Why read Days of Opportunity?

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…

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Why read it?

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

Vassily Klimentov

Author

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…

From Vassily's 3 favorite reads in 2024.