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Killing the Cranes: A Reporter's Journey Through Three Decades of War in Afghanistan
Finalist: 2012 Helen Bernstein Award for Excellence in JournalismFew reporters have covered Afghanistan as intrepidly and humanely as Edward Girardet. Now, in a gripping, personal account, Girardet delivers a story of that nation's resistance fighters, foreign invaders, mercenaries, spies, aid workers, Islamic extremists, and others who have defined Afghanistan's last thirty years of war, chaos, and strife.As a young foreign correspondent, Girardet arrived in Afghanistan just three months prior to the Soviet invasion in 1979. Over the next decades, he trekked hundreds of miles across rugged mountains and deserts on clandestine journeys following Afghan guerrillas in battle as they smuggled French doctors into the country, and as they combated each other as well as invaders. He witnessed the world's greatest refugee exodus, the bitter Battle for Kabul in the early 1990s, the rise of the Taliban, and, finally, the US-led Western military and recovery effort that began in 2001.Girardet's encounters with key figures - including Ahmed Shah Massoud, the famed "Lion of Panjshir" assassinated by al Qaeda two days before 9/11, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, an Islamic extremist massively supported by the Americans during the 1980s only to become one of today's most ruthless anti-Western insurgents, and Osama bin Laden - shed extraordinary light on the personalities who have shaped the nation, and its current challenges, from corruption and narcotics trafficking to selfish regional interests."Killing the Cranes" provides crucial insights into why the West's current involvement has turned into such a disaster, not only rekindling a new insurgency, but squandering billions of dollars on a recovery process that has shown scant success.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published August 3, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 19, 2011
Incredible insight into the last 30+ years of Afghanistan, but does suffer from redundant anecdotes and an overabundance of information. I blame the editor(s) and not the author, however. If you know anyone with a passing interest in Afghanistan, war-reporting, or the quagmire of International Development, it is worth a look.
September 3, 2013
Is Afghanistan Worth All the Trouble?
This book was reviewed as part of Amazon's Vine program which included a free advance copy of the book.
Wars fought over Afghanistan have encompassed a majority of my lifetime and there appears to be no end in sight … as I write this review, the news is reporting that an Afghan employee opened fire in a CIA compound in Kabul. How could such a seemingly insignificant chunk of undesirable and inhospitable terrain arguably contribute to the demise of one superpower and severely hamstring another? In his book, KILLING THE CRANES, Edward Giradet explains how the former Soviet Union succumbed to a 10-year bloodletting ordeal and how lessons of this tragedy have been ignored by the US and its allies as they face similar circumstances in Afghanistan. While Girardet’s astute observations of Afghanistan over the past three decades are exceptionally reported, he occasionally exhibits a tendency to deviate from his role as a reporter to that of a diplomat or military strategist.
KILLING THE CRANES is both a somber and sobering read that is likely to generate a sense of despair from the reader. It is hard to read this book and not feel a tinge of sadness for such an oppressed and exploited group of people as the Afghans. Giradet clearly displays an affinity for the Afghan people, their culture and the rugged beauty of their land. While the majority of his writing emphasizes the endless back-and-forth warring between tribes, factions and foreign interlopers, every account is touched in one way or another by overt tragedy … the suffering of the growing refugee population that seems to wander aimlessly from one “safe haven” to another … like a migrating herd of helpless wildebeest. It is this depiction of the civilian population living through the strife that may have the biggest impact on readers. Subjugated to whomever or whatever entity that is in charge, life for the average Afghan not involved in the fighting (mainly women and children) is miserable at best.
For the most part, however, Girardet focuses on the brutal fighting that has enveloped the country the last three decades. Starting with his initial assignment following the Soviet invasion in 1979, the author has spent most of the last 30 years reporting all sides of the various conflicts in Afghanistan and has miraculously survived. Most notably, Girardet focuses on two main figures that initially emerged to fight the Soviet Union: Ahmed Shah Massoud, the “Lion of Panjshir” and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the “Hyena”. Both of these men would play prominent and opposing roles in the shaping of Afghanistan following the Soviet withdrawal to the present day (even though Massoud was killed in 2001). Girardet writes of these two men in “good” vs. “evil” manner. Massoud evokes an awe-inspiring sense of warmth and respect from the author while the mercurial Hekmatyar serves as the shady, murderous anti-Massoud. Even though special attention is given to these leaders, it is painfully obvious that no one man, tribe or faction will ever “control” Afghanistan and a state of war will exist, in perpetuity.
