"First published in Great Britain in 2011 by Profile Books"--T.p. verso.

Reviews

"Set to be the definitive account of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, overturning several myths along the way." - The Sunday Times

"A minor masterpiece." -The Observer

"The author...may well have written the definitive account of this war." -The Irish Examiner

"A masterful new book...that explains the tangled events leading up to the Soviet invasion and provides fresh insights into the war that followed...With America beginning its own slow retreat from Afghanistan, this is an important book." -- Newsweek

"The most nuanced, sympathetic, and comprehensive account yet of the Soviet experience in Afghanistan ... this book finally dispels many of the Cold War myths."
-- Rory Stewart, author of The Places In Between

"[Braithwaite] is one of the most vivid, emotionally engaged diplomats to have turned to the pen." -- Financial Times

"An outstanding book ... these accounts provide a fascinating insight not only into the war but also into Soviet society." -- Times Higher Education

"Sir Rodric Braithwaite...has amassed a gold mine of sources for this timely study."
-- Sunday Telegraph

"Afgantsy tells the sad story of occupying troops and Afghan civilians during the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan...His multifaceted history is a valuable addition to our knowledge of all these subjects. While American readers will naturally want to discern here lessons regarding military operations in Afghanistan, history never exactly repeats itself-there are differences as well as similarities-and Braithwaite wisely counsels caution in applying the lessons of the past." -- Michigan War Studies Review

"Rodric Braithwaite brings the talents of a scholar, diplomat, and writer to the agony of the Soviet misadventure in Afghanistan...His narrative is understated but powerful, resting on a wide range of Russian sources, including interviews with veterans and many documents." -- Foreign Policy