read. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

CT I'd be interested in how that books goes. On a side note, did we know each other at A&M? I'm assuming we were in the Warrior program together.

I'm not sure if we knew each other or not. I wasn't Army when I was in the Corps and ended up not taking a commision from A&M and going the OCS route.

Got First In. Pretty good/quick read. Gary Schroen does a good job detailing the events that brought about the bombing campaign into Astan and eventually the miliatary effort. I found it interesting that even in the DC circles, someone across the globe calls someone in the middle of the night thinking they know more about what is on the ground. Guess some things are universal between the miliary and CIA even at the strategic level.

I saw In Afghanistan in the airport. Looks like a good summary read.

quote:

---

From Publishers Weekly
Loyn's dense chronicle of foreign meddling in Afghanistan reveals the country's long history of confounding the optimism of invaders. The stories that Loyn (Frontline), a longtime BBC correspondent with considerable experience in Afghanistan, recounts bear this out with chilling inevitability—generations of British, Soviet and most recently American leaders are confounded by shifting regional allegiances and unanticipated violent religious movements. Loyn's book is packed with details and anecdotes about the personalities that shaped the country, such as the Scottish adventurer Mountstuart Elphinstone, who first explored the region in 1808 armed only with Alexander the Great's account as guide; Abdur Habibullah, the obese turn of the century Afghan emir who rode around on a tricycle; and Charlie Wilson, whose funding of the mujahideen during the Soviet invasion is given an appropriately darker shading than in the recent book and film. Loyn's book suffers at times from a surfeit of dates and names without clear organization, and his eagerness to equate past conflicts and leaders to current ones results in frenetic time jumping. Nevertheless, the weight of the material that Loyn has gathered makes his book extremely valuable given our current circumstances. (July)

---

Caravans by Michner

Saw this thread in the Book thread, thought I'd add to it. Just picked up Two Wars by Nate Self. It came out back in 2008, but I just now found out about it. We're having Nate speak at our TXARNG OCS graduation ball in August, so I figured I'd read his book before then. I'm only a little ways in, but its pretty good so far.

Flashman by George McDonald Fraser

In 1842 4,500 Brit soldiers and 12,000 followers started a retreat from Kabul - got trapped, all died except ONE doctor who escaped!

This book is a takeoff on that massacre. Turns out that Flashman, a coward whose father had bought him a commission, also escaped and was thought to be a hero. Fraser did other books on Flashman who was at the charge of the Light Brigade, Indian Mutiny, US Civil war and other famous wars.

All are hilarious plus they are based on true events. Amazon has the paperbooks.

Fly Army 97, I know you said you would prefer something more on the Historical side vs. the Military side; however, if you have not read Lone Survivor by Marcus Lutrell, it is an excellent read.

AGGIE12B
JC '88
If you value the Freedom and Liberties you have in your life, be sure to Thank a Veteran everyday!

"Horse Soldiers" by Stanton was okay.

"biggest hell hole on earth that needs to be bombed back into the stoneage. Oh wait, it already is in the stoneage."

by tony

War by Jeunger

http://www.amazon.com/WAR-Sebastian-Junger/dp/0446556246

[This message has been edited by XUSCR (edited 6/21/2011 10:18a).]

You really need to read all the Hopkirk books. I would start with Trespassers on the roof of the World. His resources are tremendous. You will want to pick up books by Sven Hedon, Aurel Stein and Peter Flemming (Ians brother).
I really like War as well.

A very good book about Afghanistan is A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby. It's one of the best travel stories ever written:

http://www.amazon.com/Short-Walk-Hindu-Kush/dp/0864426046

I'd recommend most of Newby's stuff.

Looks like the history being recomended is recent and the older stuff is historical fiction. Try Peter Hopkirk's The Great Game: The Stuggle for Empire in Central Asia for good history from the beginning of the 19th century through Worl War II. The Russians had a long history in the region long before the SAW.

Whoops +2 to aalan and Spore, who I now see have already recomended Hopkirk.


[This message has been edited by BQ78 (edited 6/26/2011 10:11a).]

Not just about Afghanistan, but I thought "Where Men Win Glory" by Krakauer was very good. It deals with the life and death of Pat Tillman but also ventures to explain some of the history and political climate of the region as well.