HomeGroupsTalkMoreZeitgeist
Search Site
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.

Results from Google Books

Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.

Loading...

The Afghan Campaign (2006)

by Steven Pressfield

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
6632234,546 (3.75)3
2,300 years ago an unbeaten army of the West invaded the homeland of a fierce Eastern tribal foe. This is one soldier's story . . . 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.In a story that might have been ripped from today's combat dispatches, Steven Pressfield brings to life the confrontation between an invading Western army and fierce Eastern warriors determined at all costs to defend their homeland. Narrated by an 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. An edge-of-your-seat adventure, The Afghan Campaign once again demonstrates Pressfield's profound understanding of the hopes and desperation of men in battle and of the historical realities that continue to influence our world.… (more)
None
Loading...

Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.

No current Talk conversations about this book.

» See also 3 mentions

English (19)  Spanish (1)  Greek (1)  All languages (21)
Showing 1-5 of 19 (next | show all)
Pressfield's form in this book is great. I like his style and his pacing. But the one thing all of his books seems to suffer from is the modern form of dialogue his characters use. This takes away the one element that would put The Afghan Campaign completely over the "would be" hurdle to make it epic. This is no slouch of a story. A young man enlist in Alexander's army and quickly becomes a man, father and friend. Pressfield uses very little filler, as in all his books, But I would have like to seen about three hundred more pages. The book is visceral, as it should be. The in and out appearances of Alexander and his proposed commitment to his men is well done. Highly recommended. ( )
  JHemlock | Apr 21, 2022 |
Pressfield is certainly brilliant, and I must admit to liking the way he has worked hard to overcome his own demons. He gives me hope that I can do the same.

I also like that Pressfield is a bit of an underdog. His work is brilliant - I enjoy his work more than Wilbur Smith's (who has also written the odd historical novel or two). But there is something more philosophical about Pressfield that grabs my attention. On his website, he has this to say:
We can’t control the level of talent we’ve been given. We have no control over the nature of our gift. What we can control is our self-motivation, our self-discipline, our self-validation, and our self-reinforcement.
In 2012, Pressfield started his own publishing house, Black Irish Books, with his agent, Shawn Coyne. I have been critical of literary entrepreneurs in the past, but Pressfield is no "spring chicken", and claims to have written for 27 years before anything he wrote was published. This counters Einstein's view that:
A person who has not made his great contribution to science before the age of 30 will never do so.
Anything that goes against Einstein's view  is a winner for me. Although some suggest Einstein didn't quite mean it this way, I have heard so many others use Einstein's words (without acknowledging him) and even judgements about people based on their age, that Pressfield's example gives me some comfort. (Some studies suggest that the age peak is now much older because one couldn't even catch up with the existing literature by age 30, let alone discover new knowledge.)

So this book has it all: a gripping story from an author with a back story that defies the odds. And it is based on historical research that provides an increase in historical knowledge as a side effect. What more could one want in a novel? ( )
  madepercy | Dec 26, 2018 |
How would one try to explain what it would be like to be a warrior for Alexander when he campaigned in Asia? This novel tries to look at ancient history from a young man's point of view but it felt too tricky to me. ( )
  joeydag | Jul 23, 2015 |
I was a bit disappointed of this work based upon the author's reputation. Pressfield does offer an incredibly rich portrayal of the setting of ancient Sogdia, Bactria, and other Afghan territories in the dying Achaemenid Empire, including the suffering on both the soldiers and inhabitants in the midst of unconventional warfare.

However,the book has several issues that I didn't care for. It made frequent use of modern slang and terminology (which I admit is inevitable to some degree, but at times this was overbearing). It frequently when out of chronological order, yet without much of a purpose or reason for doing so beyond telling the audience that certain things were happening. It didn't develop many of the characters - the narrator does go through some mental and emotional gymnastics over the death of a friend, but otherwise most characters are one dimensional or not thoroughly described. It is written in first person, which can often make for a fantastic read, yet in this case was somewhat clunky due to the narrator explaining directly what is happening rather than letting the reader experience his world through his actions and experiences.

I still think that anyone interested in historical fiction should read this at least once. It offers a unique portrayal of Alexander's later conquests from the point of view of a common soldier, where most books focus on officers or Alexander himself. The author is also quite good at giving details on the setting and daily life in the ranks, something that other works related to this area will skimp on.

2/5 for strong scenery and setting development, but several technical issues that I personally didn't care for. ( )
1 vote bdtrump | May 9, 2015 |
Gripping and poignant! I was enthralled by Alexander's tale of his exploits by the same author in the book "The Virtues of War". But this story, as told by a simple foot soldier of Alexander's horde in Afghanistan was amazing! I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end. Sometimes, I would be so far into the story that I was genuinely shocked when my own boring life intruded on this page turner.

To read of Matthias' harrowing plight was inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time and I am even more convinced of the genius of Steven Pressfield. The protagonist summed up the esprit de corps I felt with this book with his statement (as part of a longer poem), "in the company of soldiers, everthing is understood". ( )
  jimocracy | Apr 18, 2015 |
Showing 1-5 of 19 (next | show all)
"The Afghan Campaign is a brilliant novel: clear, compelling, with cinematic descriptions of ancient battles, strong characterizations, and an honest look at a clash of cultures."
 

Belongs to Series

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.
For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.
Canonical title
Original title
Alternative titles
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Related movies
Epigraph
"Do you believe that so many nations accustomed to the name and rule of another, united with us neither by religions, nor customs, nor community of language, have been subdued in the same battle in which they were overcome? It is by your arms alone that they are restrained, not by their dispositions, and those who fear us when we are present, in our absence will be enemies. We are dealing with savage beasts, which lapse of time only can tame, when they are caught and caged, because their own nature cannot tame them ... Accordingly, we must either give up what we have taken, or we must seize what we do not yet hold."
-- Alexander, addressing his troops on the approach to Afghanistan in Quintus Curtius, History of Alexander
Dedication
For Ruthie
First words
The war is over.
Quotations
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (2)

2,300 years ago an unbeaten army of the West invaded the homeland of a fierce Eastern tribal foe. This is one soldier's story . . . 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.In a story that might have been ripped from today's combat dispatches, Steven Pressfield brings to life the confrontation between an invading Western army and fierce Eastern warriors determined at all costs to defend their homeland. Narrated by an 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. An edge-of-your-seat adventure, The Afghan Campaign once again demonstrates Pressfield's profound understanding of the hopes and desperation of men in battle and of the historical realities that continue to influence our world.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Haiku summary

Current Discussions

None

Popular covers

Quick Links

Rating

Average: (3.75)
0.5
1 1
1.5
2 9
2.5 2
3 31
3.5 10
4 53
4.5 7
5 23

Is this you?

Become a LibraryThing Author.

 

About | Contact | Privacy/Terms | Help/FAQs | Blog | Store | APIs | TinyCat | Legacy Libraries | Early Reviewers | Common Knowledge | 202,657,765 books! | Top bar: Always visible