What do you think?
Rate this book
Invisible History: Afghanistan's Untold Story
Despite official declarations, the war in Afghanistan is far from over; in fact, it’s escalating. Seven years after 9/11, the Taliban continue to regroup, attack and claim influence over most of the region. This book presents a fresh, comprehensive analysis of Afghanistan’s political history that begins at the roots of tribal leadership and ultimately emphasizes our present political moment and the impact of ongoing US military intervention.
Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould, a husband and wife team, first went to Afghanistan in 1981 and have reported for CBS News, Nightline and The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. Their documentary Between Three Worlds was broadcast by PBS.
Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould, a husband and wife team, first went to Afghanistan in 1981 and have reported for CBS News, Nightline and The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. Their documentary Between Three Worlds was broadcast by PBS.
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Paul Fitzgerald
28 books4 followersPAUL FITZGERALD and ELIZABETH GOULD, a husband and wife team, began their experience in Afghanistan in 1981 for CBS News and produced a documentary, Afghanistan Between Three Worlds, for PBS. In 1983 they returned for ABC Nightline and contributed to the MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour. They have continued to research, write and lecture about Afghanistan history and U.S. foreign policy since."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 30, 2026
Sat writing this review with heaps of time in the Asda bully van.
Another book I had been beaten too by Mr Howes, who said he struggled with keeping track (a bit). I see his critique, trying to recount the history of Afghanistan and its issues feels to me like trying to deliver a lecture to baboons.
By contrast, I didn’t find it easy to follow, but certainly followed nonetheless. Afghanistan became a bit of an interest to me last summer, in Tajikistan I followed the Afghan border on the way down the Pamir highway, going along the Wakhan corridor and being a stones throw (literally) from Taliban border posts, seeing a caravan of camels taking supplies through the alpine desert like straight out a Silk Road picture book is an image that has stayed with me.
Additionally, when in Dushanbe, me and Joe had 2 notable interactions:
1- The travellers: we met several heads who had come to Tajik via Afghan, they were full of talk about the beauty of Afghanistan (believed) but also the hospitality of the Taliban, they were surprised but said they had been so kind and welcoming throughout their stays.
2 - Afghan Women: we met several Afghan women who spoke of the country they left behind with a fear I haven’t seen in a person before. The desperation they described in trying to escape was palpable.
This book was published in 2009, before Bin Laden died, but its historical portrayal is balanced and informative, and is informative about the Soviet intervention and what had come before, gives almost too balanced accounts of the yanks throughout the whole thing. But you do feel the whole ‘unfinished business’ aspect given the American writers government are still waging a war there.
The book has a bitterly ironic final chapter in asking what Obama could do, answering it, and him then not doing it.
I brought up the 2 conversations because of one reason. The Taliban clearly learned. They have had a bit of a pr campaign with travellers coming through and loving it and reviewing the place positively, but these accounts are sharply contrasted with the lived experience of the Afghan people. It is frustrating to read this and think of those people, who found themselves the victims of neoconservative ’intellectuals’ in Washington trying to boost stocks for their arms company donors in the post Vietnam War world and all the heads of that hydra. Wahhabism, constant war, disaster capitalism.
The American empire now finds itself at a similar precipice, blowback for their refusal to live in a world with 2 systems in the 20th century as they prepare to fight one of their bastard children in the IRGC.
I can’t give any positive thoughts to this, it’s a book I would really recommend. It is interesting but in a way that will make you seethe with anger at the lot that the people of a landlocked country in South-Central Asia have found themselves in due to decisions made in London, Moscow, Medina, Islamabad, and most importantly Washington DC.
4.7*
Another book I had been beaten too by Mr Howes, who said he struggled with keeping track (a bit). I see his critique, trying to recount the history of Afghanistan and its issues feels to me like trying to deliver a lecture to baboons.
By contrast, I didn’t find it easy to follow, but certainly followed nonetheless. Afghanistan became a bit of an interest to me last summer, in Tajikistan I followed the Afghan border on the way down the Pamir highway, going along the Wakhan corridor and being a stones throw (literally) from Taliban border posts, seeing a caravan of camels taking supplies through the alpine desert like straight out a Silk Road picture book is an image that has stayed with me.
Additionally, when in Dushanbe, me and Joe had 2 notable interactions:
1- The travellers: we met several heads who had come to Tajik via Afghan, they were full of talk about the beauty of Afghanistan (believed) but also the hospitality of the Taliban, they were surprised but said they had been so kind and welcoming throughout their stays.
2 - Afghan Women: we met several Afghan women who spoke of the country they left behind with a fear I haven’t seen in a person before. The desperation they described in trying to escape was palpable.
