Hat tip to Kings of War in pointing to Anatol Lieven's review of three books on Afghanistan.

The link:http://www.currentintelligence.net/r...han-field.html

Sub-titled:
Security policy in Afghanistan may be powered by sublimated imperial nostalgia, but most of the really valuable practical memories and lessons of empire have long since been forgotten. Veteran journalist and author Anatol Lieven reviews three recent books that illustrate what we should have known about the Taliban.
Followed in the opening paragraph:
IF BOOKS LIKE the ones under review had appeared in 2002, and been read by Western commanders and officials, they might have changed the course of the Afghan War. Even today, should a US administration ever be able to disentangle itself from the Karzai government and nerve itself to open serious negotiations with the Taliban, such works will be indispensable to understanding the people on the other side of the table.
KoW comments:http://kingsofwar.org.uk/2010/09/cur...stan/#comments

Enjoy.