Justin Marozzi

Hubris, blunders and lies characterised the war in Afghanistan from the start

Two books, by Toby Harnden and Craig Whitlock, provide a devastating insight into US policy over 20 years

A military transport plane leaves Kabul on August 23rd while Afghans, unable to be evacuated, watch and wait. [Getty Images]
  • Comments

  • First Casualty: The Untold Story of the Battle that Began the War in Afghanistan

    Toby Harnden

    Welbeck, pp. 342, £18

  • The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War

    Craig Whitlock

    Simon & Schuster, pp. 287, £20

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Subscribe today to get 3 months' delivery of the magazine, as well as online and app access, for only £3.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

  • Weekly delivery of the magazine
  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Read next

Trending

Nigel Inkster

The Xi files: how China spies

From the magazine
Most states spy. In principle there’s nothing to stop them. But China’s demand for intelligence on the rest of the world goes far beyond anything western intelligence agencies would typically gather. It encompasses masses of commercial data and intellectual property and has been described by Keith Alexander, a former head of America’s National Security Agency,

Because you read about al qaeda

Also by Justin Marozzi

Latest

Comments

A blooming good offer

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting the next 3 months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in