Given the contentious nature of writing a book about a war that is still being fought, it is brave indeed to throw yourself twice into this particular arena. Mike Ryan has done exactly that, evidently confident in his background on the subject – Ryan is the author of seventeen books prior to this one, including the previous History Press publication Battlefield Afghanistan, and has made various documentaries on weapons of warfare and current affairs. His bio also points to time served in UK Reserve forces and references television appearances as a Defence Analyst.

All of which implies a better-than-fair understanding of modern conflict, but this knowledge does not seem to be reflected in Frontline Afghanistan. Indeed, Ryan makes much of emphasising the points he made in Battlefield Afghanistan, especially when more recent events have proved his conclusions correct, which unfortunately comes across to a reader more as self-congratulation than constructive progression of an argument.

It is this single-sided approach to the conflict that, as a military historian, I find the most difficult to overcome in the course of the work. Ryan draws many assumptions about the ongoing war, criticises aspects of the command and the methods by which the battle continues which, as a piece that is addressing especially such a contentious war, is entirely understandable. On the other hand, what makes the book more difficult to take as a well researched account is the insufficient level of justification to Ryan’s statements. Indeed in the majority of the chapters opinions are expressed in the first person, detracting from their weight especially when there is no biography in the volume (this I had to source directly from the publisher) to allow a reader to ascertain who Ryan is to make such comments.

That said, Frontline Afghanistan does address some valuable questions about the war. The chapters are intelligently organised around the various aspects, from equipment to field medicine to the “bigger picture” of the conflict. The latter section takes first hand accounts from the various levels of command during Operation Panther’s Claw in the summer of 2009. These are themselves very interesting, and the extensive number of photographs are also very effective in demonstrating just what it means to be fighting in such inhospitable terrain.

It certainly can not be questioned that Ryan supports the British troops operating in Afghanistan. Indeed this is the most positive aspect of the book. He also succeeds in giving an extensive level of detail about the war. The main criticism that can be levelled against it is a lack of evidence around some of his assertions, which in itself is not necessarily a negative issue, but it jars with the “feel” of a book which seems to promise so much in terms of knowledge and explanation.

Overall, anyone with an interest in the war should cast their eyes over what is after all a fairly short volume. Even if the same elements that jar with this reviewer cause mild annoyance in the reader, I would say it is still worth the time to read what feels like a somewhat journalistic account.

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