Afghanistan, Al Qa'ida and the Holy War
"Michael Griffin has reached a better understanding of the Taliban in his book than I have come across anywhere else." John Simpson, BBC; 'A splendid book.' The New Statesman; 'A necessary book... a meticulous dissection of the limits of power in a violently sectarian society.' LA Times; 'Filled with the dramatic moments, ironies and political intrigues that color the Taliban's rise... Griffin writes engagingly.' The New York Times Book Review; 'A detailed account of the Taliban... Griffin has compiled a useful interim study of an extraordinary and little known movement.' Times Literary Supplement
Michael Griffin is a writer, editor, political analyst and specialist on the Taliban and Al Qa'ida. He regularly comments on the war in Afghanistan for BBC World, Sky and Al Jazeera. As editor he has worked for Transparency International, International Alert, Small Arms Survey and ODI. He is the author of Reaping the Whirlwind (Pluto, 2003) and Islamic State (Pluto, 2015).
Map List of Abbreviations Chronology Preface 1 The Killing of Najibullah 2 City of Night 3 Warriors of God 4 Mission to Cleanse 5 Burning Down the House 6 The Zahir Option 7 The New Emirates 8 Nest of Vipers 9 Oblivion's Feast 10 Hostages 11 Ignoble Grave 12 A Fistful Of Dollars 13 Satellites and Stars 14 The Bicycle Thieves 15 Mr Sam & the Food and Beverage Industry 16 Head Of The Snake 17 Manual Of A Raid 18 The First Circle 19 The Storm Of Airplanes 20 Christmas In Kandahar 21 The Battle of Shah-I-Kot 22 The Raw & The Cooked Who's Who of the Taliban Index