Accessibility links
Books That Will Help You Understand Afghanistan The conflict in Afghanistan dominates headlines, but many people seek a deeper understanding of the country and the war the U.S. is fighting there. In the first of a series of suggestions for an Afghanistan "reading list," Washington Post special military correspondent Tom Ricks shares his recommendations, ranging from a collection of Afghan proverbs, to a history of the CIA's involvement in the country.

World

Books That Will Help You Understand Afghanistan

Heard on Talk of the Nation

Books That Will Help You Understand Afghanistan

Listen · 17:11
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120576400/120576398" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

The conflict in Afghanistan dominates headlines, but many people seek a deeper understanding of the country and the war the U.S. is fighting there. In the first of a series of suggestions for an Afghanistan "reading list," Washington Post special military correspondent Tom Ricks shares his recommendations. His picks range from a collection of Afghan proverbs, to a history of the CIA's involvement in the country:

Afghanistan, by Louis Dupree (features a great collection of Afghan proverbs)

Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, by Steve Coll

Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia, by Ahmed Rashid

The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia, by Peter Hopkirk

Bugles and a Tiger: My Life in the Gurkhas, by John Masters

The Head of the District, a short story by Rudyard Kipling