The book of the famous modern American specialist Seth J. Jones is dedicated to one of the last wars of recent history - the campaign of the United States and its allies against the Afghan Taliban, which began in October 2001 as part of an overall strategy to combat terrorism and continues to this day. This most complete study at the moment is based both on the personal experience of the author - an officer and a military journalist, and on a wide range of sources, including numerous interviews with participants in the events and declassified documents of American archives. Analyzing the experience of the entire previous military history of Afghanistan, which survived the invasions 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 slipping American strategy and prolonging the conflict. Written in a 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.