This book was published in 2009, before Bin Laden died, but its historical portrayal is balanced and informative, and is informative about the Soviet intervention and what had come before, gives almost too balanced accounts of the yanks throughout the whole thing. But you do feel the whole ‘unfinished business’ aspect given the American writers government are still waging a war there.
The book has a bitterly ironic final chapter in asking what Obama could do, answering it, and him then not doing it.
I brought up the 2 conversations because of one reason. The Taliban clearly learned. They have had a bit of a pr campaign with travellers coming through and loving it and reviewing the place positively, but these accounts are sharply contrasted with the lived experience of the Afghan people. It is frustrating to read this and think of those people, who found themselves the victims of neoconservative ’intellectuals’ in Washington trying to boost stocks for their arms company donors in the post Vietnam War world and all the heads of that hydra. Wahhabism, constant war, disaster capitalism.
The American empire now finds itself at a similar precipice, blowback for their refusal to live in a world with 2 systems in the 20th century as they prepare to fight one of their bastard children in the IRGC.
I can’t give any positive thoughts to this, it’s a book I would really recommend. It is interesting but in a way that will make you seethe with anger at the lot that the people of a landlocked country in South-Central Asia have found themselves in due to decisions made in London, Moscow, Medina, Islamabad, and most importantly Washington DC.
4.7*
September 2, 2009
Amazingly dense, with a cast of characters that is sometimes hard to keep track of, this analysis of the quagmire that Western engagement with Afghanistan is both exhaustingly thorough and heartbreaking. Be it from British Great Game intrigue, Cold War terror-mongering, or its own hapless leadership, this struggling country can't seem to catch a break. Our modern world is still dealing with the repercussions of Colonial boondoggles that have yet to be rectified. Each era seems to set of another domino chain of tragedy, right up to Obama's latest efforts.
Absolutely required reading for those who wish to attempt to make sense of the nonsensical actions occurring in the Grave of Empires.
Absolutely required reading for those who wish to attempt to make sense of the nonsensical actions occurring in the Grave of Empires.
February 25, 2010
Excellent and detailed overview that provides invaluable perspective on a lot of what's happening now. Since we're spending a lot of our tax dollars in Afghanistan and Pakistan right now, and since real human beings are living, laughing, loving, suffering, and dying there, it's important to understand the region. This book contributed a great deal to my on understanding of the history of this very important part of the world.
It was also verrrrry slow reading for me. I'm not a particularly good student of history, especially when names of both people and places are so unfamiliar to me. The effort was worth it, though. :)
OFL 958.1 FIT
It was also verrrrry slow reading for me. I'm not a particularly good student of history, especially when names of both people and places are so unfamiliar to me. The effort was worth it, though. :)
OFL 958.1 FIT
June 6, 2018
Finally read this a decade after it was published. I also watched the documentary on YouTube.
So sad..
So sad..
September 14, 2021
Extremely sad to read, but highly informative and insightful.
September 11, 2008
Sunday Gazette Mail
"Invisible History provides a wealth of often generally-unknown details about the tribal and ethnic alliances that created current divisions and government instability."
—Paul J. Nyden
Nexus Magazine
"To understand Afghanistan's tragic circumstances, this well-documented book by journalists Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould is essential reading. . . . The authors urge US leaders to learn from the Soviet experience and adjust their policies to help the Afghan people regain their independence, especially from foreign-supported extremism, before it is too late. Engaging reportage."
—Ruth Parnell
Book News Inc.
"Fitzgerald and Gould (journalists who have been reporting on Afghanistan and US policy towards Afghanistan since 1981) narrate the political history of Afghanistan and provide a critical analysis of US policy towards Afghanistan. They reveal the manipulations of Afghanistan by the United States and other great powers from the 'Great Game' of the 19th century through the current 'War on Terror' and describe its terrible consequences for the Afghan people."
Hour.ca
"In Invisible History: Afghanistan's Untold Story, journalists Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould outline striking historical accounts of an ancient nation, its borders shaped through colonial wars and conflicts between empires. Their style is reflective yet factual, delving into Afghanistan's key role in central conflicts that have defined global politics in the past century, from the Cold War to the "war on terror." — Stefan Christoff
Truthout
"Thirty years in the making, this deeply researched book is bursting with overlooked facts and unauthorized insights. Through their erudition, prescience and passion, Gould and Fitzgerald have provided us with an urgent and necessary history, one that pierces through the haze of misinformation that has, for far too long, obscured the guiding light of an authentic past. The timeliness of this book cannot be overstated." —Ryan Croken
The Middle East Journal
"Utilizing 20 years of experience of researching and reporting on Afghanistan, Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould seek to clarify and contextualize the current situation in conflict-torn Afghanistan with this comprehensive history. The material covers events starting in ancient antiquity, but puts a heavy emphasis on the second half of the 20th century through the end of 2007. The work concludes with analysis and strategy recommendations for the incoming American President and is supplemented by an appendix of historical maps." —Shannon Rosenberg
"Invisible History provides a wealth of often generally-unknown details about the tribal and ethnic alliances that created current divisions and government instability."
