Cool Runnings meets Joseph O'Neill's Netherland in an inspiring and feel-good story of bravery and sporting success from a country so widely known for war and extremism. This is the true story of the Afghanistan cricket team and their extraordinary attempt to join the world's elite cricketing nations. That this devastated nation should be able to field a cricket team at all, let alone one as successful as this, is an unbelievable achievement. Seven years ago, in a country...

‘In a Nutshell’, the new 1-CD audiobook series from Naxos AudioBooks, continues with a fascinating history of Afghanistan. For centuries it has been the playground of big powers, from Alexander the Great to the British Empire and the Soviet Union. It has been torn by internal strife and ideological differences, yet Afghans, tribal though they may be, remain a proud nation. Here is a short history, setting the background to the current situation.

Afghanistan has been a tinderbox for centuries. A major crossroads between East and West, it has seen many armies invade with impunity its rough and varied terrain from Alexander the Greats in the 4th century BC to the Soviet and Nato forces of our own time. This clear introduction covers Islam, the Pashtun majority, the constant internercine strife, the powerful leaders all from an historical perspective, which helps to explain the countrys current position as one of the most dangerous o...