Taliban - Ahmed Rashid Rashid's book describes regional instability before 9/11 and shows the  historical  ethnic reasons for modern alliances. Published presciently in 2000, he analyses without the benefit of hindsigh -- particularly the US - Taliban relationship dictated more by Unocal oil interests and an anti Iran foreign policy  than by consideration of the Taliban's actual actions..

• Descent into Chaos -Ahmed Rashid The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia  is the disturbing sequel to the first book, following events in Central Asia to 2008.   Ahmed Rashid's comprehensive study argues that the United States should have focused on nation building in Afghanistan after 9/11 and used whatever resources necessary. He documents Afghan President Hamid Karzai's rise to power and blames him for surrounding himself with less than capable people and not making more progress in combating drug trafficking. Rashid provides a detailed account of the regional context and interconnections of the Afghan conflict, insisting that "the key to peace for the entire region lies with Pakistan." He criticizes the United States for having relied too heavily on former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and documents the Inter-Services Intelligence's support for the Taliban, which he identifies as an extension of its geopolitical rivalry with India. 

The Gilgit Game and When Men & Mountains Meet John Keay's classic accounts of the British attempts to explore and subdue Afghanistan and Pakistan's Northwest Frontier

The Places in Between. Rory Stewart's account of his trek across Afghanistan in 2002 reveals the deep impact of decades of bloody warfare on Afghan society

RESURRECTING EMPIRE - Rashid Khalidi Western Footprints and America's Perilous Path in the Middle East

Night Draws Near