The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban [平装]

As a former star reporter for NPR, Sarah Chayes developed a devoted listenership for her on-site reports on conflicts around the world. In The Punishment of Virtue, she reveals the misguided U.S. policy in Afghanistan in the wake of the defeat of the Taliban, which has severely undermined the effort to build democracy and allowed corrupt tribal warlords back into positions of power and the Taliban to re-infiltrate the country. This is an eyeopening chronicle that highlights the often infuriating realities of a vital front in the war on terror, exposing deeper, fundamental problems with current U.S. strategy.

A passionate, involving, important work of journalism. -- Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize– winning author of Ghost Wars

Engrossing . . . In elegant prose, [Chayes] brings to life the region’s rich history, complex politics and proud ethnic Pashtun tribesmen. -- The New York Times Book Review

Every American who wants to understand why planes flew into our buildings on September 11 must read this book. -- Sebastian Junger

The most gripping, sensitive, funny, perceptive and beautifully written book you will ever read on Afghanistan, U.S. policy, and nation building. -- Ahmed Rashid, author of Jihad