ANewYorkTimesNotableBookWinnerof2022LionelGelberPrizeThefirstauthoritativehistoryofAmerica’slongestwarbyoneoftheworld’sleadingscholar-practitioners.TheAmericanwarinAfghanistan,whichbeganin2001,isnowthelongestarmedconflictinthenation’shistory.Itiscurrentlywindingdown,andAmericantroopsarelikelytoleavesoon--butonlyafterastayofnearlytwodecades.InTheAmericanWarinAfghanistan,CarterMalkasianprovidesthefirstcomprehensivehistoryoftheentireconflict.Malkasianisbothaleadingacademicauthorityonthesubjectandanexperiencedpractitioner,havingspentnearlytwoyearsworkingintheAfghancountrysideandgoingontoserveasthesenioradvisortoGeneralJosephDunford,theUSmilitarycommanderinAfghanistanandlaterthechairmanofthejointchiefsofstaff.Drawingfromadeepwelloflocalknowledge,understandingofPashto,andreviewofprimarysourcedocuments,Malkasianmovesthroughthewar’smultiplephases:the2001invasionandafter;thelightAmericanfootprintduringthe2003Iraqinvasion;theresurgenceoftheTalibanin2006,theObama-erasurge,andthevariousresetsinstrategyandforceallocationsthatoccurredfrom2011onward,culminatinginthe2018-2020peacetalks.Malkasianlivedthroughmuchofit,anddrawsfromhisownexperiencestoprovideauniquevantagepointonthewar.Today,theTalibanisthemostpowerfulfaction,andseesvictoryasprobable.TheultimateoutcomeafterAmericaleavesisinherentlyunpredictablegiventhemultitudeofactorsthere,butonethingissure:thewardidnotgoasAmericahadhoped.Althoughtheal-Qa’edaleaderOsamabinLadenwaskilledandnomajorattackontheAmericanhomelandwascarriedoutafter2001,theUnitedStateswasunabletoendtheviolenceorhandoffthewartotheAfghanauthorities,whichcouldnotsurvivewithoutUSmilitarybacking.TheAmericanWarinAfghanistanexplainswhythewarhadsuchadisappointingoutcome.Wiseandall-encompassing,TheAmericanWarinAfghanistanprovidesatrulyvividportraitoftheconflictinallofitsphasesthatwillremaintheauthoritativeaccountforyearstocome.
