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scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Do you suppose that the Pentagon and their buddies knew abou this ?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Return-King-Afghanistan-William-Dalrymple/dp/1408818302/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359227112&sr=1-1

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 8:51 pm Post subject:

Dalrymple - a cracking writer. His 'From the Holy Mountain' is a wonderful read. Thanks for bring this title to my attention, Scott.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 8:54 pm Post subject:

Pity it's too late for the Pentagon boys...

Qaaolchoura · Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:21 pm Post subject:

You know, history teaches us that it is in fact possible to conquer Afghanistan. Now Genghis Khan and Tamerlane did it by building mounds of skulls, which isn't all that acceptable in this modern day and age. Alexander did it by full-scale nation-building and incorporating the country into his empire, and I don't think we have the time or patience for that. That leaves the Arabs. Looking at the Wikipedia article on the Islamic conquest of Afghanistan, it seems that the Arabs had the same problems we had, what with the Hindu/Buddhist inhabitants not all that fond of being forcibly converted to Islam. But they played the long game, and look what the wrought: the most staunchly orthodox Islamist country outside of Saudi Arabia.

Clearly History teaches us Baby Bush's problem with attempting to plant liberal democracy in foreign soil is that he focused on the wrong country (Iraq). Well, that and he backed Mr. Karzai after it became clear that the man was corrupt, incompetent, and only even plausibly the "good guy" when compared to the hand-chopping, woman-hating, Buddha-bombing Taliban.

~Q

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

What a shrub!!

artemisia · Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 875 Location: the world

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 6:21 am Post subject:

Alexander the Great subdued the Afghans with as much genocide as the Khans later did.

What does a 'staunchly orthodox Islamic country' mean, anyone know?

Cool Teacher · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 5:52 pm Post subject:

Hay! That looks like an interesting book and I think there is some stuff aboutt eh famous explorer Alexnader Brunes! Very Happy

If you want to read a great book about the same war then I recommend "Flashman" which is a ficitonal book and not a real hisotry but you can learn a lot about the war from reading it. Very Happy

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

"Flashman" was written by another Scot !

johnslat · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 9:17 pm Post subject:

Dear scot47,

Good heavens - you mean that there are TWO of you? Yikes.

Regards,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

3, and counting. Dalrymple is a Scot too - although an anglisced aristocrat who lives in New Delhi

Cool Teacher · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 6:21 am Post subject:

Qaaolchoura · Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 8:15 pm Post subject:

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Not sure that the words "orthodox" and "Islam" collocate well !

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 7:32 am Post subject:

Yes, Scot, that's my point. Unfortunate associations with totally different belief systems.

Anyway, Qaaolchoura, some books I have read recently about 'Aleksandr the Macadonian', as the Russians call him, are:

Alexander the Great, by Paul Cartledge

Alexander the Great: Death of a God, by Paul Doherty

Alexander the Great, by Norman Cantor

The Legendary Adventures of Alexander the Great, published by Penguin Epics

The first in the list is the most interesting, I thought. However, I cannot recall which of them detailed Alexander's naughty deeds in Afghanistan, or even if it was those books that did. Sadly, very little of the way of primary documentation, so a lot of speculation is to be found in any book about him. But, think about it - how else is a megalomaniac going to deal with unrepentant guerilla fighters? Wipe out a half dozen villages, then the next half dozen may think twice about getting restive.

On a lighter note, the BBC documentary by Michael Wood is hugely enjoyable. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrTS4O25Jow