I bought this book looking to develop a general historical knowledge of modern Central Asia, and to develop a basic understanding of the fabled "Great Game." Unfortunately, the book feel short of my expectations.

If you are looking for a very superficial, andectodal account of the Great Game, you should buy this book. If however, your interests are those of the historian, I would reccommend reading this book only after you have read many others in the field.

While the authors' style, which focuses on the individuals that drove the events that defined the "Great Game" is not new, even for history books, they failed in the end to give the reader a clear perspective of what happened in the Game. One was often lost amidst the many names, places, and other bits of information littered almost carelessly throughout the text. The geographical refrences, especially were very confusing, even to a person who was born in Lahore, and is fairly well acquainted with the region.

Overall, the true historian should shy away from this book. Not only is it based almost entirely on anecdotes, but it is also seemingly imbalanced in its attention to the different sub-regions of Central Asia -- devoting most of the first half of the book to Afghanistan, and the neighboring lands, and then shifting its focus in the latter half almost exclusively to Tibet. This is especially confusing, given the many happenings in Afghanistan.

As someone who knew little of the history of Central Asia and the Great Game, I found this book to be a very enjoyable introduction to the topic. The authors basically devote each chapter to a prominent event or person of the time, and then use that topic to fill in a very general history of the era. The writing style is light and anecdotal. While sometimes the sheer number of characters floating in and out of the picture can be overwhelming, I did not find the book to be bogged down in minutia, as one reviewer mentioned. I agree with many of the reviewers that the maps are insufficient to help a reader trace the course of the narrative. I also did not notice the bias against Sven Hedin and others that one reviewer mentioned. Hedin received a full chapter on his exploits, about the same as most of the main characters in the book. If you approach this book as a series of 20 or so short, light biographies on some major players of the era, and as an introduction not a deifinitive account, you should be very well pleased.

The "Great Game" (a phrase coined by Kipling and the title of the competing paperback by Peter Hopkirk) was the nineteenth-century geopolitical struggle between Russia and Britain over control of Central Asia. As the authors of this study conclude, the "Game" itself did not lead to the Apocalypse many predicted, but it did spawn an amazing series of adventures (and disasters) across Afghanistan, Uzbekhistan, Turkmenistan, Nepal, Tibet and Western China. It also gave birth to a new generation of spies, immortalized in Kipling's "Kim," who in turn spawned the next century's of Cold War spies (immortalized in M16's "Kim" Philby"). Mayer and Brysac's account of this period is a competent and erudite history. They lose a star, however, because for me this book lacks a cohesive sense of what motivated the Great Game's players, particularly the Russians, to strive to such absurd lengths and against such absurd odds to gain so little. Surely their quest was not just patriotic, but metaphysical as well? What mythical forces drove these men? The authors cannot really answer this question. This is a serious thematic omission which deprives "Tournament of Shadows" the masterwork status to which it aspires.

I found this book to be completely fascinating. Mr. Margolis takes us through the complex geo-politics of Afghanistan, Kashmir, India and Tibet. I think he nails the head on a lot of the issues presented. His attention to details makes the reader feel as if he/she were in the mountains of Tibet or fighting in the hills of Kashmir. I believe he gives insight into this complex region that few other journalists could have. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the region, gain perspective, and learn the truth.

First a couple of simple observations.

I found the book as a search of the library stacks in the tibet section. i buy almost all my books online. but i believe everyone ought to just take an hour or so each week just to skim their favorite sections of the library. this was a gem i would never have bumped into online....

on other reviewers here. this is a book that an Indian(india) would find offensive at first reading. he does not pull punches about ethnicity and its history, but this is one of the best features of the book. i hope they can see the heart that it comes from and not the surface level of words. an example would be the description of the internal Indian airlines.

Now to the book.
Its about Afganistan, Pakistan, India, and Tibet. In particular the wars and the people who fight them in this region. the author is a very unusual man, extraordinary in several ways. first his english is journalist, fast paced, honed obviously to write pieces that compete for a newpaper readers attention. Pithy in using one word where another writer would use three. a very visual writer with an imagination and a view to vivid word descriptions that is very good. He would have been as good a novelist as he is a journalist. This really acts to the book and makes the reading a great pleasure.

