When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 the forces of resistance were disparate and
divided mujahideen groups as interested in fighting each other and competing for Western arms
as opposing the Russians. The exception was Ahmed Shah Massoud the military strategist and
political operator who solidified the resistance and undermined the Russian occupation by
leading its members to a series of defensive victories. Sandy Gall was embedded with Massoud
during Soviet offences and reported on the war in Afghanistan for a number of years. He has now
written an illuminating biography of this charismatic guerrilla commander which contains
excerpts from the surviving volumes of Massoud's diaries. Massoud's prolific diary-keeping was
little known during his lifetime and his entries detail crucial moments in his life and throw
fascinating light on his struggles both in the resistance and in his personal life. Born into
an ostensibly liberalising Afghanistan in the 1960s Massoud ardently opposed communism and
Mohammed Daoud Afghanistan's puppet leader. He quickly rose to prominence and distinguished
himself by coordinating the defence of the Panjshir Valley against repeated Soviet offensives.
As the occupation wore on Massoud became the resistance's unifying force. Massoud's
assassination in 2001 presaged the attack on the Twin Towers just two days later and it is
widely believed to have been ordered by Osama bin Laden. Forever the underdog in a life
dominated by conflict Massoud's attempts to build political consensus in Afghanistan were
ultimately frustrated. Despite that he is recognised today as a national hero.
