In under two hours, the audio book (that I checked out via Hoopla) provides an in depth knowledge into the beleaguered country’s history, geographic quirks, and massive political importance that existed probably even before Alexander the Great’s time. While a little dated (Amazon link said its publication occurred in 2009), it acts as a nice comprehensive introduction for anyone unfamiliar with Afghanistan. In a few places, this briskly paced audio book mentions the country’s art history. To elaborate, it twice mentions the Bamiyan Buddhist sculptures, along with their size, location, and when they were obliterated. Furthermore, the book briefly dives into the diverse influences on buildings commissioned by the people who ruled Afghanistan during a peak in creativity. Interestingly, when the audio book goes into the Taliban era, the government’s rules forbade people from even making art such as photography.