The topic is a timely one, even given the 2000 date on the book, or the research dating back even longer. The author is knowledgable about the area, passionate about the people and the topic, not afraid to express unpopular opinions. Organized and systematic enough that you feel that you have learned and shared his learning/passion/study. Generally simply the best of the genre.

If it is your desire to learn a little more of the history of this region, or to understand the current events starting in this region and echoing throughout our world, then start with this book. This book makes available to all of us the author's extensive travels, careful analysis, and very important observations concerning the people and events.

my Thanks to him. i am only sorry that he hasn't apparently written other books...maybe i can find a few extended essays on the net.

If any of his critics knew him better, they'd understand that Eric his a very well-seasoned journalist who knows his stuff. Saying that he supports Bin Laden or Al-Qaeda is highly misleading and is in my opinion nothing better than an attempt to smear the image of a a very knowledgeable analyst that Washington could benefit from. He knows the people of the region well and in fact speaks a few of the languages (I believe Farsi and Pashto to name a some). He is a concerned American Republican (native to New York) with a great deal of respect for the Afghan people. He might not be right about everything, but he definitely knows his stuff. This book was well written, and I'd suggest it for a basic understanding of what is going on in the region.

This book seems to be a plea for readers in the West to notice the existence of the Hazara ethnic group of Afghanistan. As an ethnographic study, it is not very satisfying, since it has very little description of contemporary Hazara society. Its main value is in its extensive historical documentation of Hazara leadership and the social discrimination that the Hazaras have faced in Afghanistan. The writing is not always clear; indeed, there are many times when the big picture remains entirely elusive. Nevertheless, as a source book for historical facts, this volume might prove useful for area specialists.

I have read this book twice. It is extremely well researched and thought out. It is one of the first books I've seen that speaks of the Hazaras with some truth behind the words. It critiques and analyzes many other authors' works and with precision points out there flaws. I would recommend it to anyone interested in gaining more knowledge about a people very few individuals care to aknowledge.

This book is very informative and well written by a talented Hazara writer. It provides discriptive information with informative facts on the Hazara people of Afghanistan. To the ignorant: Don't be a khar. We as Afghans need to unite in brotherhood to form peace and unity in Afghanistan and not hate and war. Inshallah, Khuda Hafiz.

For an academic or student writing their dissertation this book serves a purpose. It is well researched and documented.
However, aside from the experiences of displaced women of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the middle east in general, who were and still are treated as non-human, there is little exploration or analysis of the reasons for this inhumane treatment. The book is good historical documentation of the treatment of women in the middle east, but little or no insight is offered by the author. For most readers, it is not worth the high price demanded.

Ellis, Deborah Women of the Afghan War, London: Praeger Publishers, 2000.
Pp. xxvii, 236. 14 photos. Index.

Deborah Ellis' Women of the Afghan War should be praised for its value in bringing the trials and tribulations of Afghan women to the forefront of this region's politics in a straightforward fashion that relies on the testimonies of the women themselves to tell the story of their hardships. The strength in Ellis' method is that this patchwork of first-person accounts "gives a face" to the conflict by introducing the women by name and using the actual translation of their words to show the harsh reality of these women's lives. Although Ellis' style is remarkable for the lack of detachment from the issues that an author's narration usually risks, it does present some downfalls in screening the accuracy of these women's stories and the discrepancies that arise in the translation of these accounts. Since the structure of the book is the most striking aspect of the book, it is easy to assume that the focus of Ellis' work is primarily just the women in this society - however, a more in-depth analysis reveals a greater commentary on the self-defeating nature of Afghan society itself, the inadequacies of relief foundations and organizations, and the potential for real-life solutions that can be achieved with frighteningly minimal effort.
Part interview, part historical overview and analysis, Women of the Afghan War effectively conveys the uniformly bleak nature of all Afghan women's lives within this society by grouping women from different socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds under a common theme of misery. Through the person-to-person accounts compiled by Deborah Ellis and her Afghan translator Benazir Hotaki, a tale of missing husbands, dead children, and stolen livelihoods surfaces that could prompt even the most stoic of individuals to break down and cry. Indeed, this provocation of emotions is most probably the intent of Ellis' choice in the format for her work. As a mental health counselor in her native Canada, there is no doubt that Ellis is well acquainted with the power of human emotion. Much of her work documents her skills within the field of psychology as she weaves her way through the refugee camps of Russia and Pakistan and speaks with Afghan women who are traumatized by the prolonged Russian occupation of Afghanistan and the ensuing wars that resulted from the Russian invasion, multiple inter-ethnic conflicts, and most recently, the takeover of the Taliban.
Rousing the emotions of the audience in response to the plight of these women while including the women's criticisms of humanitarian organizations as being spread too thinly to provide substantial aid reveals the author's other purpose besides rallying sympathy for the women of Afghanistan - she also wishes to show the inability of relief organizations to address the problem effectively due to lack of funds and cultural hindrances. Basically, since this book was written pre-September 11th, it is a call for greater awareness of the burden facing Afghan women and the need for a greater-scale solution that goes beyond just a scattered assemblage of relief organizations that provide intermittent assistance at best to those most in need.

