Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan

by Robert D. Kaplan, Robert D. Kaplan

Release Date: 27 November, 2001

Edition: Paperback

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an early work, but good

Before Kaplan got really famous, he wrote this little volume of travelogue/reportage on Afghanistan. At the time, Afghanistan was a rite that the hardest of the hardcore journalists had to go through, and of those who survived to write a book about the experience, Kaplan's is one of the best. His experience scrambling around the Afghan mountains with the mujahideen is not one that many people have had, and his descriptions convey well the roughness of the terrain and people of that country. In addition, he analyzes politics astutely -- the details are sometimes moot now that everything has changed in the region, but for giving a sense of the country and its conflicted this book is superb.

I hope my Senator has read this book

Kaplan's book should be mandatory reading for every single elected official in the Executive and Legislative branch as well as all of our military leaders. Kaplan's understanding of the forces at play in Afghanistan and Pakistan (which are inextricably linked) is second-to-none. As an Infantry Officer with 6+ months experience in Afghanistan, I can say that reading Kaplan's book gave me great insight into the enemy we are fighting and the relationship that exists between them and their Pakistani neighbors who routinely provide them safe haven outside the reach of the Coalition Forces.
Chock-full of insight that few Westerners have ever been exposed to, Kaplan delivers a phenomenal account of the Mujahideen from the inside-out. I highly recommend this book.