Throughout the book, the author recounts many difficult, life-threatening events in effort to cover the myriad of conflicts and those involved, including a foreboding early encounter with Osama bin Laden. The decades of reporting these conflicts generate many examples of nefarious behavior on behalf of the combatants, from the radical Islamists and Taliban to the United States and its allies. Sadly, the negative results of this behavior are at the expense of the Afghan people.
KILLING THE CRANES casts a negative light on most all foreign involvement in Afghanistan (with the exception of some European nations) and is especially harsh toward US policy in Afghanistan and its habit of arming and allying itself with future enemies … thus ensuring a permanent degree of mistrust from most Afghans. Even the radical Middle-Eastern Islamists are not spared disdain from the author regarding their somewhat permanent residence in Afghanistan following the Soviet invasion in 1979. It is at these points in the book where Girardet seems to take liberty with his role as a reporter to opine about political and military miscalculations in a manner akin to a sideline reporter thinking his observational experience qualify him as a better coach and/or quarterback. I find it easy to accept a seasoned reporter with so much experience “in country” ascertaining a casual understanding of basic political and military functioning, but I never got the impression that Girardet was privy to any political and military intricacies and it is logical to assume they are far more complicated to explain/justify.
Without a doubt, KILLING THE CRANES is an excellent tome for anyone wishing to understand more about the enigma that is Afghanistan, Girardet certainly paints a clearer and more colorful picture of the country than anything I’ve previously read. I found the book served as an eye-opening and thought-provoking instrument designed to entice the reader into learning more about Afghanistan and its confounding prominence in modern history. The author is quite frank in his belief that the current war in Afghanistan is a winless war, just as it was for the Soviet Union decades ago; based on this author’s observations, it is hard to find fault with this sentiment.
This book was reviewed as part of Amazon's Vine program which included a free advance copy of the book.
Wars fought over Afghanistan have encompassed a majority of my lifetime and there appears to be no end in sight … as I write this review, the news is reporting that an Afghan employee opened fire in a CIA compound in Kabul. How could such a seemingly insignificant chunk of undesirable and inhospitable terrain arguably contribute to the demise of one superpower and severely hamstring another? In his book, KILLING THE CRANES, Edward Giradet explains how the former Soviet Union succumbed to a 10-year bloodletting ordeal and how lessons of this tragedy have been ignored by the US and its allies as they face similar circumstances in Afghanistan. While Girardet’s astute observations of Afghanistan over the past three decades are exceptionally reported, he occasionally exhibits a tendency to deviate from his role as a reporter to that of a diplomat or military strategist.
KILLING THE CRANES is both a somber and sobering read that is likely to generate a sense of despair from the reader. It is hard to read this book and not feel a tinge of sadness for such an oppressed and exploited group of people as the Afghans. Giradet clearly displays an affinity for the Afghan people, their culture and the rugged beauty of their land. While the majority of his writing emphasizes the endless back-and-forth warring between tribes, factions and foreign interlopers, every account is touched in one way or another by overt tragedy … the suffering of the growing refugee population that seems to wander aimlessly from one “safe haven” to another … like a migrating herd of helpless wildebeest. It is this depiction of the civilian population living through the strife that may have the biggest impact on readers. Subjugated to whomever or whatever entity that is in charge, life for the average Afghan not involved in the fighting (mainly women and children) is miserable at best.
