In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. University of california press, 1995 isbn 9780585249766. The man behind the afghan jehad 1991, by mohammad yousaf framedependent illustrated html at afghanistan. In the brutal nineyear conflict, an estimated one million civilians were killed, as well as 90,000 mujahideen fighters, 18,000 afghan troops, and 14,500 soviet soldiers.
The other side of the mountain is war and all its tactical permutations as seen by the muhajadeen. The soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989 the atlantic. The soviet afghan war is the big picture as seen by colonels and generals. Best books about the soviet invasion of afghanistan.
This is an account of the afghan war and its tragic aftermath as told by the women who were caught up in it and became its innocent victims. The soviet invasion and the afghan response, 19791982. The book is a superb analysis of the soviet intervention, not communist propaganda, every tactics and weapons is shown in a professional way. In the sovietafghan war the russian general staff takes a close critical look at the soviet militarys disappointing performance in that war in an effort to better understand what happened and why and what lessons should be taken from it. Are there any good books about the sovietafghan war. The peshawar seven insurgents received military training in neighboring pakistan and china, as well as. This is the 7th book on the sovietafghan war ive read, and lester grau kept up his reputation with this book for historical investigative detail. The hitandrun bloodletting across the wars decade tallied more than 25,000 dead soviet soldiers plus a great many more casualties and further demoralized a ussr on the. Read sovietafghan war books like the other side of the mountain and the great gamble for free with a free 30day trial. State formation and collapse in the international system. The soviet invasion had enormous implications on the global stage. How a superpower fought and lost is a professional study of the drawnout conflict. The book consists of separate chapters on various aspects of the war, including the experiences of various components of the soviet army.
Specifically books that arent too dry and also focus on the american supported afghani mujahedeen that fought against the soviets. The conflict had its origins in the 1978 coup that overthrew afghan president sardar muhammad daud khan, who had come to power by ousting the king in 1973. List of books and articles about soviet invasion of afghanistan. It is also another translation from original works by the soviet genreral staff, this time a collection of papers based on their analysis of the armies performance over its extended deployment in afghanistan. He controlled the flow of thousands of tons of arms across pakistan and into its occupied neighbor, arms that were acquired with cia and saudi arabian funds from the usa. A superb book on the soviet afghan war up there with the bear went over the mountain.
The sovietafghan war 197989 by gregory fremontbarnes. A russian journalists account of the soviet war in afghanistan to portray the soviet war in afghanistan from a soldiers perspective. How a superpower fought and lost modern war studies by the russian general staff, lester w. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive, and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerrilla force the. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union. In an unequal struggle the mujahideen resisted for ten years, then triumphed over moscow. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the sovie. The extraordinary story of the largest covert operation in history by crile. The extraordinary story of the largest covert operation in history by crile, george. However there is a third book to his trilogy which covers the soviet operational level of the war. The sovietafghan war, how a superpower fought and lost. Ultimately this book is about soviet warfighting doctrine, written by an acknowledged expert in soviet military affairs it is an outstanding treatise on the. In early january 1988, 39 soviet paratroopers were positioned on a cliff overlooking the gardezkhost road in southeastern afghanistan.
The soviet afghan war by members of the russian general staff, and translated by lester grau and michael gross, is a summary overview of the soviet experience in the afghan invasion and war of the 1980s. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. For the soviet union the futile intervention has been compared to the similar. The hitandrun bloodletting across the wars decade tallied more than. Soviet precedent in afghanistan diego cordovez and selig s. In gripping detail, he vividly depicts the invasion of a volatile country that no power has ever successfully conquered. In this video we will look at the camouflage effectiveness of some of the uniforms and camouflage worn by soviet troops during the sovietafghan.
