Includes bibliographical references (p. 53) and index.

How do we know? -- Afghanistan before 1978 -- The 1978 coup -- Opposition -- Civil war -- Soviet intervention -- Help for the Mujahedin -- The military conflict -- Life for Afghans in the mid-1980s -- The wider impact of the war in Afghanistan -- The Soviet withdrawal -- Najibullah -- Mujahedin disunity -- A country in ruins -- The rise of the Taliban -- Life under the Taliban -- A woman's place -- A sanctuary for terrorists -- September 11 -- Operation Enduring Freedom -- A new government -- Prospects -- What have we learned from Afghanistan?

Uses primary source material to examine the history of Afghanistan and recent events that have increased its importance in the realm of world politics.