The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the 21st century. This title examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. It depicts the invasion of a volatile country that no power has ever successfully conquered.

The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twenty-first century. In The Great Gamble, Gregory Feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. In gripping detail, he vividly depicts the invasion of a volatile country that no power has ever successfully conquered. A riveting account as seen through the eyes of the men who fought in the war, The Great Gamble tells an unforgettable story full of drama, action, and political intrigue whose relevance in our own time is greater than ever.

The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the 21st century. In "The Great Gamble", Gregory Feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. In gripping detail, he vividly depicts the invasion of a volatile country that no power has ever successfully conquered. Parallels between the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq are impossible to ignore. Both conflicts were waged amid vague ideological rhetoric about freedom. Both were roundly condemned by the outside world for trying to impose their favored forms of government on countries with very different ways of life. And both seem destined to end on uncertain terms. The only major book on the subject to date, "The Great Gamble" tells an unforgettable story full of drama, action, and political intrigue whose relevance in our own time is greater than ever.