| Losing Afghanistan: An Obituary for the Intervention Contributor(s): Coburn, Noah (Author) |
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ISBN: 0804797773 ISBN-13: 9780804797771 Publisher: Stanford University Press OUR PRICE: $26.60 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: February 2016 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Political Science | International Relations - General - Social Science | Developing & Emerging Countries - History | Military - Afghan War (2001-) |
| Dewey: 958.104 |
| LCCN: 2015020748 |
| Physical Information: 0.4" H x 6" W x 8.9" (0.75 lbs) 264 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Asian - Chronological Period - 21st Century |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The U.S.-led intervention in Afghanistan mobilized troops, funds, and people on an international level not seen since World War II. Hundreds of thousands of individuals and tens of billions of dollars flowed into the country. But what was gained for Afghanistan-or for the international community that footed the bill? Why did development money not lead to more development? Why did a military presence make things more dangerous? Through the stories of four individuals-an ambassador, a Navy SEAL, a young Afghan businessman, and a wind energy engineer-Noah Coburn weaves a vivid account of the challenges and contradictions of life during the intervention. Looking particularly at the communities around Bagram Airbase, this ethnography considers how Afghans viewed and attempted to use the intervention and how those at the base tried to understand the communities around them. These compelling stories step outside the tired paradigms of 'unruly' Afghan tribes, an effective Taliban resistance, and a corrupt Karzai government to show how the intervention became an entity unto itself, one doomed to collapse under the weight of its own bureaucracy and contradictory intentions. |