Book cover of Days of Opportunity: The United States and Afghanistan Before the Soviet Invasion

Book description

Long before the 1979 Soviet invasion, the United States was closely concerned with Afghanistan. For much of the twentieth century, American diplomats, policy makers, businesspeople, and experts took part in the Afghan struggle to modernize, delivered vital aid, and involved themselves in Kabul's conflicts with its neighbors. For their own…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Days of Opportunity as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

That is a great history book about a poorly known topic. Robert B. Rakove provides a minutious description of the intricacies of U.S. policy toward Afghanistan from the Second World War prior to the Soviet military intervention in that country in 1979. I really enjoyed how his narrative seamlessly weaves together the aspirations and actions of a multitude of American and Afghan actors, large and small. Relying on many new archives, Rakove’s book tells a unique story of Soviet and American competition in one of the border states of the Cold War, also highlighting Afghan agency in playing one superpower…

If you love Days of Opportunity...

Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Want books like Days of Opportunity?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 2 books like Days of Opportunity.

Browse books like Days of Opportunity

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,397

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Days of Opportunity, you might also like...

Book cover of The Tao of Poison

The Tao of Poison by Isham Cook,

A poisonous maiden, a Daoist sex cult, and a violent insurgency.

The polyandrous Yan family in China's rural Shaanxi Province takes in two carpenter brothers. When one brother is convicted of murder after killing their neighbor in a dispute, a constable threatens to expose the family's rumored polyandry and extorts…

Book cover of Draakensky: A Supernatural Tale of Magick and Romance

Draakensky by Paula Cappa,

A wind sorcerer. A dark spirit. An unsolved murder.

On the haunted Draakensky Windmill Estate, sketch artist Charlotte Knight arrives to live on the property, hired to illustrate the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke—a bright and lucrative opportunity to boost her struggling art career. 

She meets the reclusive spinster Jaa…