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In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan
A definitive account of the American experience in Afghanistan from the rise of the Taliban to the depths of the insurgency.
Longtime Afghanistan expert and RAND analyst Seth G. Jones watched as American optimism evaporated after the Taliban defeat in 2001; by 2005, a new "war of a thousand cuts" had brought Afghanistan to its knees. Harnessing importa
...moreHardcover, 414 pages
Published
August 10th 2009
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published July 6th 2009)
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Jones is good on the structure of the Afghan opposition to first the USSR and now the US. This is a useful although not essential addition to the literature. Based on good access to a number of important sources including ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, Jones examines what went wrong in Afghanistan and what might have gone right if the effort there hadn't been sidetracked to invade and try to occupy Iraq.
The U.S. mission to the inhospitable mountains and plains of this Central Asian redo...more
The U.S. mission to the inhospitable mountains and plains of this Central Asian redo...more
While much has surely been written about the war in Afghanistan Seth G. Hughes who serves as an advisor and plans officer for the commanding general of U.S. Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan adds new dimensions to an assessment of our country’s longest war since Vietnam.
Based upon interviews with countless military, diplomats, and experts in national security plus information from declassified government documents IN THE GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES delivers a clear, concise...more
The grim title and the KOd Soviet tank on the cover are misleading cliches to begin with. I imagine that the publisher went with the title/cover so Jones' work might find a place in the political nonfiction genre. But Jones is a Rand scholar, and he writes like one. The work is technical, heavily footnoted, and not exactly a breeze to read. The text is basically a very long Foreign Affairs article and will only be read for professional development.
The tank and the "Graveyard"...more
The tank and the "Graveyard"...more
Really fascinating book about the various empires throughout history which have tried to conquer Afghanistan, only to be repelled. The basis of this historical lesson is to give context to America's current quaqmire. Book is relatively short in relation to the substance. It does not spend much time regarding Alexander the Great 3rd century BC, the British Empire of the 19th Century, and the Soviets failure in the 1980's, the author simply gives you a quick summary. The book's intentions is t...more
Seth G. Jones is a “senior political scientist” at the RAND corporation (as in Research AND Development, not that other Rand). He worked in the Defense Department for a couple of years, and has taught classes on counter-terrorism issues since 2002 at Georgetown and since 2005 at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. He has also written on nation building. His stated goal in this book is “ to understand the motivations of the key actors and to assess what factors contributed to the rise of Afghani...more
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I first saw Seth Jones on an amazing PBS Frontline program called Obama's War (streaming for free online at pbs.org) with Martin Smith. The video itself represented some incredible documentary journalism--Smith at a couple points almost gets blown up by surprise mortar fire. Jones was one of the commentators. He seemed to have some interesting takes on what has and has not gone well with the US' involvement in Afghanistan, and this book did not disappoint.
Its main focus is an in-dept...more
Its main focus is an in-dept...more
Someone asked me last week what made Seth Jones think he was an expert on Afghanistan (the asker, of course, considers himself an expert). I think the answer is: nothing. Jones doesn't pose as an expert, but as an historian and analyst, and he does a very good job.
He's been to Afghanistan a number of times, interviewed a wide variety of people directly involved in the planning and prosecution of the war, and conducted extensive research. He then simply tells the story of where we are...more
He's been to Afghanistan a number of times, interviewed a wide variety of people directly involved in the planning and prosecution of the war, and conducted extensive research. He then simply tells the story of where we are...more
This is a very detailed book. I read it to get a better understanding of what happened previously in Afghanistan so I could better understand what we are doing there today. It was very good for this purpose. I didn't need all the exacting detail so I did skim portions of the book. I do feel that I have a much better understanding of Taliban, al Qaida, why they are so pissed and what we are doing there and why it is so hard. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of...more
This is a solid book that every citizen who wishes to be informed on America's conflict in Afghanistan should read. It is written in a straightforward manner sans unwieldy acronyms that burdens other texts on military strategy and current operations. Jones does an excellent job of providing just enough historical context without getting too far down into the weeds.
Although he appears to contradict himself, I believe his conclusions are essentially correct. Although he does not add...more
Although he appears to contradict himself, I believe his conclusions are essentially correct. Although he does not add...more
Seth Jones, and the Rand Institute, in The Graveyard Of Empires, have a grim prediction for the United State in Afghanistan, and how little the U.S. has learned from previous British and Russian campaigns in the country, but also some enlightening points like empowering elders. An excellent read!
