The Rise and Fall of the Taliban: A Lion’s Death & The Warlord

We want to jump right into an overview of the first few pages of this incredible book from foreign correspondent, journalist Jon Lee Anderson. As New York Times bestselling author Ben Rhodes wrote, “…Anderson knew where to find the story: in the lives of Afghans navigating between American occupier and a repressive Taliban.”

Anderson’s ability to weave history, opinion, and storytelling into each page is intoxicating. It is easy to forget that this book is a thorough critique of the US’s approach to the conflict in Afghanistan, including the complexities of the US-led war and the aftermath. While a text of historical context can be dry, To Lose a War is detailed and personalized with Anderson’s experience and harrowing descriptions, “When they were finished, they called me over and said, in a hushed, edgy voice, that the Americans were supposed to have begun bombing at two p.m. that day, but, because there was a sandstorm and poor visibility, they hadn’t.” (p. 15) The intimate details of each event, conversations, and their intersection with his opinions and life experience suggest a questionable moral authority of the US and significant consequences for Afghanistan.

In continuing the book, each essay reminds the reader that the focus is not only on the invasion of Afghanistan and the Taliban’s rise, but the unique obstacles this war presented to the US military and challenges faced by the invaded peoples, both military and civilian.

As reading can come slowly in a house of kids, dogs (and a foster on the way), active duty service, and fulltime work- this is a book that continuously calls out to be picked up in times when attention and appreciation for such vivid detail and personal, though objective, essays can be truly digested for their historical impact and current relevance. Please join the discussion in the comments. What drew you to this book?