Malkasian takes a look at the war in Afghanistan through looking at the past, present, and future of Garmser, one district in Afghanistan. The book is very informative and shows how structural problems within Afghanistan and problems from decision makers in the US and UK have both contributed to how drawn out the war has been. Malkasian concludes that success in Afghanistan would have been possible much sooner with better decision making, and that the Taliban's successful rule proves that Afghanistan in governable.

The biggest issue that I had with the book is that Malkasian's chapter on conclusions makes him come across as a fence-sitter. He mentions different decisions that could have been made and lays out the strengths and weaknesses of each but often stops short of making a definite decision on what the best course of action would be. Furthermore, he points out that part of the problem in Afghanistan is the the Taliban has had a safe-haven in Pakistan, but he does not adequately discuss what can be done to mitigate that safe haven.

Overall, I liked the book and found it to be a good exposition on the war, but I would have liked to have seen Malkasian take more of a stand about what he believes could have been done differently. It is one thing to say that mistakes have been made. It is quite another to supply definite solutions. Perhaps other historians will build on his work take a look at those issues. Malkasian has provided a step towards better understanding of this conflict even if he hasn't provided the final step. ( )

First, a disclaimer: I am an Afghan veteran, having spent a significant portion of 2011 in Marjah.

I have never been to Garmser, but I found this book intriguing nonetheless - I wish that my unit and I had had something similar specifically for Marjah and the surrounding areas before going to that town. The author has clearly done a lot of research and does a good job of describing the Byzantine politics and feuding of that part of the country. I particularly appreciated that there were no obvious political sides taken - the focus is on the Afghans, regardless of who was making what decisions anywhere else.

The work is dense, with an immense number of names, plots and plans and schemes that are difficult to follow, and includes descriptions of several layers of society and how they worked with, for, and against one another to defeat, conspire with, or actively aid the Taliban, the central Afghan government, and/or the foreigners. I would not have it any other way, as anything but this would be shortchanging the reader by presenting an overly simplified version of reality. It is not that it is completely physically impossible to understand what is going on - it is more that it is impossible to explain what is going on quickly.

I would suggest that anyone going to Garmser for pretty much any reason read this book, whether for interesting background information, an idea of what various levels of Afghan society are like, or a number of other things. ( )

Dr. Malkasian has written a wonderful book detailing the complex world that is Afghanistan. The very complex cultural, political, economic and religious factors are detailed in a way that shows us a side of Afghanistan that most peoples are not ever exposed to and you will not find on the evening news. Dr. Malkasian has a greater and deeper understanding when analyzing the problems of world powers getting into and not knowing how to get out of Afghanistan. I highly recommend this book to anyone trying to understand this conflict and the people of Afghanistan and what it means for these people to struggle through the thirty years of war as reported in this wonderful book. ( )

Garmser is a small district in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan close to the frontier with Pakistan. Malkasian gives the reader a history of the district from the incursion of the Soviets and the Jihad that was called by the religious leaders to drive them out to the coming of the Taliban and their two attempts to control Garmser and the entry of the area by British and American troops up to 2012 when the US began the withdrawal of its troops and when Malkasian’s tour ended there. Malkasian led a team that advised Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) in eastern Afghanistan. In this position he was able to learn the history of Garmser and the leading tribes and families of the district.

The book goes into how two different views of society can clash and create a lack of understanding between the two. US officers and advisers learned that in some cases it was best to step back and allow the Afghans to “do it their way” instead of trying to follow American procedures. The Taliban were very successful in ruling Garmser, but that was primarily because of their totalitarian way of ruling and their harsh justice system. The Taliban also relied heavily on the Mullahs and other religious leaders to give themselves legitimacy. When the United States moved in and wanted to establish a democratic form of government the two societies clash and there had to be some give and take on both sides.
Eventually a majority of the people of Garmser began to support the new government and prosperity was returning to the district. But then 2011 game along and the drawdown of American troops began and Malkasian wonders if the new fledging government can withstand an onslaught from the Taliban whom have been biding their time in Pakistan. As 2012 rolled around it appeared that Garmser might withstand new attacks with the American military advisers that have been left behind. Only time will tell.

Malkasian’s book is very thought provoking and a very interesting read for anyone interested in Afghanistan. As he states near the end of the book that this probably will not be the last time that the US will become involved in a conflict in a developing country. There are lessons to be learned here and I believe Malkasian lays out the facts in hopes that the lessons will be taken to heart and the Untied States and do a better job the next time. We can only hope that the little time that was used to set up the government in Garmser will be enough for it to stand up against all outsiders. A very excellent read and study of the Afghanistan conflict. ( )

Malkasian examines thirty plus years of war in Afghanistan through the lens of one place, the district of Garmser in Helmand Province. There are a number of maps in the book that help the reader maintain geographical orientation. The writing is in the vein of 'just the facts ma'am' which makes the reading dense at times. ( )