David Loyn

Gripping ... Loyn's descriptions of three pointless campaigns fought by the British against the Afghans and Khyber tribesmen are as applicable to today's conflict as they were in Kipling's day

Superb ... Few Western journalists know Afghanistan better than Loyn

A loving and closely woven account of this troubled country

David Loyn has offered a salutary overview of blunder and barbarism in foreign interventions

Compelling and entertaining ... As the story romps onwards, the characters stay larger-than-life, on all sides

A colourful primer to events that preceded the current conflict in this turbulent place

I could not have enjoyed it more and think it quite excellent ... Should be read by young - and old - Army officers who go to Afghanistan. It is a great pity some of those who involved us in what is going on now did not understand what we would be up against

General the Lord Guthrie, former Chief of the Defence Staff

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a well-rounded, no-nonsense overview of Afghanistan. A brilliant read

David Loyn, a long-time BBC foreign affairs reporter, has written a brilliant history book of Afghanistan's wars of the past two centuries, but more importantly the evidence he amasses poses a primary question about the war being fought in Afghanistan: are we sure this is a good idea? The lesson from history suggests it might not be . . . it is a bleak conclusion to a book that should be a must-read for every politician who sends our squaddies into Afghanistan - but one based fairly and squarely on the weight of history

Excellent ... Should be slipped into President Obama's Christmas stocking

A seminal book that I know for a fact is sitting on a number of British military commander's desks well-thumbed, as they strive to get to know their enemy in Afghanistan

Damien Lewis, bestselling author of Apache Dawn

Some of our worst failures there might have been averted, if only we'd bothered to learn the lessons of the past. This book should become a core text

Impressive . . . Should be required reading for everyone in the Foreign Office

Afghanistan has been a strategic prize for more than 200 years. Foreign invaders have continually fought across its beautiful and inhospitable terrain, in conflicts variously ruthless, misguided and bloody. A century ago, the common sneer about how British soldiers treated Afghan tribesmen was that they would 'butcher' them, then 'bolt'. 
 
Butcher and Bolt recounts this violent history, beginning with the very first British mission - an encounter that ushered in two centuries of conflict littered with misunderstandings and broken promises, in which the British, the Russians and later the Americans repeatedly underestimated the ability of the Afghans and the power of the Frontier tribes. 
 
In a new final chapter that brings the book right up to date, David Loyn draws on the unique access he has had to Afghanistan over the past two decades to address the emerging threat of the Pakistani Taliban and the challenges that face those now fighting on the most dangerous frontier in the world.

David Loyn

Praise for Butcher and Bolt

Gripping ... Loyn's descriptions of three pointless campaigns fought by the British against the Afghans and Khyber tribesmen are as applicable to today's conflict as they were in Kipling's day

Superb ... Few Western journalists know Afghanistan better than Loyn

A loving and closely woven account of this troubled country

Gripping ... Loyn's descriptions of three pointless campaigns fought by the British against the Afghans and Khyber tribesmen are as applicable to today's conflict as they were in Kipling's day

Superb ... Few Western journalists know Afghanistan better than Loyn

A loving and closely woven account of this troubled country

Gripping ... Loyn's descriptions of three pointless campaigns fought by the British against the Afghans and Khyber tribesmen are as applicable to today's conflict as they were in Kipling's day

Superb ... Few Western journalists know Afghanistan better than Loyn

A loving and closely woven account of this troubled country

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