Middle East Studies

A deeply-reported, well-argued and deftly-written account of the opportunities not ...

(Peter Bergen, CNN Security Analyst and a)

A deeply-reported, well-argued and deftly-written account of the opportunities not taken ... based on the author's own deep knowledge of Afghanistan.

(Peter Bergen, CNN Security Analyst and author of The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict Between America and Al-Qaeda)

A devastating indictment of the intelligence and strategic failures that ...

(William Pfaff)

A devastating indictment of the intelligence and strategic failures that have led us into the current tragedy in Afghanistan.

(William Pfaff)

This insightful, animated volume ... draws on previously unpublished, uniquely ...

(Peter Tomsen, author of The Wars of Afgh)

This insightful, animated volume ... draws on previously unpublished, uniquely qualified Afghan and foreign sources to tell the story of Abdul Haq's tragic death, the legacy he has left behind, and its applicability to the present and to the future.

(Peter Tomsen, author of The Wars of Afghanistan and former US Ambassador to the Afghan resistance 1989-92)

Vital reading for everyone who truly wants to understand this ...

(Peter Oborne, Political Editor, Daily Te)

Vital reading for everyone who truly wants to understand this tragic conflict.

(Peter Oborne, Political Editor, Daily Telegraph)

I was in direct contact with Abdul Haq in the ...

(Lord Paddy Ashdown, Liberal Democrat lea)

I was in direct contact with Abdul Haq in the days immediately following 9/11. His tragic story is a microcosm of where we have gone wrong in Afghanistan.

(Lord Paddy Ashdown, Liberal Democrat leader 1988 - 1999)

By far the best account of Afghanistan during the period ...

(Conor Foley, author of The Thin Blue Lin)

By far the best account of Afghanistan during the period that I have read. It combines the pace of a page-gripping thriller with the insights of a piece of travel writing and political journalism at their best.

(Conor Foley, author of The Thin Blue Line: How Humanitarianism went to War)

A timely reminder of the roads not taken and strategic ...

(Dr Graeme Herd, The Geneva Centre for Se)

A timely reminder of the roads not taken and strategic options left unexplored. The cumulative effect constitutes a compelling indictment of state-building through external imposition. This book blends personal insights with a prof-essional detachment and will appeal to the analyst, policymaker, practitioner and, not least, the decision-makers of tomorrow: the students of today.

(Dr Graeme Herd, The Geneva Centre for Security Policy)