by Nick Turse
First published 2010
Afghanistan has earned its reputation as the graveyard of empires, yet President Obama has declared it his "just war" and committed thirty thousand additional US troops to the occupation. Nick Turse assembles leading commentators, politicians, and military strategists to dissect America's true motivations and realistic chances of success. The book combines field reporting with analytical examination and draws historical parallels to previous occupiers Britain and the Soviet Union, both of whom claimed they were waging just and winnable conflicts. Turse scrutinizes current US strategy and reaches sobering conclusions about the mission's viability. This focused collection targets the core of Obama's foreign policy and demonstrates why success remains highly improbable.
Genres: history, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, military-history, current-affairs, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-analysis, military-history, political-commentary
Setting: Afghanistan, Britain, Soviet Union, United States
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century, 21st-century
208 pages · Paperback · Verso Books