This book is incredibly informative and interesting. The high price is because proceeds go to help Afghan women and children..well worth it! The author also wrote 2 fictional books about a young girl living under the taliban("The Breadwinner" and "Pavana's Journey"). I read them to my 4th and 5th grade children and found them so captivating that I wanted to learn more. This "adult" book was a great read and a wonderful way for me to learn about the Afghan women's plight. It is a series of 1st hand accounts of Afghan women over the last 20 years. Very interesting and well written. Highly recommend.

Taliban s' dizzying ascendancy in the political arena of Afghanistan startled the geo-political pundits. Their origin was obscure and their ambitions vague. Fall of Kandhar & the religious edicts that followed internationalized Taliban s' stature and their potential as one of the main warring factions of Mujahadeen was recognized. However, little could be ascertained about their origin, as during the Soviet occupation, their existence was rather unknown or was not so prominent as it turned out be after the Kandhar take over. But the international community was apprehensive of Taliban s' religious rigidity and so their origin, funding resources, training facilities, recruiting grounds and religious ideals _ all became the focus of attention. Resultantly, quite a number of good books can now be seen in the market. But very few of them look at the issues with a researchers' purity & neutrality. More than often these books are value-laden. The best book to date comes from Ahmed Rashid, a journalist and a veteran of Afghan affairs for the last 22 years. The present book under review may not be called as an enviable addition to the plethora of material on Afghan affairs. The book suffers from the serious deficiency of being devoid of any references at all which is an astonishing deficiency to be noted in a book published by Oxford University Press, by a writer who happens to reside in Oxford with all conceivable facilities for research writing at his disposal. The book is not so much about Taliban as it is about the background of their religious and spiritual beliefs. It would have been better if the writer had tried to link their past with the present practices. The book starts with a brief introduction of Afghan history, showing how imperialistic standoff between Britain & Soviets in the late 19th century gradually ended in the favor of later when the "Great Saur Revolution" of 1978 led to the establishment of Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and Soviets signed a Treaty of Friendship in December 1978. The Marxist state was resented by Tribes and hence unrest resulted and the Soviets intervened to keep Afghans under their sphere of influence and hence started an era of unending suffering for the people of Afghanistan. After the Geneva accord, civil strife among the Mujahadeen themselves eluded the chances of Peace. Even the 1993 peace deal failed to deliver sustainable peace. By the end of 1994 the peace treaty had collapsed, fighting resumed among the rival factions and there arose in Southern Afghanistan another militant group Taliban, capturing the cities of Kandhar & Charasiab, eventually taking over Kabul in 1996 to establish a new government for Afghanistan based on Islamic Law. In the next chapter, the author has narrated brief biographical sketches of different Mujahadeen factions including Ahmed Shah Masood. Burhan-ud-din Rabbani, Hikmatyaar, Younis Khalis and others. This chapter has little relevance given the scope of the book. The chapter about the history of Hanfite school of theology yields one or two important but incomplete conclusions. First the writer notes that Abu Hanifah was a Persian. "He is the son of a nation that is currently neighboring Afghanistan and whose language has had a deep impact on the historical and cultural progress of the whole region." Secondly, the author believes that "Hanafites are equipped with appropriate tools as well as sufficient liberty to bring together the long standing traditions of Islam with the requirements of modern life." In the actual scenario however, neither Iran s' cultural ancestry seems to have an influence over Afghans nor the Taliban are imbued with the modern spirit that Hanafitism supposedly implies. The writer believes that the Taliban s' experiment with democracy is more transparent than that of Iranians. Unlike the Supreme Leader of Iran, Mullah Omar cannot over rule the edicts put forth by majority of Mullahs. He called upon Ulemas to deliberate upon a 6 point "istifta" (religious inquiry) which shows the importance attached to mutual consultation in the eyes of Taliban. "This pattern is clearly visible in the historical relations between the Saudi rulers and the Wahabi Ulema starting from Ibn-e-Saud, the grand ancestor of the current house of Saud, until today". The chapter regarding the economy under Taliban is replete with details about natural resources of Afghanistan & possible ventures for foreign investments, & surprisingly one of these lucrative temptations is Tourism. Rest of the chapter deal with the Quranic injunctions regarding Economic affairs and very little detail is available about any comprehensive Economic policy, if any, being pursued by Taliban. On the whole the book could have been improved a lot if proper references had been made and a coherent relation established between the historical descriptions and the present implications. The book may be appreciated by those readers who want an elementary crash course on the religious affinities of Taliban and the socio-political ambitions they cherish.

