The Afghan Wars stretch from the "Great Game" between the British and Russian Empires in the 19th century to the "War on Terror" initiated in 2001 by the United States, with the support of an international coalition. Over two centuries of warfare in this inhospitable yet strategic arena of Central Asia have shed light on the darker sides of the political struggles among the great powers engaged in the "wild land of the Afghans".

Gastone Breccia teaches Byzantine History at the University of Pavia.