In Pics | Five must-read books to understand Afghanistan and its chaotic present

The Taliban have seized power in Afghanistan two weeks before the U.S. was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war. The insurgents stormed across the country, capturing all major cities in a matter of days, as Afghan security forces trained and equipped by the U.S. and its allies melted away. The Taliban, a militant group that ran the country in the late 1990s, have again taken control. Here are some books recommended by anthropologist and Afghanistan expert Thomas Barfield to understand Afghanistan and its chaotic present. (Image: News18 Creative)

The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History | The most important Islamic history of the premodern world, written by fourteenth century Arab scholar Ibn Khaldun. (Image: News18 Creative)

Buzkashi: Game and Power in Afghanistan | Buzkashi is a famous game played in North Afghanistan with the carcass of a goat or calf. In this game, a scrum of horsemen battle to grab the carcass and break free with it to win the round. The book is a case study about the game’s social significance. (Image: News18 Creative)

A Political and Diplomatic History of Afghanistan | This political and diplomatic history of late nineteenth-century Afghanistan and its major ethnic groups lays bare how the ground was laid for the emergence of Afghanistan as a nation-state as well as for the implementation of schemes of modernization. (Image: News18 Creative)

Descent into Chaos | An essential reading to understand the collapse in Afghanistan today. Rashid provides an account of America’s experience in Afghanistan, explains the rise of Taliban, and gives a good understanding of problems which make it difficult to bring peace to the country. (Image: News18 Creative)

The Man Who World Be King | The true story of Josiah Harlan, a Pennsylvania Quaker and the first American ever to enter Afghanistan. (Image: News18 Creative)