Rashid brings the shadowy world of the Taliban into sharp focus. He explains its rise to power, its impact on Afghanistan and the region, its role in oil and gas company decisions, and the effects of changing American attitudes toward the Taliban.

Includes maps of: Afghanistan; Oil and Gas Pipelines in Central Asia.

pt. 1. History of the Taliban movement. Kandahar 1994: the origins of the Taliban ; Herat 1995: God's invincible soldiers ; Kabul 1996: commander of the faithful ; Mazar-e-Sharif 1997: massacre in the north ; Bamiyan 1998-99: the never-ending war -- pt. 2. Islam and the Taliban. Challenging Islam: the new-style fundamentalism of the Taliban ; Secret society: the Taliban's political and military organization ; A vanished gender: women, children and Taliban culture ; High on heroin: drugs and the Taliban economy ; Global jihad: the Arab-Afghans and Osama Bin Laden -- pt. 3. The new great game. Dictators and oil barons: the Taliban and Central Asia, Russia, Turkey and Israel ; Romancing the Taliban 1: the battle for pipelines 1994-96 ; Romancing the Taliban 2: the battle for pipelines 1997-99, The USA and the Taliban ; Master or victim: Pakistan's Afghan war ; Shia versus Sunni: Iran and Saudi Arabia ; Conclusion: the future of Afghanistan ; The Taliban resurgent 2000-2009.