A Washington Post Notable Book of 2016
A Publisher’s Weekly Top 10 Book of 2016
“Timely… A detailed portrait… Karzai’s legacy, as Partlow shows, will be intrinsically based on the American intervention, and on his own responsibility for what Partlow calls the Afghan Disaster.” —The New York Review of Books
“[Partlow] does a splendid job of tracing the history of President Karzai and his sprawling family… There have been very few well-written, deeply reported, well-balanced and interesting accounts of what transpired during America’s longest war. Partlow’s is one of them.” —The Washington Post
“Those who followed Partlow’s byline over his years in Afghanistan will find his typically gripping combination of fine narrative and telling detail replicated in this admirable book.” —Foreign Affairs
“Finely reported.” —The Economist
“No-nonsense… Partlow removes some of the doubt Americans may have about the long and costly effort in Afghanistan although the country’s long-term governance remains unknown… Partlow has changed the popular image of Hamid Karzai from inept, corrupt leader who accomplished nothing.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Nuanced… American military and political arrogance butts up against deep-rooted cultural customs and family networks throughout this excellent account of a vastly difficult topic.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Partlow provides an insightful, revealing dissection of the failures of the U.S. government in Afghanistan… Partlow’s character portraits are masterful… An excellent introduction to the Karzai family and to the disastrous consequences of the Americans’ inadequate understanding of Afghan culture.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Meticulously documented… Readers are left with a better understanding of the complexities faced by leaders and diplomats through first-hand reportage that takes us as close to the action as we’ve ever been, and expert analysis.” —Booklist
“A strong assessment of Karzai’s government and an important contribution to any well-rounded collection on contemporary Middle Eastern politics and society.” —Library Journal
“When the Americans chased the Taliban from Kabul after the 9/11 attacks, they put all their money on one man, a little-known leader named Hamid Karzai. Fifteen years later, the American mission is veering toward collapse, and Karzai looms larger than life. Joshua Partlow traces our catastrophe with peerless skill and style. A Kingdom of Their Own is the essential book for understanding how it all went so wrong.” —Dexter Filkins, author, The Forever War
“Incisive, superbly written and meticulously reported, Joshua Partlow’s A Kingdom of Their Own illuminates the war in Afghanistan through the lives of the fascinating, quarrelsome, maddening Karzai family, once the West’s hope for change in the Middle East, now a living reminder of our mistakes in the region. A riveting read.” —Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author, Imperial Life in the Emerald City
“Read this fine book and weep. I have followed Afghan events in the newspapers for 13 years, but found surprises throughout Partlow’s vivid account. He gives us unforgettable lessons in the folly–still apparently irresistible to many Americans–of nation- building in remote nations whose cultures we do not fathom. And he writes beautifully.” —Robert G. Kaiser, author, Act of Congress
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