Correspondent Ahmed Rashid brings the shadowy world of the Taliban—the world’s most extreme & radical Islamic organization—into sharp focus in this enormously insightful book. He offers the only authoritative account of the Taliban available to English-language readers, explaining the Taliban’s rise to power, its impact on Afghanistan & the region, its role in oil & gas company decisions, & the effects of changing American attitudes toward the Taliban. He also describes the new face of Islamic fundamentalism & explains why Afghanistan has become the world center for international terrorism. New to this updated edition of the #1 NY Times Bestseller with more than 1.5 million copies sold worldwide: How the Taliban has regained its strength. How & why the Taliban has spread across Central Asia. How the Taliban has helped Al’Qaida’s spread into Europe, North Africa, the Middle East & the Far East. Why the Afghan people feel the United States is losing the war. A major new introduction and an all-new final chapter.