Military Model Scene

Title: The Panjshir Valley 1980-1986
Author: Mark Galeotti
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4728-4473-6

Campaign number 369 from Osprey, subtitled The Lion Tames the Bear in Afghanistan. A 96-page soft-cover book in the usual style of these popular books from Osprey. While we have focussed so much attention on the subject of Afghanistan and Western forces involvement over the last 20 years, this goes that bit further back, before the end of the Cold War, and the events that took place during the Soviet involvement in the country.
It was in 1979 when the Soviet army invaded Afghanistan. The Russian strategy is outlined neatly in the Introduction, and followed up with a Chronology that lists the main events over the period from the invasion in 1979 through to their withdrawal in 1989. These are followed by sections looking at the Opposing Commanders, the Opposing Forces and the Opposing Plans. The bulk is then taken up with the Campaign itself, and the various Soviet attempts to control not just the cities, but also the rebel forces, the mujahideen, particularly under the leadership of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the 'Lion of Panjshir', and a series of 9 major Soviet offensives along the Panjshir Valley. Lots of detail, accompanied by the usual artwork, maps, 3D maps and archive images. All rounded off with an Assessment of the Campaign, and notes on the Battlefield Today.
The Soviet time in Afghanistan during the 1980 proved very difficult for them, a story that seems to occur so often in the history of that country. It reminded me of a conversation I had with an uncle of mine at the time. He had flown Tempest IIs with 5 Sqn of the RAF in 1946 on what was then referred to as the North West Frontier. He said the Russians would never win, that the Afghans would fight them to get them to leave so they could get back to their tribal feuds. He was proved right and this book does a good job in telling the story of what proved a failure for the Soviet Army, and a time that was to also see the end of the Cold War in 1989. What has happened since then is of course quite a different story.
Thanks to Osprey for our review copy.

Robin