Like borovik, the soldiers interviewed are primarily from the russian and government afghan side, unlike borovik, the work has not been carried out during the hostilities but afterwards. The voices in this oral history will provide personal snapshots to the news reports of the taliban activities now coming out of afghanistan. The war in afghanistan 19791989 has been called the soviet unions vietnam war, a conflict that pitted soviet regulars against a relentless, elusive, and ultimately unbeatable afghan guerrilla force the mujahideen. I learned more about the details of this war in a single chapter from this book than i have in all the other books combined. More than 15,000 soviet soldiers died there, and probably more than a million afghan civilians. Part of the cold war, it was fought between sovietled afghan forces against multinational insurgent groups called the mujahideen, mostly composed of two alliances the peshawar seven and the tehran eight. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Graus books are probably the best resource out there on the subject. A specially equipped c141 starlifter transport carrying william casey touched down at a military air base south of islamabad in october 1984 for a secret visit by the cia director to plan strategy for the war against soviet forces in afghanistan. He has produced a balanced, oftensympathetic work on the soviet unions long war in afghanistan that.
The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century. In an unequal struggle, the mujahedeen resisted for ten years, then triumphed over moscow. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the sovietafghan war 197989. The sovietafghan war 197989 ebook written by gregory fremontbarnes. This photographic history of the sovietafghan war of 1979 to 1989 gives a fascinating insight into a grim conflict that prefigured the americanled campaign in that country. In many ways this book attempts the same as artyom boroviks the hidden war. The soviet invasion and the afghan response, 19791982, by m. For a wider political perspective the great gamble by gregory feifer is a worthwhile read. The author, brigadier mohammad yousaf, was head of the afghan bureau of pakistans interservice intelligence and as such was commendably the mujahideens commanderinchief. Soviet combat tactics in afghanistan, by lester grau. The soviet union intervened in support of the afghan communist government in its conflict with anticommunist muslim guerrillas during the afghan war 197892 and remained in afghanistan until midfebruary 1989. The main body of the book is about soviet army and air force tactics. The soviet union, china and angloamerican intelligence in the afghan war library of middle east history by panagiotis dimitrakis jul 25, 20 hardcover.
Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new. Lester grau and michael gresss expert english translation of the general staffs study offers the very. Afghan civil war 19891992 afghan civil war 19921996 afghan civil war 19962001 war in afghanistan 2001present the soviet afghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan government for over nine years, throughout the 1980s, mostly in the afghan countryside. The soviet invasion of its neighbour afghanistan in december 1979 sparked a bloody nineyear conflict in that country until soviet forces withdrew in 198889, dooming the communist afghanistan government to defeat at the hands of the mujahideen, the afghan popular resistance backed by the usa and other powers. The intelligence came from the upper reaches of the soviet defense ministry and indicated that soviet hardliners were pushing a plan to attempt to win the afghan war within two years, sources said. Review books, soviet airland battle tactics, w p baxter the title of this book is a complete misnomer it was selected at a time when air land battle was a euphemism for doctrine. Afghanistan, and bin laden from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 by. Best iraq and afghanistan war books some of the best books out there about the wars in iraq and afghanistan. Discover sovietafghan war books free 30day trial scribd.
The soviet war in afghanistan lasted nine years from december 1979 to february 1989. Discover the best sovietafghan war books and audiobooks. Mujahideen tactics in the sovietafghan war, by lester grau and ali ahmad jalali. What are the best books about the soviet war in afghanistan from 1979 to 89. List of books and articles about soviet invasion of. Afghanistan war, 197892, conflict between anticommunist muslim afghan guerrillas mujahidin and afghan government and soviet forces. The sovietafghan war by members of the russian general staff, and translated by lester grau and michael gross, is a summary overview of the soviet experience in the afghan invasion and war of the 1980s. Soviet voices from the afghanistan war by svetlana alexievich, the sovietafghan war. Booktopia buy afghan war books online from australias leading online bookstore. Of the three books, the soviet afghan war is the most intellectually satisfying. The sovietafghan war 197989 essential histories gregory. The great irony is than the same locations of battles than i follow in the 80s are in the news now and the us army is in the same crossroad than the soviets.
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