An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

87. Afghanistan - Part 1

August 18, 2021

Description

In the first of a two-part series exploring the history of Afghanistan, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook examine the nation’s complicated relationships with empires and discuss its role in the...
Read more here

Books Referenced

Return of a King

Author: William Dalrymple

Context:

Mentioned as a book that provides context for the first British invasion of Afghanistan, described as essential reading for understanding the first Afghan war

The Road to Oxiana

Author: Robert Byron

Context:

Described as a classic early 20th century travel book where Byron praises Herat as 'the Florence of the Eastern world' - explicitly referred to as 'his book'

The Great Game

Author: Peter Hopkirk

Context:

Specifically mentioned as a book that Najibullah translated into English after being toppled in 1992, while he remained in Kabul