Product Description
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.
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 Wow... ( jakupmichaelsen )
What I initially felt to be a somewhat flat and simple military story comes together in the end to elevate this book to one the most stirring I have read in a long time.
The author takes you through brilliant battle scenes and on gritty desert marches and deadly mountain terrain in a gratifyingly realistic manner. There is not much character building - actually it is almost completely lacking - making the book read more like a soldier's personal journal.
But, aside from the glorious cavalry and infantry charges, what really left me breathless was how a seemingly insignificant story thread ties it all together in the end. Despite its lack of real character building, it moved me and left me with a empty but awed "wow".
Although I have been shopping on amazon.com since the latter half of the 90s, this is my first review ever. Let this be the measure of my recommendation.
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 Excellent military historical fiction ( truthteller )
Steven Pressfield is one of the best military history fiction writers around. I was introduced to him by "Killing Rommel", which is set in WWII. "Afghan Campaign" is set in about 320 BCE with Alexander the Great engaged in attempting to subdue the tribes in what is present-day Afghanistan.
I don't know enough about the era, Alexander or military tactics of the time to comment on whether Pressfield is accurate in his history or not. And, frankly, I don't really care: Pressfield tells a good story and this is, after all, military historical fiction. Obviously some liberties will be taken.
The story centers on Matthias, a young Macedonian who follows his two older brothers into the army of Alexander. Matthias begins as a raw recruit who is looking forward to the imagined glory of combat. Needless to say, war is not glorious, as Matthias learns.
Pressfield combines the classic "buddies" plot with a well done secondary romantic story set against the clash of Greco culture against the natives of today's Afghanistan and surrounding areas. He pulls it off well.
He creates the atmosphere of the time through the use of alleged Macedonian military slang. Accurate or not, Pressfield uses the words well to fashion his scenes.
Matthias, of course, being the protagonist must get into some close scrapes and survive. And that he does. He and his pal Lucas also moralize a great deal. If I hadn't read a novel written by a German soldier who simply disappeared on the Eastern Front, I would feel that all the moralizing struck a false chord. In actuality, it comes close, but never quite goes over the line.
Pressfield does very well at evoking the life of the ordinary soldier in Alexander's army. One character sums up their lot: "mules that kill". Most of their time is spent marching from one point together, carrying heavy loads. Whether in the baking sun of summer, the rains of spring and fall or the snows of winter, the lot of Alexander's soldiers is marching, though those fortunate enough to be cavalry or mounted infantry ride horses.
Their primary foe is Spitamenes, a brilliant warrior, who leads his natives in circles around Alexander for quite some time.
Ultimately the novel is about war in all its aspects. What it does to the young men who become soldiers for Alexander or fighters under Spitamenes. War is cruel for the fighters and for the citizens. Pressfield writes very effective battle scenes and chillingly describes the horrors inflicted by all sides.
Overall, those who enjoy military historical fiction, will not be disappointed in the "Afghan Campaign".
Jerry
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Good Story -- But Not as Good as Pressfield's Earlier Novels ( trebcourie )
Stephen Pressfield's "Afghan Campaign" is a very good piece of historical fiction recounting a regular soldier's experiences in Alexander's Macedonian Army in Afghanistan. Although this is an interesting and well-written book, it doesn't quite stack up to Pressfield's earlier novels.
This novel is a fictional first-person account of one soldier's experiences during long years campaigning in Afghanistan. It starts slowly and I found it hard to get into, but in additional to the brutality and inhumanity of war, there is an intriguing human story that slowly comes out. Pressfield does a good job describing, from the point of view of the common soldier, the difficulties of fighting in the foreign Afghan culture and how Alexander tried to cement his hold on the Afghan tribes.
Reading this book, I cannot help comparing "Afghan Campaign" with "Gates of Fire," "Tides of War," and "Virtues of War" and concluding that this one comes up short of the high standards that Pressfield usually reaches. "Afghan Campaign" is not as epic of a book, and I did not feel like I was witnessing history being made, which was something that made his earlier books so gripping. Also, at times, I felt that I was reading the story through the point of view of a modern soldier and not someone alive over 24 centuries ago.
Still, this is a gritty, profane first person fictional account of one soldier (and his buddies) in ancient Afghanistan. It is a very good read for anyone interested in military history or historical fiction.
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 An interesting read for the average history buff
I've been really interested in Alexander the Great lately and I'm also Afghan so this book seemed like a natural read for me. The depiction of Afghan temperament and thinking seemed to be pretty dead on to me although I didn't recognize any of the Afghan words or names used. I don't know if it's because I'm a Dari speaker and the words were Pashto or archaic/ancient words but the behavior of the Afghan characters were very believable.
Although it may disappoint hard core history buffs or those looking for an ultra-authentic book it's an interesting read especially if you're interested in Alexander the Great or the confluence of cultures, etc. The ending I will admit was a bit disappointing but not enough to spoil the book.
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taut tale of culture clash and revenge ( teklaw )
A taut tale of Greek-Macedonian hoplite campaigner versus local tribal foes, the story presents thoughtful grist for the mill considering all the Western adventuring in Afganistan at present time. There is plenty here about asymmetrical warfare but it is incidental to the plot and not overly indulged in beyond its relevance to the story.
And the book is not didactic. This is not a political novel but a revenge tale. Well told in sparse style. Pressfield seems to be getting more "laconic" with each book he writes.
I rate this book a strong buy if you like Pressfield, or historical fiction, or tales of war, revenge, or the cutting edges of "cultural diversity."
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