Essential Histories: The Soviet–Afghan War

Essential Histories: The Soviet–Afghan War is an illustrated overview of the USSR’s war in Afghanistan from the 1979 invasion to the Soviet withdrawal in 1988-89.

The book explains how the Soviet intervention became a long and costly conflict against Afghan resistance forces, widely known as the mujahideen. Backed by outside powers including the United States, the resistance gradually wore down Soviet forces and helped doom the communist Afghan government that Moscow had tried to sustain.

This volume provides a clear introduction to the origins, course, and consequences of the war, including its importance for the late Cold War and its lasting impact on Afghanistan, the Soviet Union, and later regional conflicts.

A strong choice for readers interested in modern warfare, Cold War history, insurgency, Soviet military operations, and Afghanistan’s recent past.

Format: Paperback.
Publisher: Osprey Publishing.