New Book Incoming: Soviet Weapons of the Afghan War

by Zac K

Published: February 22nd, 2024

Vlad Besedovskyy, author of Uniforms and history of the Soviet Airborne in Afghanistan, returns with a new book on Soviet weapons in their war in Afghanistan. [Safar Puublishing]

If you’re looking for a new firearms book, but you’re tired of the same-old photos of American World War II firepower or 20th-century sporting arms, then perhaps this new title from Safar Publishing will offer an interesting alternative. This summer, Safar will print a new book on a 40-years-ago conflict titled Soviet Weapons of the Afghan War.

Gun Books @ TFB:

What you’re getting is summed up in the title. Before America and its allies put boots on the ground in Afghanistan as part of the War on Terror, the Soviet Union had its own adventures in that country. The Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 following the Spetsnaz-led Operation Storm-333, which assassinated Afghan leader Hafizullah Amin.

Small arms, including grenade launchers, are the focus of the book, with lots of high-quality photos. [Safar Puublishing]

Following that operation, Soviet troops poured into the country for a 10-year war against the Islamist rebel factions of the Afghan mujahideen, and their allies. The mujahideen were heavily funded and armed by the United States, and used a variety of firepower that included weapons left over from World War II and other previous conflicts, along with more modern equipment from the U.S. For their part, the Soviets used the latest Russian equipment—and that’s what this book is about.

The new book has professional photos of the RPG-16, folding-stock RPKS-74, APB silenced pistol and other weapons, some of them quite rare. It’s not just a dry spec sheet; there are full-spread photos showing the weapons in detail, and Soviet Weapons of the Afghan War talks about the equipment’s performance in the theater. According to the blurb on Kickstarter:

Soviet Weapons of the Afghan War” is a meticulously researched and visually captivating book that dives deep into the arsenal that played a pivotal role in the conflict. Unlike other books on firearms, we are not focusing on the characteristic tables and manufacturing details, but instead we write about the practical use of the weapons. A substantial amount of effort was devoted to the examination of memoirs and conducting interviews with veterans in pursuit of the completion of this publication.

Secrets of Soviet Firepower in Afghanistan

Alternate book covers are available, and other added content if you pay more. [Safar Puublishing]

As we just told you, the book is currently up on Kickstarter; it will be printed and shipped after the Kickstarter campaign ends, and since the campaign has far outstripped its fundraising goals, it hopefully shouldn’t be much of a wait. It’s going to be approximately 525 pages long, 11×11 inches in size, and the lowest-priced Kickstarter support option is $90 USD. Pay more, and you can opt for added content or other perks. See more photos and details here, or at Safar Publishing here.

#Book #SovietWeaponsOfTheAfghanWar #SafarPublishing

Zac K

Professional hoser with fudd-ish leanings.

More by Zac K

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3 of 10 comments

Hoyden on Feb 23, 2024

FWIW, “Feast of Bones” by Daniel Bolger, great novel on the war from the USSR (Air Assault) perspective. Fighting both the Muj and KGB.

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- Uncle Yar on Feb 26, 2024
  
  @Hoyden How'd the VDV end up fighting Mujahids and KGB spooks?
  
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Vlad Besedovskyy on Feb 23, 2024

Big thanks to Zak!

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New Book Incoming: Soviet Weapons of the Afghan War

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