Blood Washing Blood: Afghanistan’s Hundred-Year War by Phil Halton

Blood Washing Blood: Afghanistan’s Hundred-Year War Reviews

• 
  Thomas

  4.5 stars rounded down for an excellent history of the wars in Afghanistan for the last 100 years. The author is a ex Canadian Army officer who has spent time in Afghanistan. He has done a great deal of research with a comprehensive bibliography at the end of the book. He presents a thorough overview of all the characters and groups involved in the wars over the last 100 years.
  After reading this book I have a better understanding of all the relationships between the various groups. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand what is happening in Afghanistan today. I agree with President Biden's decision to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan.
  Two quotes: "Tribal relations are also not static, as it is possible for a weaker tribe to be absorbed by a stronger one."
  "Although this is often described as a Soviet 'invasion' of Afghanistan, the truth is more complex. Both Taraki and Amin requested Soviet troops to help quell the fighting across the country."
  Because this book is complex with so many characters, shifting alliances and religious philosophies, I spent 11 days carefully reading this book.
  Thank You Dundurn Press and Phil Halton for sending me this book through NetGalley.
  #BloodWashingBlood #NetGalley
• 
  LenaRibka

  I am NOT a non-fiction reader. I pick up from time to time a non-fiction book, but in 99% I am not able to finish it, I just don't have patience for it. You can ask, well, why I try again and again a non-fiction genre though I am not suitable for it. I can answer you: because I can come across something like THIS: an eye opener, that is good written, educational and very informative, and that is EASY to understand.
  
  EVERYONE who wants to comprehend the Afghanistan problem MUST read it. The author made an EXCELLENT research job, and what I liked the most about the book: it is unbiased. You got the facts and you are free to draw your own conclusion.
  
  Some ideas after finishing it:
  

  
  - Afghanistan is not a land you can easily invade to install a new political system
  - The Taliban is by far not the worst case scenario for Afghanistan, just the opposite (yes, believe or not). One of the worst one had already fled, with bags full of stolen money.
  

  
  The Taliban described their political aims in a very simple manner that did not change over the course of their development into a larger movement: to restore peace, disarm the population , enforce shari’a, and defend the integrity and Islamic character of Afghanistan.

  
  - Had the West left Afghanistan to itself (I mean the whole history of this land full of suffering and misery), we could have had maybe a political system comparable with Saudi Arabia
  - The invasion of Afghanistan was WRONG: The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan 1978, as well as the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
  

  
  Only a small minority of the population believe that foreigners come to the country to bring peace and security. This creates the paradox where the very presence of foreign military forces creates the insurgency they have been deployed to defeat.

  
  

  
  It is a VERY complicated topic. I am glad I made a new step in the right direction to understand it, thanks to this book.
  
  

  
  A commonly heard Afghan proverb is Qatara, qatara, darya mesha: “Drop by drop, a river is formed.” This is how peace will be built by Afghans for themselves — by drops of trust and mutual interest, which over time will form a powerful current.

  
  
  ***ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.***
• 
  T. Fowler

  Western militaries have been deeply involved in Afghanistan since 2001, unsuccessfully struggling to install a democratic government based on modern values against fierce opposition. Many observers have pointed out the futility of this effort, citing the disastrous British invasion and ultimate retreat from Kabul in the 19th century. However, Phil Halton gives a unique insight into why the country is so impossible to govern by presenting the history of the rise and fall of all those who sought to govern it since 1919. He has a unique insight into Afghan society, having lived in many parts of the country, and he uses his knowledge of its culture to show how three forces have created political instability over this long period – the state, religious influencers, and traditional leaders. He argues that Western attempts to impose order and modern values on the country, without sufficient understanding of its historic internal forces, have merely exacerbated its problems. This book throws a clear light on why foreign intrusion into Afghanistan has failed to solve its problems. It should be read by anyone seeking to understand it better.
• 
  Jaylani Adam

  Excellent book on the history of Afghanistan. I never knew that this has been going on for a century. Thanks to the author.
• 
  Pavan Singh

  To understand the conflict in Afghanistan that is capturing our attention currently, it is essential to know the full history of the country over the past century.
  
  The author showcases how the fighting and violence over the past 100 years has been about issues that chiefly concern the Afghan people alone, despite the involvement of foreign powers during certain periods, especially the supposed “War on Terror” that began after 9/11
  
  The book describes why there is a general misunderstanding amongst the Western actors of the true roots of the conflict, which has been driven by the 3 poles of power jockeying for power in Afghan society over the past century: the state, the ulema and traditional leaders.
  
  The Afghan people desperately wants peace and good governance but that won’t happen until the departure of Western militaries and actors. The author demonstrates that it is not simply the culture that causes violence in the region but foreign military intervention
  
  While the trap of continued violence and cycles of revenge may occur, the book concludes with a glimmer of hope as grassroots peace movements have begun to flourish. The international community cannot impose a peace, rather it must come from the Afghan people themselves
• 
  Ele Pawelski

  Great in-depth discussion of the situation in Afghanistan from the early 1900s.
• 
  fred jones

  A fascinating history. Well written and informative. Shows an extensive knowledge of the subject.
  
  
  
• 
  C

  Interesting history, especially considering I have no other reference point on this topic.