Gohari, M.J., The Taliban Ascent to Power, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999 & 2000). Pp. viii+149. 1 photograph. Further reading. Index. ISBN: 0-19-579560-1.

This work can be considered more of an encyclopedia, with detailed definitions of various issues related to the Taliban, intertwined with numerous excerpts illustrating Gohari's stance on those issues. It explores the Taliban from many angles, including the historical, political, and social perspectives. Moreover, it delves into an often-overlooked topic, outlining the battle between the Mujahideen and the Taliban. Gohari also touches upon the role of the UN in Afghani politics, and Islamic fundamentalism globally. From the plague of imperialism upon the country to the birth of the Taliban in Pakistan to international players, Gohari gives a comprehensive look into the many, many facets of the Taliban's existence in the contemporary era.
Remarkably, Gohari succeeds in maintaining a neutral stance regarding the Taliban, something extremely difficult in the post-9/11 era, when hostility and negative accounts of the Taliban are in abundance. Sometimes, this neutrality may be perceived as favor towards the Taliban on Gohari's side, but for the most part the book is free of bias. And, the structure of the book gives the reader a clear distinction between the author's opinions and the factual elements of the chronicle of the Taliban movement.
I would not strongly recommend this book to the average reader. While it is an easy read, the encyclopedia-style narrative does require some diligence on the part of the reader. The book is more suited to those looking for an abundance of information, regarding all aspects of the Taliban, in one place. It seems more of a piece that would serve a student in need of a glance into the Taliban as a starting point for further research. Gohari also provides those interested in the Taliban with an outlet to find more specific areas of interest, in essence giving foundation from which to further explore the Taliban to one that has no previous background in the subject (aside from the attacks of 9/11, of course).

"Three Women of Herat" is one of the few books about Afghani women that I have found. It's written by an woman (from England I think) learning about women in Afghanistan and in particular their music. She's in the country during the 1970's with her husband, who is also doing research there.

The book is a fascinating account of the lives of three unrelated women from different backgrounds. Mariam helped the author to understand and experience the intricacies of family and social life and practice of Shiah Islam. Mother of Nebi allows us to learn about the secluded life of a woman and her practice as a diviner. Shirin provides insight into the social and financial aspects of women musicians, who are an integral part of women's social entertainment including occasions of which men were a part.

These women do not represent all Afghani women as Herat does not represent all Afghani cities; however, this book is one of the few written accounts that help us to learn more about people in Afghanistan. Especially since the radical Muslim terrorist attack in the United States on September 11, 2001, I wanted to have a better understanding of Afghanistan and had to acknowledge how little I knew and how little most people seem to know about this country and the lives of its people.

Unfortunately this book is out of print at a time when many of us could benefit from it.

It's probably trite by now to say that "the past is a foreign country", but if it's true anywhere in the world today, it must be most of all in Afghanistan. The Afghans managed to preserve their independence from colonial rule with only minimal interference from Great Britain (a country that lost two wars with Afghanistan). We might conclude that such freedom was a blessing, but it meant that the country sailed well into the treacherous waters of the 20th century without much social or economic change, with only a small educated class of people that could navigate the perils of the wars and competitions raging all around. By the 1970s, when most nations in the world had changed drastically from what they had been fifty years previously, Afghanistan still had not transformed itself. It was in this last moment of the Afghan past that Veronica Doubleday accompanied her husband to Herat, a large city in the west of Afghanistan, a historical capital and cultural center. While her husband studied traditional music, Doubleday studied first art, then women's lives, re-entering the musical world with a female music teacher. THREE WOMEN OF HERAT is a well-written, colorful memoir of that time, a picture of an Afghan city and women's lives, a picture that is now a shard of the Herati and Afghan past, covered over with the debris of 23 years of utter destruction and violence.