Jones makes it very clear what went wrong in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2006 in the context of what had gone wrong earlier for the Greeks, british, and Russians. He provides a daunting description of the obstacles to success.
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Exceptionally well researched and written. Intriguingly informative. If you wish to learn more about the dynamics at work in Afghanistan both historically and today, this is a great resource.
This is the most definitive book I've read on Afghanistan since 9/11. The historical research in the early chapters -- using declassified US government documents -- is also illuminating.
The chapters covering the history of Afghanistan and the current war there are extremely thorough and densely packed with names and dates. That section was slow going even for me, and I'm used to dense historical material. However, Seth Jones really shines in the sections where he discusses the historical context of insurgencies, and places Afghanistan in that context. His analysis and recommendations makefor interesting reading.
The Graveyard referred to is Afghanistan where various Empires such as, most notably, the British Raj and the Soviets failed to overcome local resistance. The point Seth Jones is making is that the failure of American policy in Afghanistan is commonly thought of in terms of a) its ethnic makeup and b) 'greed'9meaning corruption at all levels.)
He adds two other perspectives: weak governance and religious ideology which compound the other two ways of thinking about Afghanistan.
...more
He adds two other perspectives: weak governance and religious ideology which compound the other two ways of thinking about Afghanistan.
...more
Decent history of our muddled engagement in Afghanistan over the past 10 yrs, worth a read for a good surface-level history...
This is a good book about our war in Afghanistan with some of Afghanistan's long war history weaved in to show parallels and give some insight as to what does and doesn't work in that country. I found the beginning of the book a little slow-going. This isn't a book that you can't wait to read and stay up all night reading because you can't put it down. And it's not meant to be. The book was meant to give info on the current war while also delving a little bit into how the key players got to this...more
A very good review of the myriad of factors influencing the situation in Afghanistan as of early 2009. Very good detail for anyone deploying or working on the region. The summary chapter is anti-climatic as the recommendations are not comprehensive and were already being incorporated in ISAF and the 2008 USG strategic review (and are included in the 2009 US Administration strategic guidance - Mar 09 White Paper).
essential reading for those interested in understanding Afghanistan up till 2009.
Very helpful for understanding the war in Afghanistan.
A clever title and a good, albeit, overwhelming history of Afghanistan and assessment of our current position there. The author is careful not to take too many sides, providing a balance of mistakes by many players and suggestions that sometimes seem quite obvious but too frequently are ignored.
I got lost more than once in the deluge of names and dates, but that is typical for any Middle Eastern history. One very excellent chapter on the ideology of insurgencies is a must-read for a...more
I got lost more than once in the deluge of names and dates, but that is typical for any Middle Eastern history. One very excellent chapter on the ideology of insurgencies is a must-read for a...more
It was informative, though a bit slow...
An in-depth look at the Afghan situation. Gives you a short history of the country and a long tale of the conflict. I feel like I know more than most TV commentator after reading it. You must be interested in the subject, otherwise the length of the book might be a little discouraging. Overall great analysis of the situation. Gives you the how and why things the multi-national coalition attempted to do either failed or succeeded.
This book is a must read for Military Officers at the operational or strategic level who are deploying or currently deployed to Afghanistan. Also a good read for anyone looking to understand the current complexities and history of Afghanistan. The book will help you understand why we are where we are in Afghanistan today - and will also boldly highlight the errors of those who made them.
Fascinating look at Afghanistan! Dr. Jones gives a comprehensive look at the history behind Afghanistan that must be understood --- or history will certainly repeat itself. The current "village stability operations" (VSO) effort was influenced heavily by the work of Dr Jones. Recommend this book for those trying to figure out what we are doing in Afghanistan!
Good read with lots of good information. I only gave it three stars instead of four because I had read some of the information contained already in some other books on Afghanistan.
Interesting read. filled in some blanks for me about Alexanders conquests there, and the 2 british incursions. Later part was ok, but was stationed there and kept abreat of situation with friends and my own research.
The best history of post-9/11 Afghanistan and the U.S.-led war there. The afterword is an excellent synopsis of why the war matters and how to finish the job.
Just getting started; not nearly as well written as Ghost Wars. Still covering the periods before the American forces enter.
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