Afghan Lessons: Culture, Diplomacy, and Counterinsurgency (Brookings-SSPA Series on Public Administration)

For nearly two years, Fernando Gentilini lived in war-torn Afghanistan as a civilian envoy. From July 2008 to February 2010, Gentilini, a diplomat with twenty years of experience in crisis management and multilateral and European affairs, was the civilian representative of NATO, running a counterinsurgency campaign in the troubled nation. Afghan Lessons presents the fascinating story of Gentilini's mission, taking readers on an eye-opening journey of Afghanistan: its people, its society, and its politics.

Gentilini's firsthand account looks at the nation through a kaleidoscope. He explores Afghan history, literature, and tradition, while also reflecting on the international mission in Afghanistan from both a diplomatic and military standpoint. Gentilini examines Afghan culture in an effort to understand some of the most basic questions of Western involvement: Why are we there? What does an international presence mean, and how can it help?

Copublished with the Italian National School of Public Administration (SSPA).