Manuscript Complete

After four years, my manuscript is finally off to Bloomsbury—and its journey has taken me from the dusty streets of Quetta to the power corridors of Kabul.

After four years of writing, I’ve finally finished my manuscript and submitted it to Bloomsbury. It’s now going through a second peer review. I will receive it back in June; I will go over the recommendations, corrections, and final amendments before we go into production this September. I’ve already submitted some cover ideas too.

Writing books rarely makes you rich, but they certainly enrich you personally. I have travelled to quite a few places as a result of researching the book—from dusty Quetta, Pakistan, to brash Dubai in the UAE.

I have sat with politicians and warlords. I have interviewed the Afghan NSA Mohib Hamdullah; NDS Spy Chief Zia Seraj; Governor of Balkh Atta Noor; Northern Alliance politicians Yunus Qanuni and Ahmad Massoud; Saudi Spy Chief Faisal Al-Turki; British General Sir David Richards; and many others. It has been a privilege.

This journey has taken me across geographies, ideologies, and deeply personal questions. More than anything, it’s opened my eyes to perspectives often left unheard.

However, I have always felt that one voice has remained strikingly absent from mainstream narratives. It is probably because it is unpalatable to most Westerners, but nevertheless, the voice of the Taliban—how they see themselves, their past, and their place in the world— is an important one to Afghanistan’s history.

It’s a long-held ambition of mine to one day sit down and truly listen to their stories—not to condone, but to understand. In fact, I travelled to Islamabad last year to ask the Taliban ambassador for an interview, and he kindly accepted my request.

In that spirit, I thought I would recommend some books to those seeking a better understanding of the Taliban—both from within and, of course, from scholars and journalists.

1. My Life With The Taliban – Abdul Salam Zaeef

A rare and harrowing memoir from a founding member of the Taliban and former ambassador to Pakistan. Zaeef offers an unflinching personal account of growing up during the Soviet occupation, joining the mujahideen, and the formation of the Taliban.

Clearly a very devout man, his story is one of conviction, survival, and inner conflict—humanizing a figure often cast in shadow. This book reveals a layered identity shaped by history and war following the mujahideen victory in the 1990s. It shows how the warlords came about and why the Taliban emerged.

Several points are deeply disturbing—how, for instance, the ISI captured him and his experience in Guantanamo. You understand why so much of the Taliban, largely a Pashtun outfit, hate Pakistan so deeply. In fact, Pakistan means “the land of the pure” (Pak), but to many Taliban members they call it na-Pakistan—“the land of the impure”.

My criticism of Zaeef here is that he tends to gloss over the al-Qaeda connection, which Nelly Lahoud’s book The Bin Laden Papers shows to be quite clear. I should mention that Zaeef was actually instrumental in a kind of rapprochement between the various warring parties, as mentioned by Abdullah Anas in the book I co-wrote, To The Mountains: My Life In Jihad, From Algeria To Afghanistan. That book covers the jihad period in Afghanistan.

2. Taliban: A Critical History From Within – Abdul Hai Mutma'in

This insider chronicle is written by the former political advisor of Mullah Omar and offers a deeply embedded view of the group’s evolution. Drawing from personal experience, internal documents, and ideological texts, Mutma'in explores the motivations, spiritual frameworks, and internal dynamics of the Taliban. It’s quite a sober account devoid of polemic.

Edited by the brilliant Alex Strick van Linschoten—whom I met in Damascus and London many years ago—with a foreword by academic Mike Martin, this work presents the Taliban on their own terms, without the filter of external narratives.

It’s a dry read but fascinating nevertheless, because Abdul Hai is such an interesting figure, able to view his organisation with a degree of detachment.

3. Poetry Of The Taliban – Edited by Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn

This anthology presents poems written by Taliban fighters and sympathizers. It shows them for what they are—people, not demons. The poems reveal their emotional and cultural inner worlds.

Touching on love, grief, martyrdom, faith, and nationalism, the collection defies simple categorization. It’s a moving reminder that even within violence and extremism, there exist profound expressions of humanity, loss, and longing.

Of the books I found helpful on the Taliban, these three were particularly useful. Ahmad Rashid, of course, remains the standard.

4. Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil And Fundamentalism In Central Asia – Ahmad Rashid

This is the standard. Ahmad Rashid’s seminal work is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the geopolitical roots of the Taliban. First published in 2000, it was prescient in highlighting the group’s regional ambitions, ties with Pakistan’s ISI, and the complicated role of Western powers.

Rashid blends journalistic clarity with deep historical context, making this both accessible and academically grounded.

5. The Return Of The Taliban: Afghanistan After The Americans Left – Hassan Abbas

A timely and deeply researched study of the Taliban’s resurgence following the U.S. withdrawal. Abbas explores how the group adapted its strategies, negotiated power, and engaged with global diplomacy—all while remaining ideologically rooted. He also makes a compelling case for engaging with the Taliban.

I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Abbas, and his insights were invaluable in helping me understand the most recent chapter of Taliban history.

6. Fountainhead of Jihad: The Haqqani Nexus – Vahid Brown and Don Rassler

Focusing on the Haqqani network, this book reveals the complex interweaving of militancy, tribalism, and regional politics that define one of the Taliban’s most powerful factions.

Brown and Rassler delve into the history of the Haqqanis as a bridge between al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban, exploring their operational reach and strategic depth. This is a critical text for grasping the broader jihadist architecture in the region.

These books helped shape my understanding as I wrote. I hope they challenge assumptions and open up new ways of seeing—as they did for me.

Have you read any of these or any more to add? Hit reply and let me know which perspective surprised you most.

For those reading this as a forward, my name is Tam Hussein an award winning investigative journalist with a particular focus on conflict. The Blood Rep is my newsletter that covers security, jihadism, militancy and criminal networks. Do read my books To The Mountains, The Travels of Ibn Fudayl and The Darkness Inside.