Book description
The British have never fought against the Soviet army, right?
Wrong.
In 1980, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher had taken over the
leadership of the West and the Soviets has invaded Afghanistan; the
most crucial battle of the cold war was about to begin. In the high
mountain passes of the north-west Frontier and the Hindu Kush, the CIA
and its Western allies saw an opportunity to bring the mighty Soviet
to its knees.
Their weapon: the Islamic guerrillas of the Afghan Mujahideen.
Their agent: Tom Carew, the first Western agent to link up with the
Mujahideen, led a series of daring initiatives inside Afghanistan. His
account covers in extraordinary and revealing detail combat action
against the Soviet Spetsnaz and Afghan mercenaries; reconnaissance
missions leading to the installation of the first West-sponsored
training camp for the Mujahideen in Pakistan; and Carew's attempt to
hijack an aircraft during a covert arms-buying mission.
During these operations, the author was accepted and befriended by
the fundamentalist Mujahideen and became as close to them as any
European infidel could ever get. In many ways he was a latter-day
Lawrence of Arabia.
Tom Carew later rejoined his unit.
Wry, perceptive and sensitive, Jihad! is a fast-paced account
of combat espionage and high adventure, against the backdrop of the
last truly wild and lawless country on Earth. It sheds unprecedented
light on the sharp edge of the cold war and the conduct of special
operations in the modern era.
Tom Carew was born in Dorset and served in 16 Parachute Brigade and
22 SAS Regiment. He currently lives in Europe.
