Description: "A useful analysis of the Taliban and politics and society in Afghanistan today." (Foreign Affairs) "Highly recommended." (Choice) Composed of essays commissioned from the foremost experts on the Taliban, this anthology traces the movement's origins, its ascendance, the reasons for its success, and its role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
Brief description: William Maley is Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of New South Wales.
Review Quotes: "A useful analysis of the Taliban and politics and society in Afghanistan today. The four chapters on the intensive foreign involvementby Pakistan, the United States, Russian, the Central Asian republics, Saudi Arabia, and Iranshow that the venerable "great game" once played between Britain and czarist Russia now has multiple players."-- "Foreign Affairs"