For the most part, however, Girardet focuses on the brutal fighting that has enveloped the country the last three decades. Starting with his initial assignment following the Soviet invasion in 1979, the author has spent most of the last 30 years reporting all sides of the various conflicts in Afghanistan and has miraculously survived. Most notably, Girardet focuses on two main figures that initially emerged to fight the Soviet Union: Ahmed Shah Massoud, the “Lion of Panjshir” and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the “Hyena”. Both of these men would play prominent and opposing roles in the shaping of Afghanistan following the Soviet withdrawal to the present day (even though Massoud was killed in 2001). Girardet writes of these two men in “good” vs. “evil” manner. Massoud evokes an awe-inspiring sense of warmth and respect from the author while the mercurial Hekmatyar serves as the shady, murderous anti-Massoud. Even though special attention is given to these leaders, it is painfully obvious that no one man, tribe or faction will ever “control” Afghanistan and a state of war will exist, in perpetuity.
Throughout the book, the author recounts many difficult, life-threatening events in effort to cover the myriad of conflicts and those involved, including a foreboding early encounter with Osama bin Laden. The decades of reporting these conflicts generate many examples of nefarious behavior on behalf of the combatants, from the radical Islamists and Taliban to the United States and its allies. Sadly, the negative results of this behavior are at the expense of the Afghan people.
KILLING THE CRANES casts a negative light on most all foreign involvement in Afghanistan (with the exception of some European nations) and is especially harsh toward US policy in Afghanistan and its habit of arming and allying itself with future enemies … thus ensuring a permanent degree of mistrust from most Afghans. Even the radical Middle-Eastern Islamists are not spared disdain from the author regarding their somewhat permanent residence in Afghanistan following the Soviet invasion in 1979. It is at these points in the book where Girardet seems to take liberty with his role as a reporter to opine about political and military miscalculations in a manner akin to a sideline reporter thinking his observational experience qualify him as a better coach and/or quarterback. I find it easy to accept a seasoned reporter with so much experience “in country” ascertaining a casual understanding of basic political and military functioning, but I never got the impression that Girardet was privy to any political and military intricacies and it is logical to assume they are far more complicated to explain/justify.
Without a doubt, KILLING THE CRANES is an excellent tome for anyone wishing to understand more about the enigma that is Afghanistan, Girardet certainly paints a clearer and more colorful picture of the country than anything I’ve previously read. I found the book served as an eye-opening and thought-provoking instrument designed to entice the reader into learning more about Afghanistan and its confounding prominence in modern history. The author is quite frank in his belief that the current war in Afghanistan is a winless war, just as it was for the Soviet Union decades ago; based on this author’s observations, it is hard to find fault with this sentiment.
June 18, 2019
I would probably give it 3.5 stars. It is a well written book from the perspective of the author's time as a journalist in the region. It provides a narrow slice of what took place in that era. I would give it better review but the author veers off into diatribes about the politics and whatnot that get a little tired after awhile.
January 4, 2021
It's very interesting to get another perspective of these events. Everything else I've read about the war in Afghanistan was from the mainstream media. It was especially interesting having read "The Great Game" so recently - the parallels are obvious. The same kinds of politics being played and the same mistakes being made.
April 19, 2023
You couldn't get a clearer picture of Afghanistan than this book.
Again the western world approached this conflict as the US did in Vietnam
Again the western world approached this conflict as the US did in Vietnam
December 29, 2011
This is an amazingly thorough, insightful and readable book. Edward Girardet has been visiting, living in and reporting from Afghanistan intermittently for over 30 years. He has an abiding respect and affection for the Afghan people and their culture, having spent innumerable hours drinking tea and conversing with ordinary Afghans, mujahideen, Taliban, government officials, aid workers and many others. His detailed discussion of the fate of that country, from 1979 forward, including internal strife, the Soviet-Afghan war and the "War on Terror" has given me a much clearer picture of what has happened there. Several themes stand out: 1) The failures of the Soviets that have been repeated by the U.S. and NATO forces - which have demonstrated a total lack of understanding of the country, the heterogeneity of its citizens, tribal affiliations, languages and culture. 2) The devastating consequences of meddling by non-Afghans in the conflicts, particularly the Arabi and other jihadists from the gulf states, and Pakistan. 3) The failure of the current government, supported by the west and Pakistan, to provide any real security, healthcare, planned rebuilding of devastated areas, education, etc-partly at least due to massive greed, fraud and general lack of financial oversight. Many of those now in the government are former Talib, warlords and drug traffickers. and 4) The sad state of women in Afghanistan, who gained some independence after the fall of the Taliban, but who, for the most part, still have little access to healthcare for themselves and their children and little access to education. Afghan women have the second highest death rate related to childbearing in the world. Although they theoretically have freedom to participate in commerce, government and other work, the gradual return to strict cultural norms have prevented most from succeeding.
