Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Notes for the Reader ix
4. Map of Afghanistan xi
5. Introduction: “A Day of Opportunity” 1
6. 1 A Game of Hide-and-Seek: The Afghan Pursuit of Diplomatic Relations, 1921–1938 13
7. 2 “We Have a Rare Opportunity”: U.S.-Afghan Relations Amid the World Crisis, 1938–1945 33
8. 3 Preeminence and Peril: The American Influx and the Coming of the Afghan Cold War, 1945–1952 63
9. 4 “We Might Be Willing to Take a Chance”: The Choice to Contest Afghanistan, 1953–1956 100
10. 5 Anxious Coexistence: The Aid Contest, 1956–1959 135
11. 6 The Crisis Era, 1959–1963 171
12. 7 Reform and Retrenchment, 1963–1968 205
13. 8 The Fall of the Monarchy, 1968–1973 239
14. 9 Return to Engagement, 1973–1976 272
15. 10 The End of Diplomacy, 1977–1979 306
16. Conclusion: “Into the Jaws of Catastrophe” 343
17. Acknowledgments 357
18. List of Abbreviations 363
19. Notes 365
20. List of Archives 445
21. Index 449