Author’s noteThe conflict in Afghanistan during and after the Soviet military occupation from 1979 to 1989 has been a rich feeding ground for fiction and nonfiction authors alike.
As with all the books in the Joe Johnson war crimes series, much of the historical backdrop to The Afghan is factual, including details of the atrocities inflicted on the Afghan population during that time.
The Khost-Gardez Pass was the scene of many bloody battles during that period between the Soviet army and the mujahideen forces who managed for almost all of those ten years to control the pass and keep them at bay.
In particular, the deployment by the Soviets of Mil Mi-24 helicopters—dubbed Hinds by NATO—and the use by the mujahideen of Stinger missiles to combat them has become the stuff of legend.
Durin