It took me a few weeks to read this book, not because it wasn't well written, but because it was difficult to absorb a lot at one sitting. I had to read it in small "bites."
I highly recommend this book. There are very few westerners as knowledgeable about the recent history and politics of that sad and war-torn country.
It took me a few weeks to read this book, not because it wasn't well written, but because it was difficult to absorb a lot at one sitting. I had to read it in small "bites."
I highly recommend this book. There are very few westerners as knowledgeable about the recent history and politics of that sad and war-torn country.
September 22, 2011
Most of the buzz around this book will likely focus upon Girardet's chance encounter with Osama bin Laden in 1989 and his extensive interaction with notable figures in Afghan's recent history and politics, such as Ahmad Shah Massoud, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and others. Others will likely cover those issues thoroughly, so I will briefly hit on other issues.
Girardet’s first-hand accounts help the reader to see how customs, tactics, and expectations have changed in Afghanistan, and how their current plight compares to other periods in recent Afghan history.
- He points out changes that he saw in Afghan culture after the mass migration, dislocation, and alien cultural influences of the 1980s.
- Having witnessed Afghans who relied upon raids, ambushes, and effective defensive fighting against Soviet offensives, he is appalled to see Taliban now relying upon standoff attacks with IEDs, assassinations, and suicide bombers.
- Worn down by years of civil war and mistreatment by the Taliban, hopeful Afghans saw the arrival of international forces as an opportunity for peace and prosperity. He shows why they became quickly disillusioned by the greed of Afghan elites, incompetence of the international community, and the resurgence of warlords.
People with strong opinions on Afghanistan may read into Girardet’s criticisms what they want. Certainly, his criticisms leave few actors untouched, so anyone with strong views on the situation in Afghanistan will find agreement with at least some of his criticisms and chafe at the implications of other criticisms. But the book should not be approached in that manner.
Girardet has written a book that gives a voice to the frustrations that many Afghans would air if they had a way to broadcast those frustrations. In doing so, he has filled a gaping niche in the current literature on Afghanistan and helped to give a voice to millions whose voices have been largely ignored throughout this debacle.
Girardet’s first-hand accounts help the reader to see how customs, tactics, and expectations have changed in Afghanistan, and how their current plight compares to other periods in recent Afghan history.
- He points out changes that he saw in Afghan culture after the mass migration, dislocation, and alien cultural influences of the 1980s.
- Having witnessed Afghans who relied upon raids, ambushes, and effective defensive fighting against Soviet offensives, he is appalled to see Taliban now relying upon standoff attacks with IEDs, assassinations, and suicide bombers.
- Worn down by years of civil war and mistreatment by the Taliban, hopeful Afghans saw the arrival of international forces as an opportunity for peace and prosperity. He shows why they became quickly disillusioned by the greed of Afghan elites, incompetence of the international community, and the resurgence of warlords.
People with strong opinions on Afghanistan may read into Girardet’s criticisms what they want. Certainly, his criticisms leave few actors untouched, so anyone with strong views on the situation in Afghanistan will find agreement with at least some of his criticisms and chafe at the implications of other criticisms. But the book should not be approached in that manner.
Girardet has written a book that gives a voice to the frustrations that many Afghans would air if they had a way to broadcast those frustrations. In doing so, he has filled a gaping niche in the current literature on Afghanistan and helped to give a voice to millions whose voices have been largely ignored throughout this debacle.
