There are very few countries that are as politically and cultural diverse as Afghanistan. Different languages, ethnicities, religions, and powerful clans have hindered a national state unity, but also control of the country by foreign powers. Years later, the US still has failed to defeat the Taliban. Conrad Schetter presents the history and culture of Afghanistan from ancient times through great conquests and waves of immigration up to the present day. The focus is on the last two centuries in which the tensions between city and country, between modernity and tradition are constantly erupting into rebellions and wars. This book describes the turmoil of a civil war that has been going on since 1979, the Islamic rule of the Taliban, and the invasion by the US after 9/11. Those who read this concise and knowledgeable representation will gain a better understanding of why this rugged land along the Hindu Kush still can’t find peace despite years of effort by the West. Conrad Schetter is a professor of peace and conflict research at the University of Bonn and director for research at the Bonn International Center for Conversion. He has spent over twenty years studying Afghanistan. C.H.Beck has also published his book Pakistan. Land der Extreme (Pakistan. Land of Extremes, co-authored with Katja Mielke, 2013).