Afghan Napoleon - The Life of Ahmad Shah Massoud

A timely and evocative portrait of a man who's life is testimony that there is hope for Afghanistan, and the future does not have to be factionalism or religious tyranny.Sandy Gall's testimony is definitely a work of original scholarship, drawing upon Massoud's personal diaries and correspondence with comrades in arms. What follows is not just a portrait of his times, but an intimate portrait of the man himself, one that is rarely glimpsed in other biographical works.One gathers that Massoud himself was a very reflective, self-critical and modest man who always kept sight on the larger picture. Unlike many, he appears to have lacked personal ambition and kept sight on the overall focus of a free, democratic and functional Afghanistan.It has long been the opinion of this reader that a functional Afghanistan is no pipe dream, and the account of this book presents a very compelling case that if Western powers had heeded warnings from Afghans such as Massoud himself, a very different Afghanistan could have been realized, and perhaps a very different world in the past 20 years.Sandy Gall's work is an essential piece on modern Afghanistan, and essential to anyone concerned with international security and the post 911 world. Highly recommended.

If only Ahmad Shah Massoud had not been assassinated in September 2001 just two days before 9/11 Afghanistan might well be a much better place now. An epic story well told by veteran journalist Sandy Gall.

Even though I bought the book because of the famous journalist who wrote it, the protagonist captured my interest from the very first pages. Facts are explained clearly and you manage to get a general picture of the Afghan turmoil. Reasonable price, fast delivery and perfect condition.

A very fine and moving read of a great man and comrade that i knew well.

Very interesting book, explains a lot about the Afghanistan politics!