Though the author came from an educated English background, she chose three simple women for her portraits---a proper wife of a large musical family, a strict Muslim's suppressed wife who took refuge in faith healing and trances, and a female musician whose status in Herati society was dubious as she appeared in public. Through the medium of describing her interactions with these three, Doubleday presents a picture of Afghan society in the mid-'70s, emphasizing womens' lives. She covers the whole marriage process, childbirth and family relations, holidays, purdah, the music world, spirit possession, healing, and the evil eye. Her relationship with the three women is always at the center. There are a number of excellent color photographs and many drawings by the author as well. A short epilogue underlines the disaster that befell the city and society she loved and we see the beginnings of fanaticism as a tool to fight foreign rule. I think that for people interested in studying women in the Islamic world, THREE WOMEN OF HERAT could be very useful. Friedl's "Women of Deh Koh" (Iran) is anthropologically more sophisticated and gives the women their own voice. Fernea's "A Street in Marrakech" (Morocco) brings out the contrast between Western and Moroccan cultures better. Perhaps the novels of Djebar and Fernissi are more of an inside view than can be offered by a European. But Doubleday's book combines well with all these others. It is a beautiful portrait of a lost world, all the more poignant for what has befallen the Afghan people most recently.

There is no doubt the author has compiled a vast amount of information in making this book. Unfortunately a lot of information doesn't translate into a very interesting read. If you are looking for serious in depth information on the Taliban history, and future this is definately the book for you. If on the other hand you are looking for interesting material in a quick and easy fashion as I was you will be disappointed.

The book is mostly on the sucess of the Taliban in Afghanistan. It talks about the regime, and what they have done to acheive their goals, and why they are trying to achieve the unity of Afghanistan. It aslo focuses on the former capitol Kabul, and the destruction of the famous city. Afghanistan neighbors such as PAkistan, and Iran...how are they helping the Talibans if and any, and why?

Matinuddin explores the origins and effects of the Taliban movement on Afghanistan and surrounding countries in this book. Furthermore, he brings the topic up to date in an afterword compiling major events taking place since 1997. In terms of reliability, Matinuddin is a credible source of information, having served as a Lieutenant-General and as a member of the diplomatic corps. He is also well attuned to objective analysis as he is a part-time journalist and has written several books on Afghanistan.
The Taliban Phenomenon can be most praised for its multitude of information on Afghanistan. Unlike most books, it gives a detailed account of the historical origins of Afghanistan, from ancient times, and most importantly the foundations for its relationship with the surrounding countries. For example, while most are aware of the tie between Pakistan and Afghanistan today, especially after 9/11, not many understand why they are so closely related. In the book, Matinuddin sheds light on the matter, as Afghanistan began its relations with Pakistan in order to access sea trade. Other surrounding countries, mostly ex-communist Islamic regimes, and Communist China, maintained communication with Afghanistan in order to monitor the threat of any extreme religious influences, such as the Taliban.
This book is definitely not for the reader looking for a quick overview of Afghanistan and the Taliban movement. It is extremely detailed and at times tedious reading. However, it is extremely useful for scholars, journalists, and political officials in attaining a background on the diplomatic relations of Afghanistan with surrounding countries. I have not seen such an informative description of the Taliban and its effect on neighboring countries so far. It indeed sheds much light on the lines of alliance and tension in the area since 9/11. Moreover, the book can be a major asset to diplomatic officials in all countries in not only dealing with Afghanistan and the Taliban, but also in working with other countries in the area, especially the Islamic regimes. Overall, I would rate this book as average for the average reader, but very good for anyone in need of an accurate and highly detailed analysis of the Taliban movement.

