Killing the Cranes: A Reporter's Journey Through Three Decades of War in Afghanistan - Hardcover

"Edward Girardet offers a ruminating set of reflections on the history of the region and its diverse groups. He captures the dynamism, the pride, and the potential of the people living Afghanistan ... Girardet's book is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of contemporary Afghanistan." * Jeremi Suri, author of Liberty's Surest Guardian: American National Building from Washington to Obam * "This is the most thorough and knowledgeable book on Afghanistan I have come across, and Girardet's conclusions about what has gone wrong and what can be done about it are unassailable." * Howard Dean, former chair of the Democratic National Committee * "Killing the Cranes provides unparalleled insights into the immense challenges presented by the war in Afghanistan." * Mark Schapiro, senior correspondent, Center for Investigative Reporting, and author of Exposed * "Edward Girardet has a unique story to tell ... He has been a consistent and keen observer of political events. He has come to know all the major characters ... His is a very personal tale as well as being one of great historical importance." * Ahmed Rashid, author of Taliban, Jihad and Descent in Chaos * "Edward Girardet puts all of his thirty years' experience to use in this vivid, enlightening, humane, yet alarming book. Few other observers have had the determination to cover Afghan events from before the Soviet invasion to the preparations for American withdrawal. Girardet describes that whole saga, points out why and whether things could have gone differently, and explains the realistic prospects ahead. This is a life's-work testimony in the best sense." * James Fallows, author Blind into Baghdad and Postcards from Tomorrow Square * "Killing the Cranes may well be the most gripping and thorough account ever written about our numerous missteps and lost opportunities - it reads like a great novel but informs like the best kind of magazine journalism. Both his writing and reporting are absolutely superb. A truly remarkable book about a completely misunderstood country." * Sebastian Junger, best-selling author of War * "This is the most thorough and knowledgeable book on Afghanistan I have come across, and Girardet's conclusions about what has gone wrong and what can be done about it are unassailable." * Howard Dean, former chair of the Democratic National Committee * "Unparalleled insights into the immense challenges presented by the war in Afghanistan." * Mark Schapiro, senior correspondent, Centre for Investigative Reporting, and author of Exposed *

Few reporters have covered Afghanistan as intrepidly and humanely as Edward Girardet. In this gripping personal account, Girardet delivers a story of that nation's resistance fighters, foreign invaders, mercenaries, spies, aid workers, Islamic extremists and others who have defined Afghanistan's last thirty years of war, chaos and strife. Over thirty years Girardet's encounters with key figures - including Ahmed Shah Massoud, the famed "Lion of Panjshir" assassinated by al-Qaeda two days before 9/11, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, an Islamic extremist supported by the US during the 1980s only to become one of today's most anti-Western insurgents, and Osama bin Laden - shed extraordinary light on the personalities who have shaped the nation, and its current challenges, from corruption and narcotics trafficking to selfish regional interests. Killing the Cranes provides crucial insights into why the West's current involvement has turned into such a disaster, not only rekindling a new insurgency, but wasting billions of dollars on a recovery process that has shown scant success.