The book by the famous modern American specialist Seth J. Jones is dedicated to one of the last wars of modern history - the campaign of the United States and its allies against the Afghan Taliban, which began in October 2001 as part of the overall strategy of combating terrorism and continues to this day. This the most complete study to date is based both on the personal experience of the author - an officer and military journalist, and on a wide range of sources, including numerous interviews with participants in the events and declassified documents from American archives. Analyzing the experience of the entire previous military history of Afghanistan, which survived the invasion of powerful armies, among which were the invincible phalanxes of Alexander the Great, the troops of the British Empire and the USSR, the author talks in detail about the origins of the survivability of the Taliban movement, the actions of the United States and its allies, and reveals the reasons for the stalling of the American strategy and prolongation of the conflict. Written in simple and accessible language, the book will be of interest not only to historians and political scientists, but also to a wide range of readers.