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  • The Great Gamble: The Soviet War in Afghanistan by Gregory Feifer book cover
  • The Great Gamble: The Soviet War in Afghanistan by Gregory Feifer book cover
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The Great Gamble: The Soviet War in Afghanistan

by Gregory Feifer

A Soviet war told through those who fought it

$18.53 USD
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Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    Praise from The New York Times Book Review

    Attributed praise describes the book as fascinating and a highly readable history of the conflict.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A Soviet war told through those who fought it

Gregory Feifer’s history centers on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the experiences of the Russians who fought there. It also places the conflict within a wider account of Afghanistan’s troubled government and the rise of the Mujahideen and Al-Qaeda. The book connects the war to the weakening and eventual demise of the USSR, while framing its history as relevant to understanding later conflicts. This focus gives the account both a military dimension and a view of the political forces surrounding the Soviet intervention.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in the Soviet-Afghan War and military history.
  • Those studying Afghanistan’s political history and the rise of the Mujahideen and Al-Qaeda.
  • Readers seeking a Russian perspective on the conflict.

Themes

Soviet-Afghan WarAfghan political historyMujahideen and Al-QaedaThe decline of the USSR

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"Fascinating....A highly readable history of the conflict." --New York Times Book Review

In The Great Gamble, a groundbreaking account of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, former NPR Moscow correspondent Gregory Feifer vividly depicts the war that contributed greatly to the demise of the USSR, and that offers striking lessons for the 21st century, as well. Told from the perspective of the Russians who fought it, The Great Gamble offers valuable insight into the history of Afghanistan's troubled government and the rise of the Mujahideen and Al-Qaeda. In the words of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, "Feifer has done truly extraordinary research... For all its heft, [The Great Gamble] is an effortless read--an unusual and gratifying combination."

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