Is basically all that this amounts to. Meaning that in other words the whole purpose of this book is based on the most dissolute scam and shouldn't have been written. Because it doesn't reach it's self-proclaimed goals of incriminating Bush on 9/11, oil or Taliban prostitution. In other words, this book is composed directly to slander Bush with the most idiotically far-fetched rumors and prey on the unstable among society, namely anti-war protestors and the left wingers by encouraging their fanatical, foaming-at-the-mouth savagery. Avoid at all costs, unless of course you want to live your live in weighty paranoia, swearing on conspiracy theories and worshipping questionable and unpricipled exploiters ....

Allegedly being a best-seller in France, who did everything short of a filibuster to preserve their wickedly lucrative deals with the terrorist and dictator Hussein, it's no surprise how utterly one-sided and slanderous it is. To further boot, it does this by absolutely neglecting and bypassing most of the real truth, or, at least, enough truth to have a balance of facts both for Bush-haters and those pro Bush.

In light of the abysmal French bias in which this was written, I'll provide the rest of the facts that the authors unethically decided to override. It IS funny, however, that libs are always homocidally complaining that the media is overrun by a dictatorship of conservatives (a totally discreditable notion to begin with), and libs are always distorting that one should properly inform themselves from the "Republican-controlled" media--then they go and suggest this utterly, genocidally unobjective smear campaign!! How atrocious.

Number 1, the Clinton Admn. should be the one to blame more than any untrue innuendo concerning team Bush. A while ago, 60 minutes had a decent exposee about how Clinton, and then former FBI head man Freeh, and their mutual hate for each other, which is why 911 happened to begin with. Not to mention Freeh's damning testimony on the hill about 6 months ago, where he confessed that Clinton refused to fight terrorism militarily and Congress imposed unreasonably crippling restrictions on FBI surveillance. Moral of story: for the French authors and the lib radicals, look to the Clinton Admn. to shoulder the blame there.

Number 2, the French authors aren't trustworthy. With an ungodly severity of French contracts and French built factories for the former Iraqi regime, they are scandalously obviously in no place to point fingers.

Number 3, is the maligning issue about disrespectful reviewers pointing the finger at the Saudis as "real public enemy No.1", and the States having sold itself out to Saudis, the "real sponsors of terrorism". I am again pressured to educate the glaringly hostile, and biased, in their hostility, one-sided reviewers who angrily will indict Bush on ANYTHING, stupid-sounding or not. Saudis themselves are victims of terrorism, as the blast the other day just showed. ALso, Saudis are heavily to thank for the stellar progress on the war on terrorism, helping to cripple Al-Qaeda by 50% already. Not to mention how the Saudis have foiled several terrorist plans against US interests abroad, proving the Bush administrations ties with them to be because of common goals and nothing else, like the dangerously radical libs have been attacking.

There you have it libs and French authors. This book amounts to a big pile of BS.

I bought this book thinking many US oil companies and individuals would be explicity named and implicated in all the hoopla about how this war on terrorism is all about oil. I wanted to find the smoking gun the Bush-haters insist is out there. As I suspected there is, at best, only highly circumstantial evidence of any purposeful wrongdoing by the Bush administration. Oddly enough, many of the factual points implicate the Clinton administration in pandering to the Taliban. Note, the US was considering military action against the Taliban in 1999!! To wit, the only oil company - not even a major, let alone supermajor! - named was Unocal. How does this implicate the entire US oil industry?? The roots of these events go back the the mid-90's. Perhaps my history is weak, but I beleive Clinton was President then. If it's about oil now, it was about oil then. If this was a bestseller in France, I can understand how they are so biased. This book is terribly written given all the research that supposedly occured. The Impossible Negotiation chapter - the authors smoking gun - is a journalistic joke. The most useful part of it is the incomplete chronology of events. I give the book 4-stars because it's been so valuable in discrediting the liberal-left.

Having followed the story of their arrest on the news, I eagerly snatched up this book. Once I got into its pages, I could see that many will be offended by this story. Why? Because they will not understand it. You can understand what drove these women only if you have experienced similar faith and have lived a similar ministry.

I can understand where Dayna and Heather are coming from. We get their religious background, how they came to know and love God. We see how they felt drawn to Afghanistan to help the downtrodden. I was touched by their ministry to the poor. So much of it was practical, such as giving clothing and food. But the two also realized how these people, living under so hard a regime, needed hope. So the two walked a fine line, giving hope without actively converting.

