Reviews

On Afghanistan's Plains: The Story of Britain's Afghan Wars by Jules Stewart

reverenddave's review

2.0

I doubt I could ever not like a book examining the first Afghan War, that said, this attempt was one of the weaker efforts. Trying to cover all three (2.5) wars results in a book that frequently goes too fast and omits details that would provide a much richer context to the events. Also, as is in fashion with recent books on the 1st AW, the author feels it necessary to draw parallels to the most recent invasion of Afghanistan. Now I am certainly not saying parallels dont exist, they just dont add to understanding of the events that are the focus of this book. In fact they tend to draw the reader out of the narrative as well as create concerns about possible political subtexts.

All that said, if you want a quick introduction to the first couple British-Afghan wars, this book meets that need nicely.