History books can be extremely boring, all dates and names jumbling into a brain-numbing mess. Tanner's work is a happy exception. Starting with Alexander the Great and moving to the early days of the America's entrance in the war, Tanner walks the reader through a land where the geography and culture, more than any other place, change the rules of warfare. It was fascinating, to see how the land shaped events, to see how men and empires suddenly change course when confronted with the rugged, harsh ways of Afghanistan. I found this book enthralling and I highly recommend. ( )

Afghanistan: A Military History From Alexander The Great To The Fall Of The Taliban, is too full of details without a corresponding explanation of their importance. The tone is bland and unbiased and yet their is decided preference for British and American viewpoints, some analysis of these the viewpoint would make the story more interesting and the bias more acceptable and probably more convincing. ( )