Maybe some will see Dayna's and Heather's weaknesses, as when they were imprisoned and discouraged. But I saw their strengths, how they never stopped loving, how they continued to minister--giving food, clothing, etc., to fellow prisoners. I saw how they continued to give hope, teaching songs, telling stories,... Even cold, ill, or hungry, they still put others before themselves. And I was touched at the goodness of the Afghani people, their hospitality.

Dayna and Heather displayed no bitterness or resentment in their story. We see this story as part of their personal spiritual growth. I feel those who know them are lucky.

In August of 2001, we were introduced to American missionaries Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer. Each had accepted their calling into missions and was serving the people of Afghanistan. While many lives were changed as a result of their work, the Taliban arrested them for sharing their faith. For over three months the world watched and prayed for their release and eventually in November 2001, these prayers were answered.

While many of us believe that we have heard the whole story, there is more. Told candidly in first person, Heather & Dayna take the reader into their world. We are introduced to the people they impacted, their experiences in Afghanistan, and those who also were involved in their journey during their time in prison. You will truly be moved as you read of the experience that made both women stronger and passionate like never before.

Prisoners of Hope is a powerful, moving, and compelling story, one that is true testimony of God's faithfulness and mercy even through the most difficult of times. Dayna and Heather are incredible women and as a young Christian woman I salute them for heeding the call and sharing the gospel to the Afghan people. I pray that God will continue to bless them both greatly.

Reviewed by Kanika (Nika) Wade
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Dayna and Heather are two incredible women and I was so moved by following their story in the news last year that I eagerly bought and read this book in just a few days (it usually takes me weeks!). I was impressed with the way their different (sometimes really different) personalities came across in the way they told their stories. The book alternates between one of them telling their story and then the other one picks up. But even though they are different, it is beautiful how they share an amazing devotion to their Christian faith. They are quite forthright about being Christians, which I find refreshing since it often seems like some people just want you to keep it to yourself. This was fun to read and I hope they get to go back to Afghanistan some day like they say they do.

Eric Margolis has written a book of tumultuous ethnic, political and religious conflict in the border regions of China, India, Pakistan, India and Tibet that rivals the tectonic majesty of the Himalayas. Although his book is short, it is an intense, detailed read of the a region in which the world's two most populous nations border, and three of the world's nuclear powers contend for regional survival and dominance.

The first part of the book focuses on Afghanistan and "the bravest men on earth." While I think that the veterans of Iwo Jima, Inchon and the Normandy invasion might have a claim or two to that title, Margolis nonetheless paints a convincing picture of tough, determined fighters bound by strict codes of honor and rivers of tribal blood. The explanations of the Great Jihad and how the defeat of the Soviet Union has dissipated the focus, and thus the forces, of the struggle against "Satan #1" have led to the present spread of militant Islam (not unlike the 7th and 8th centuries AD) are clairvoyant. While it would overstate the claim that our current war stems directly from the conflict termination of the Russo-Afghan War of the 1980's, there are strong causal ties. Margolis further accurately captures the very circumstances of controlled chaos and weak to non existent government that Osama bin Laden and his al-Qeada criminals look to exploit, whether in eastern Indonesia, southern Philippines, Afghanistan, Lebanon or eastern Africa.

After this opening section, Margolis turns his attention to another, more serious upheaval and potential for conflict with not just religious ideologies, but nuclear weapons. Margolis does a superb job of capturing in short paragraphs and chapters the British penchant for drawing arbitrary boundaries where none have ever stood or belong when dismembering their empire, and the resultant inevitable clashes. The "Durand Line" that separated the Pashtun tribe, one of the world's largest, into half in Afghanistan and half in Pakistan, is another case of British Imperial folly. As if that were not enough, the split down the middle of the Kashmir ensures a constant shifting population around that border between India and Pakistan, and armed conflict as each attempts to assert its supremacy and sovereignty over that contested fertile region. In trying to control the Kashmir, and the headwaters, both sides are naturally pushed higher and higher into the mountains, in essence trying to find a flanking position. In this case, the "flanking" movements have led them to the Siachen Glacier, 17,000 feet above sea level where men begin to die of cardiac and pulmonary edema and other exotic mountain climber maladies. Further, given the inaccessibility of the region, the cost of each round of artillery ammunition is exorbitant, and being paid by two of the poorest nations on earth for a piece of national pride. Lastly, in this section, Margolis neatly captures and summarizes the strategic dilemma for Pakistan: like Israel, lacking strategic depth and having a flat open southern border which can be quickly overrun by Indian armored task groups, Pakistan feels it has no option but to build nuclear, and be prepared to "go ugly early" in case of a war with India. Unlike the former USSR and the USA during the Cold War, neither side has enough weapons to apply the MAD doctrine, so there is no "comfortable" negating influence.