December 13, 2012
Killing the Cranes I felt was an honest hard hitting pull few punches look at an Afghanistan few people endeavor to know. The author even mentions at the begining with a tone of sadness and remorse that the Afghanistan he knew has been altered after three decades of war.
The death of Massoud seems to be the turning point of Afghanistan because he was the last of the people who had a legit shot of unifying the country and creating the peaceful country we claim to want. That's what really struck me about this book that it was people-centered rather than a diatribe saying that war is good or bad, rather just that war has led to x, y, and z.
A good portion of the book is on the Soviet war in Afghanistan, which is actually quite fitting given that the American occupation has largely comitted several of the same mistakes...namely an overreliance on the Pakistani government and the ISI, and an overreliance on foreign aid, blanket treatment of segments of the Afghan population etc.
It would be easy to label all Afghanis' as terrorists and the country as hopeless, but that's not the tone here as the international community is taken to task just as much as the average Afghan. Balance is all I ask.
The death of Massoud seems to be the turning point of Afghanistan because he was the last of the people who had a legit shot of unifying the country and creating the peaceful country we claim to want. That's what really struck me about this book that it was people-centered rather than a diatribe saying that war is good or bad, rather just that war has led to x, y, and z.
A good portion of the book is on the Soviet war in Afghanistan, which is actually quite fitting given that the American occupation has largely comitted several of the same mistakes...namely an overreliance on the Pakistani government and the ISI, and an overreliance on foreign aid, blanket treatment of segments of the Afghan population etc.
It would be easy to label all Afghanis' as terrorists and the country as hopeless, but that's not the tone here as the international community is taken to task just as much as the average Afghan. Balance is all I ask.
August 28, 2011
The author has delivered within the pages of this book a must read for anyone even vaguely interested in the recent history of Afghanistan, it's people, and the issues facing this breath taking country. Edward Girardet has been reporting from within Afghanistan since the 70's and bring a unique insight to this country and some of its key players. As well he has a thorough understanding of the history and political background which has made Afghanistan such a unique country. From his writing you can sense his frustration in the West to comprehend and understand the ways of the country and it's people. This book is sure to become a classic on Afghanistan it left me with a sense of understanding I have yet had from any other book on this subject.
May 29, 2012
Giradet has plenty to tell us about the on the ground situation in Afghanistan, and impressively, he's able to share his insights over several decades. The book is well written and offers some really great vignettes; I was disappointed only because I hoped to use the book in a course I'm teaching and it just wasn't a good candidate, for a variety of reasons. But for anyone really interested in an informed Western view of Afghanistan over a very troublesome period of time, check it out. Giradet has access to almost all of the political and military elite of Afghanistan over the last three decades. Great fodder for lectures or articles.
May 31, 2013
If there was a possibility to give this a star between 3-4 (like 3-1/2), I would have given that. I did like it, but not quite enough to say I really liked it a lot. It was a good read and covers a lot of ground, given that Girardet began reporting on the Afg-Soviet conflict back in the early 80s. I did like his being able to draw parallels--and he sees lots of them--between that time (Afg-Soviets) and the last 10+ years of the US-Taliban/al Qaeda War on Terror, and the impact it's all had on the Afghan people. Bottom-line: it's a very, very complex & convoluted situation that has no easy answers.
July 19, 2013
I found this an excellent book on the last 30 some years of Afghanistan's turmoil, largely shaped by other countries. Girardet has been going to Afghanistan since before the Soviet invasion and has great insights. I recommend this book.
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September 2, 2011Fantastic study by a journalist who was there for over 30 years. Good insights into the U.S. role in that forsaken country.
February 16, 2012
Finalist for the Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism
August 10, 2016
30 years in the country provides a perspective sorely lacking by most journalists. a must-read to understand what our involvement means and how poorly we've approached it.
March 20, 2012
1980's to present contains some of the best descriptions of afghan people and events
August 18, 2013
Do you want to know anything about Afghanistan in the last thirty years. Then, this is definitely the book to read. Very insightful and the author hold no punches when it comes to laying blame.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews