Afghanistan or Colossus

Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics

Author: Martin Ewans

A fascinating chronicle of a nation's turbulent history and a must read for anyone interested in the historical evolution of one of today's most dangerous breeding grounds of global terrorism.

Starting in seventh century AD, Martin Ewans shows Afghanistan's early days – of powerful dynasties, fierce tribal rivalries and stunning architectural feats. In Ewans߬ucid and dispassionate prose, a once powerful empire is revealed, whose traditions and political stability have over the years slowly been reduced to ruins.

Martin Ewans carefully and concisely weighs the lessons of history to provide a frank appraisal of Afghanistan's fragile relationship with its neighbouring countries.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Spanning a period from thousands of years B.C.E. through September 11, 2001, Ewans ambitiously covers an incredible scope of this country's history. While the writing is dry at times, the information goes a long way toward putting the nation's current situation in perspective. Events leading up to and during the Soviet invasion in the late '70s are especially intriguing, as is the explanation of the mujahadin's emergence. More than half the book dwells on 20th-century happenings, with quite a bit of fascinating detail on conditions in Afghanistan during the '90s. Light is shed on how and why the Taliban movement gained power. Discussion on drug trafficking includes statistics on opium production. A five-page epilogue analyzes the impact of 9/11 and subsequent actions taken to bring down the Taliban and to snuff out bin Laden and his Al Qaeda operations. Remarkably thorough text is supplemented by a diagram of the Durrani dynasty; a section of 38 black-and-white glossy plates showing not only historical places and figures, but also early coinage; and 8 geopolitical maps. A former diplomat who served in Afghanistan, Ewans has written a timely and useful book that proffers insight into a country that until recently had been overlooked by most of the world.-Sheila Shoup, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Table of Contents:

	List of Illustrations
	List of Maps
	Introduction: The Land and the People	1
1	Early History	10
2	The Emergence of the Afghan Kingdom	20
3	The Rise of Dost Mohammed	32
4	The First Anglo-Afghan War	42
5	Dost Mohammed and Sher Ali	51
6	The Second Anglo-Afghan War	62
7	Abdur Rahman, The 'Iron Amir'	71
8	Habibullah and the Politics of Neutrality	80
9	Amanullah and the Drive for Modernisation	86
10	The Rule of the Brothers	99
11	Daoud: The First Decade	110
12	King Zahir and Cautious Constitutionalism	119
13	The Return of Daoud and the Saur Revolution	128
14	Khalq Rule and Soviet Invasion	138
15	Occupation and Resistance	149
16	Humiliation and Withdrawal	163
17	Civil War	171
18	Enter the Taliban	179
19	Afghanistan and the Wider World	191
20	The Taliban and the Future	202
App	The Durrani Dynasty	210
	Notes	211
	Bibliography	222
	Index	228

Go to: Conservative Comebacks to Liberal Lies or Globalization and Its Discontents

Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire

Author: Niall Ferguson

Acclaimed historian Niall Ferguson ranges across the entire history of America's foreign entanglements and delves into all the dimensions of American power-military, economic, cultural, and political. The result is a book whose conclusions are as convincing, and troubling, as they are original. Ferguson demonstrates that America has always been an empire in denial and shows the fateful consequences of its special brand of imperialism. He examines the challenges to the United States from its principal rivals, the European Union and China, and offers a compelling analysis of the connection between the country's domestic economic health and its foreign affairs-the bottom line of imperialism, American style. Colossus is a peerless reckoning with American power that should be read by any thinking citizen of this unspoken empire.

The New York Times Sunday Book Review - John Lewis Gaddis

At 384 pages, Colossus is one of Ferguson's smaller books; but it is his most ambitious effort yet to connect historical analysis with what is happening in the world today. His thesis is simply stated: the United States is an empire, however much Americans might deny that fact; its record of accomplishment in this capacity is not very good; and it should learn from the experiences of earlier empires, notably that of Britain.

The New York Times - Michiko Kakutani

Like his earlier books, Colossus shows off Mr. Ferguson's narrative йlan and his ease in using political, economic and literary references to shore up his arguments about history.

Publishers Weekly

Criticism of the U.S. government's imperialist tendencies has become nearly ubiquitous since the invasion of Iraq began nearly a year ago, but Ferguson would like America to embrace its imperial character. Just as in his previous book, Empire, he argued that the British Empire had done much good, he now suggests that "many parts of the world would benefit from a period of American rule," as stability and a lack of corruption that could be brought by liberal imperial government would result in capital investment and growth. Similarly, he says, the British Empire acted as "an engine for the integration of international capital markets." The problems nations like India faced after the British left, he continues, could have been ameliorated if the colonization had been more comprehensive, more securely establishing the types of institutions that foster long-term prosperity. The primary shortcoming of America's approach to empire, Ferguson believes, is that it prefers in-and-out military flourishes to staying in for the long haul. His criticism of Americans as a people who "like social security more than they like national security" and refuse to confront impending economic disaster are withering, but he also has sharp comments for those who imagine a unified Europe rising up to confront America and for the way France tried to block the Iraqi invasion. The erudite and often statistical argument has occasional flashes of wit and may compel liberals to rethink their opposition to intervention, even as it castigates conservatives for their lackluster commitment to nation building. (Apr. 26) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Is America ready to rule the world? Probably not. But, argues the author, it had better gear up to the task. Prolific British historian Ferguson (History/New York Univ.), who has been building an empire of his own with books such as Empire (2003), The House of Rothschild (1999), and The Pity of War (1999), argues that the US is an empire in fact, with client states scattered around the world. Americans are reluctant to accept this fact for many reasons, although in the post-September 11 climate many more are warming up to the prospect; we're made uncomfortable by being likened to Rome, Britain, and perhaps even the Soviet Union, by the thought that our financial, military, and cultural might casts a Green Giant-like shadow across the planet. Not that realpolitikers have been unprepared for the eventuality; Ferguson quotes a Bush administration State Department official who, before Dubya even took office, was urging Americans "to re-conceive their global role from one of traditional nation-state to an imperial power." Well, there are empires and there are empires, and Ferguson suggests that the best of them is a liberal one, one dedicated to the free international exchange of capital, labor, and goods and to upholding the "conditions without which markets cannot function-peace and order, the rule of law, non-corrupt administration, stable fiscal and monetary policies." Ideologically, at least, Americans should be well-equipped to administer such an empire, but we remain an empire in denial of the sort that "tends to make two mistakes when it chooses to intervene in the affairs of lesser states. The first may be to allocate insufficient resources to the non-military aspects of the project.The second, and the more serious, is to attempt economic and political transformation in an unrealistically short timeframe." Prepare, then, for failure-and for agonizing years of involvement in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Liberia. Discomfiting, highly provocative reading, with ammunition for pro and con alike.

What People Are Saying

If the Guinness Book of World Records ever added a category for 'most productive historian,' Niall Ferguson would have to be a leading candidate for the honor. But he is more than simply prolific: he is also smart, witty and thought provoking. Year after year, he writes books that are the envy of his colleagues, using his deep knowledge of history, especially economic history, to illuminate current events. In Colossus he turns his formidable powers of analysis toward the 'American Empire,' offering a brief history as well as a provocative argument. Ferguson believes that it would be a good thing if the United States were to take over the imperial role once played by Great Britain-but he doubts that Americans have what it takes to be effective imperialists. "Colossus" is sure to shake the assumptions of both fans and critics of the American Empire-including those who deny that such a thing even exists.
— (Olin senior fellow in national security studies, The Council on Foreign Relations, and author of "The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power." )