Edward Girardet discusses his experiences as a foreign correspondent in Afghanistan over the last thirty years, including the Soviet invasion, the Taliban gaining control, the American occupation, and interviews with such people as Osama bin Laden, Islamist extremist Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and Ahmed Shah Massoud.

Includes index.

Tracking the lion, part one -- A coward in Afghanistan -- The Soviet invasion : you have never been to Afghanistan! -- Baluch guerrillas, learning curves, and massacres -- You can rent an Afghan, but never buy him -- Refugees, Tora Bora, and fighting veterinarians -- Tracking the lion, part two -- The lion and the hyena -- Crossing the tar -- Peshawar : aid workers and assassins -- Arabs, Islamic legionnaires, and satanic verses -- The battle for Kabul : a mad dogs' war -- The Taliban, al Qaeda, and the War on Terrorism -- Enduring freedom : missed opportunities and the new occupation -- The great pretend game.