The story of this one small place told through the jihad, the rise and fall of Taliban regimes, and American and British surge. Based on his conversations with hundreds of Afghans, including government officials, tribal leaders, religious leaders, and over forty Taliban, and drawing on primary source material, Malkasian takes readers into the world of the Afghans. Through their feuds, grievances, beliefs, and way of life, Malkasian shows how people of Garmser have struggled for three decades through brutal wars and short-lived regimes. Beginning with victorious but destabilizing jihad against the Soviets and the ensuing civil war, he explains how Taliban movement formed; how, after being routed in 2001, they returned stronger in 2006; and how Afghans, British, and Americans fought with them. He describes the lives of Afghans who endured and tried to build some kind of order out of war. While Americans and British came and went, Afghans carried on, year after year.

Maps on endpaper. Includes maps of: Helmand Province; Tribes of Garmser; Afghanistan; Garmser District Center; Garmser's Civil War; Assault of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit on Hazar Joft and Amir Agha; British and Afghan Outposts, September 2008-2009; The Surge in Garmser; The Garmser Riots; Taliban Intimidation Campaign, Spring and Summer 2010; Marine, Afghan Army and Police Posts in Garmser, c. January 2011.

List of names -- List of tribes and political entities -- Glossary of terms -- Preface: Small places -- Grand plans -- The jihad -- Civil war -- The Taliban regime -- Victory into defeat -- The second Taliban regime -- Pushing farther south -- Wakil Manan, Mian Poshtay, and the riots -- The Alizai return -- The Taliban counter-offensive -- Winning the peace -- Conclusion: the end or the intermission?.