—Paul J. Nyden
Nexus Magazine
"To understand Afghanistan's tragic circumstances, this well-documented book by journalists Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould is essential reading. . . . The authors urge US leaders to learn from the Soviet experience and adjust their policies to help the Afghan people regain their independence, especially from foreign-supported extremism, before it is too late. Engaging reportage."
—Ruth Parnell
Book News Inc.
"Fitzgerald and Gould (journalists who have been reporting on Afghanistan and US policy towards Afghanistan since 1981) narrate the political history of Afghanistan and provide a critical analysis of US policy towards Afghanistan. They reveal the manipulations of Afghanistan by the United States and other great powers from the 'Great Game' of the 19th century through the current 'War on Terror' and describe its terrible consequences for the Afghan people."
Hour.ca
"In Invisible History: Afghanistan's Untold Story, journalists Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould outline striking historical accounts of an ancient nation, its borders shaped through colonial wars and conflicts between empires. Their style is reflective yet factual, delving into Afghanistan's key role in central conflicts that have defined global politics in the past century, from the Cold War to the "war on terror." — Stefan Christoff
Truthout
"Thirty years in the making, this deeply researched book is bursting with overlooked facts and unauthorized insights. Through their erudition, prescience and passion, Gould and Fitzgerald have provided us with an urgent and necessary history, one that pierces through the haze of misinformation that has, for far too long, obscured the guiding light of an authentic past. The timeliness of this book cannot be overstated." —Ryan Croken
The Middle East Journal
"Utilizing 20 years of experience of researching and reporting on Afghanistan, Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould seek to clarify and contextualize the current situation in conflict-torn Afghanistan with this comprehensive history. The material covers events starting in ancient antiquity, but puts a heavy emphasis on the second half of the 20th century through the end of 2007. The work concludes with analysis and strategy recommendations for the incoming American President and is supplemented by an appendix of historical maps." —Shannon Rosenberg
Read
February 10, 2009From Book Page: "Part analysis of the current situation in Afghanistan, part history of the country, this book might just fill an educational gap for many. "Deeply researched, cogently argued and enormously important" (Publishers Weekly), Invisible History explores the ethnic makeup of Afghanistan, the rise of the Taliban, and the constant influx of outsiders and invaders, including Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan, as well as the British invasions of the 19th century. But the authors also focus on the compounding mistakes, based on a lack of understanding, that have led to the situation today."
June 12, 2011
To be more exact, this is about the invisible history of U.S. and Western foreign policy in relation to Afghanistan. It is a well researched attempt to blame our current woes in Afghanistan (and elsewhere) on the neo-cons and cold warriors. The books makes some good points, and I agree with most of its conclusions, but some of it should be taken with a grain of salt. There's a reason Noam Chomsky's endorsement is printed at the top of the front cover.
May 28, 2012
This book is chock full of misstatements of fact, highly dubious use of sources, and breathtaking leaps of illogic that together combine to reduce it to the level of near propaganda. Still, it does make some interesting connections, and is very well-sourced, with copious notes and bibliography. I think the prospective reader would be best advised, however, to skim the notes for its sources and read those instead.
January 24, 2011
Must read, the REAL motivation for the Afghanistan war. "
Terrorist" attack was just TOO convenient in my opinion. The US wanted to do it well before 9/11. Plus it yielded side benefits of getting the US citizens to surrender freedoms.
Terrorist" attack was just TOO convenient in my opinion. The US wanted to do it well before 9/11. Plus it yielded side benefits of getting the US citizens to surrender freedoms.
Want to Read
June 9, 2009Against the Grain did an interview with these folks and it sounds amazing -- looking back thousands of years at the intersections of religions & empires leading up to now. It's a helpful history!
July 4, 2009
Some of the best reporting on the long-term schemes of Dick Cheney and other like-minded hawks in Washington and how they have affected the pathetically violent course of modern history.
November 13, 2009
A really good overview of the history and problems that have led to current conditions in Afghanistan.
December 29, 2009
if you need to read one book to help understand what afghanistan is, what has happened there, and what usa is doing there, this is the one.
February 17, 2012
Excellent in depth geopolitical analysis to complement Curtis, Dorril, Dreyfuss.
January 25, 2016
An amazing historical background of the country all the way to understanding what really is happening today.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews