War in a Distant Country: Afghanistan : Invasion and Resistance

The conflict in Afghanistan is one from which the whole world must learn, The extensive media coverage that accompanied its every nuance was often dealing with the circumstances current at the time and was unable, of course, to view events retrospectively from the major turning point of the withdrawal of Soviet forces. In the first substantial study to be published since the Russians' departure, US military commentator David Isby provides the detail and analysis required to enable informed evaluation.The war offered diverse experiences for all combatants. The Soviet Union became embroiled in anti-guerrilla action against a nation it knew to be of independent trait, when it had primarily trained its forces for major warfare in Europe. The Afghans found themselves fighting a hugely superior force that had total control of the air; the wholly irregular units of the Mujahadeen relied initially on primitive weapons and moral support from distant external friends rather than their own government.The author has spent much time with the guerrillas observing Soviet action against them and their response to it. His assessment of the conflict brings the war into a sharper, more balanced focus for todays reader who wants to understand the course of the war; the reasons for the successes and failures: the wide differences between the logistic support received by the opposing forces: and the general circumstances in which the battle was waged.if the Soviets failed to learn from history that their venture into Afghanistan would be fraught with problems and certain to be met by determined opposition, then studies such as this thought-provoking volume will enable a wide readership - both military and civilian - to use the value of hindsight and skilled commentary to avoid the same mistake.In his chronological treatment, David Isby used many first-hand accounts and illustrates his pages with over 100 illustrations, many of which are published here for the first time.