Afghanistan and the Anglo-Russian Dispute by Theo. F. Rodenbough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anyone who is interested in history and geographical representation of Afghanistan and its surrounding countries will find immense knowledge in this wonderful book.
The author very successfully brought out the unknown facts about this great country with beautiful illustrations at regular intervals.
This book is nothing but a brief account of Russia’s Advance towards India, based upon the Reports and Experiences of Russian, German and British Officers and travelers, with an elaborate description of Afghanistan and of military resources available with the Power centers concerned at that time.
Its more of a history-geographic representation of the country devastated by both Russian army on one side and the British Army on the other side just to gain access to this land locked territory and ultimately hoist their own supremacies over each other. The culture of Afghanistan over centuries and its blend with the beautiful and serene landscapes of the country is well explained. The personal experiences of many famous Russian and English Generals who lead the invasions and the way they ended up have been an exquisite reading experience. The reader will be awestruck when he/she comes to the point where the exact resources of Russia and England giving details of the number of soldiers in Cavalry, Infantry and Artillery along with number of Horses, Guns and Camels used is really awesome. The Russian intention to capture Afghanistan and gain access to Indian Ocean through Indian subcontinent seems to have taken its toll on the pristine land of Afghanistan and its people.
Also the excellent description of how the animals like camels, mules, horses and elephants used in the war used to be maintained and trained for the war is mind boggling. The author must be appreciated for his research and efforts in bringing out the minutest details of each and every part of Afghanistan along with the names of various tribes and lifestyle found in each part.
This book is a very valuable resource for all those who are interested or pursuing a career in studies related to geography/culture/history/lifestyle of Afghanistan. Particularly for guys like me who love to travel and get to know the different cultures of various countries across the globe, this book is like a ready reference.
Finally, I would like to state that reading such books would efface the myths about some countries and cultures which are carried in the minds of people and elicit the beauty of each and every religion, culture and tradition prevailing on this globe for a peaceful living by our present and future generations.

My rating is 4.25 out of 5


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