The Afghan Campaign - Rilegato

Pressfield, Steven

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 038551641X ISBN 13: 9780385516419

Casa editrice: Doubleday, 2006

Riassunto

In words that might have been ripped from today’s combat dispatches, Steven Pressfield, the bestselling novelist of ancient warfare, returns with a riveting historical novel that re-creates Alexander the Great’s invasion of the Afghan kingdoms in 330 B.C., a campaign that eerily foreshadows the tactics, terrors, and frustrations of contemporary conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Narrated by Matthias, a young infantryman in Alexander’s army, The Afghan Campaign explores the challenges, both military and moral, that Alexander and his soldiers face as they embark on a new type of war and are forced to adapt to the methods of a ruthless foe that employs terror and insurgent tactics, conceals itself among the civilian populace, and recruits women and boys as combatants. Matthias joins Alexander’s army after it has conquered the Persian empire and is advancing east into Afghanistan on its way to the riches of India. Part of a unit that includes recruits his own age as well as veterans, Matthias chronicles his rapid coming-of-age as a soldier as he enacts Alexander’s scorch-and-burn strategies, experiences the joys and sorrows of a romance with an Afghan girl, and faces the barbarism of the Afghans, his fellow soldiers, and ultimately himself. As Matthias relates the brutal day-to-day encounters between the two sides, he exposes the human cost borne by a company of men whose code is humanist and secular when they seek to impose their will on a people of deep religiosity, insularity, unbending pride, and a passionate readiness to die for their cause.

An edge-of-your-seat adventure that brings to life the confrontation between an invading Western army and fierce Eastern warriors determined at all costs to defend their homeland, The Afghan Campaign once again demonstrates Steven Pressfield’s profound understanding of the hopes and desperation of men in battle and of the historical realities that continue to influence our world.

Su questo libro

Recensione:

Praise for Steven Pressfield
The Afghan Campaign
“History is the great teacher, and no one writes better historical fiction than Steven Pressfield. The Afghan war that was waged by Alexander the Great over 2,000 years ago is eerily similar to the one that is being fought today. This book should be required reading for anyone who wants to better understand what American and coalition forces are up against in one of history's most tribal and troubled regions.” —Vince Flynn

“An impressive scholar and gifted storyteller, Steven Pressfield is the finest military writer alive, bar none. I cannot recommend him too highly.” —Stephen Coonts

“Masterful and thrilling—an insightful and timely look back at a region and its warring tribes . . . with clear connections to the present day.” —W.E.B. Griffin

The Virtues of War
“Its expert pace, its vivid detail, its bone-crushing action, and its occasional piercing insights of sad eloquence make it an absolutely gripping read.” —Seattle Times

The Last of the Amazons
“Pressfield serves up not just hair-raising battle scenes . . . but many moments of valor and cowardice, lust and bawdy humor.” —Esquire

Tides of War
“Pressfield’s battlefield scenes rank with the most convincing ever written—you can almost feel the slash of sword on skin and sense the shattering mix of panic, bravery, blood lust and despair.” —USA Today
Gates of Fire
“Vivid and exciting . . . Pressfield gives the reader a perspective no ancient historian offers, a soldier’s-eye view . . . remarkable.” —New York Times Book Review

L'autore:

steven pressfield is the author of the historical novels Gates of Fire, The Virtues of War, Tides of War, and Last of the Amazons. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Doubleday
• Data di pubblicazione: 2006
• ISBN 10: 038551641X
• ISBN 13: 9780385516419
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 354