Afghan Napoleon

‘A remarkable and emotionally affecting portrait of one of the most successful and brilliant soldiers of the modern world and a magnificent statesman. Sandy Gall is himself a major figure of late-twentieth century journalism, and his book is the best and most insightful I have read on modern Afghanistan.’
John Simpson

‘Afghan Napoleon offers an overdue portrait of one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th century. Napoleon tried to conquer the world; Massoud by contrast fought the world-scale Soviet empire to standstill on behalf of his people from a tiny valley in Afghanistan. In this book we see, not just the daily nuts and bolts of his military genius but catch glimpses of the social graces and the warmth that made this man so beloved among his followers.’
Tamim Ansary, author of The Invention of Yesterday: A 50,000-Year History of Human Culture, Conflict and Connection.

‘The unputdownable story of an authentic Afghan hero by one of the greatest chroniclers of modern Afghanistan’s travails, and occasional triumphs.’
Sherard Cowper-Coles, former British Ambassador to Afghanistan and British Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan

‘I can think of no one better than the legendary foreign correspondent Sandy Gall to tell the compelling story of Ahmad Shah Massoud’s extraordinary life and death … Gall weaves analysis first-hand reporting and primary sources into a brilliant and important book.’
Jeremy Bowen

‘Aham Shah Massoud was one of the greatest military commanders of the 20th century and was instrumental in forcing the Soviets to retreat from Afghanistan in 1989. Yet, he is now barely known in the West. That will surely change as a result of Sandy Gall’s authoritative, beautifully written and deeply reported biography of Massoud.’
Peter Bergen, author of The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden

‘This is a remarkable book, both a coruscating memoir by Sandy Gall and a revealing insight into a guerrilla leader ― one whose reputation ranks with icons of revolutionary insurgency and whose thinking is here revealed in his own words.’
Hew Strachen, author of The First World War: A New History

‘… an outstanding contribution, of unparalleled proportions, it reveals many valuable societal aspects about Afghanistan, that are certainly rare gems to historians, authors, and historiographers that are studying the contemporary events of Afghanistan.’
Eurasia Review

‘This volume is a combination of biography, memoir and political analysis of Afghan history and thereby provides a gripping view of what happened and how history could have been changed, so much for the better, had other decisions been made by western governments … This is not a book of ‘what if’ history but a guide to how decisions in international affairs should address situations in more objective analytical detail.’
Royal Society of Asian Affairs Journal

‘… an important story that has not been widely talked about in the West.’
Oxford Middle East Review

‘… a fascinating picture of Massoud.’
Middle East Quarterly