Summer - United States Special Operations Command

This is a great read that speaks directly totoday’s ongoing events. This book was published waybefore 9/11. I found it and read it again after 9/11. It ispart of the answer to the question of why bin Laden isstill at large. No one has ever really controlled that borderarea; not Alexander the Great, the Arabs, the British,not the Afghans, the Persians, the Indians, the Sikhs, northe Russians, nor even the tribes themselves. This bookshould be a must read for every GWOT leader inAfghanistan. It explains the issue of the Afghans not toleratingan occupying military force well at all. It is awell-written work covering both the political and thestrategic/tactical episodes, all of which shaped the Britishin their attempts to conquer Afghanistan for over 100years and in their attempts to control the Northwest Frontier.It actually has a large amount of medicine in it,telling several stores on early missionary efforts – mostwere killed. Several British Army unit surgeons playprominent parts in it including one, Surgeon WilliamBrydon, who becomes the only escapee of an entireBritish Army, wiped out to the next to the last man, withhim being the only man to survive the retreat to Pakistanand to tell the tale. He later goes on to fight in the “SecondAfghan War,” the British having not learned anythingfrom the first one!This book is the very best of popular history. Itis a book that is colorful, well written, and flows nicely.It has good references but not a large number of footnotes.The bibliography itself is interesting to read tosee such works as “Cabool: A Personal Narrative of aJourney to, and Residence in That City in the Years1936, 7, and 8.” With the new interests in Afghanistan,Pakistan, and currently the entire Northwest Frontierarea, this book, written in 1977, is suddenly timely! Itwould be nice to see an updated edition including theSoviet debacle, the rise, and destruction of the Taliban,and the American presence in Afghanistan. Copies arefindable on Amazon and the other used-books sites. It isalways interesting to read a book about the British “colonial”experiences, especially when they lose, as they seldomdid in the “Colonial Wars.” Just like in Basra, theywere there before us.TSOC Surgeon 93