Enter the Dragon. In the last third of the book, Margolis tries to portray the depth and complexity of the relationship between China and India at the top of the world. China has its own expansionist mandate, and internal fundamental rebellious Muslim population. India, too, has an expansionist plan into the Himalayas and northern high mountain plains. Both have postured against the other looking for leverage, and a flank. While Margolis does not paint quite so bleak a picture of these tow nations and the probability of war, given their size, and rapid naval expansion of both powers, it may be more inevitable than the more intuitive Pak-India war.

This book has the traditional strengths and weaknesses of a book written by journalists. Favorably, it presents in short form a massive spectrum of international relations, geopolitics, ethnic divisiveness and religious separatism that is breath taking in its scope. Unfavorably, it requires that the reader have some pre existing knowledge of the region and subject matter. It does not have footnotes, so it is hard to plan further reading. It lacks enough maps or pictures to add richness to the written word. All in all, a good read that presents the issues clearly and concisely, prompts the reader to ask as many questions as it attempts to answer, and raises grave concern about perhaps the world's most dangerous flash point.

Eric S. Margolis, War at the top of the World, (Routledge, New York, NY, 2001) xii+250. Index. 0-415-93062-6 (Review of Chapters 1-5 primarily)

In War at the top of the World, experienced journalist Eric S. Margolis delivers an insightful and revealing account of Central and South Asian geopolitics, or as Rudyard Kipling called it: "the Great Game". As a region that has been regularly perceived as anarchic and draconian, Margolis delivers a "clear and concise analysis of this complicated and little-understood part of the globe that contains a quarter of the world's population". (dust jacket) As an accredited war-front journalist, Margolis braved the "wild" Northwestern Frontier and deadly Khyber Pass to meet, live, and fight alongside the Mujahidin. With a price on Margolis's head put there by the Soviet Red Army, his bond with the Mujahidin became even stronger. ...

However in a most telling fashion Margolis lays out an intricate Cold War timetable which exposes the very blatant Soviet push towards the Arabian Sea and the United State's very clandestine reaction. Margolis describes the web of intelligence agencies (British MI6, CIA, Pakistani, Saudi, and even Chinese intelligence) which collaborated in constructing a holy army (and holy war) by fanning the flames of Islamic fundamentalism. Strategic to this effort was Pakistani intelligence which supplied the logistical means to transport the money and weapons given by the US and Britain. However, maybe even more important were the religious schools or madrassas which taught a puritanical, and some might say fanatical form of Islam to thousand of Muslims and Mujahidin hopefuls. Through this account we see how western covert interventionism in Afghanistan haphazardly created a movement, a Crusade if you will, that has only perpetuated since its conception and has now risen to haunt its very creator. With this outline, Margolis provides the reader with an important historical clarity of Afghanistan offering a brilliant segue to understanding present day US involvement in the region.

Margolis's journalistic machismo and adventurism is strikingly similar to the type of hardcore Journalism that Robert Kaplan display's in his own account of Afghanistan in Soldiers of God. Like Kaplan, Margolis's seems to romanticize the Mujahidin for their bravado and charm, however subsequently leaves his objectivity and journalistic integrity in a weakened and vulnerable state.

Margolis's romanticism aside, Part I of War at the top of the World is an absolute must read if one wishes to untangle the mess that is Afghanistan, while at the same time gaining a greater understanding of the current balance of power world wide.

...

I can't understand why some people are strongly criticizing this book. Margolis has done a great job in bringing forward the truths and facts about Afghanistan and Kashmir. He has correctly analyzed the real reason behind Kremlin's invasion of Afghanistan and I agree with him that if it hadn't been for Pakistan, the red army would have marched on to Gulf's oil reserves.

The 600,000 Indian Army troops in Kashmir have killed about 70,000 Kashmiris since 1989. Kashmiri people are asking for the right of self-determination. What is wrong with that? There are UN Security Council resolutions that have given them this right. India's first prime minister had agreed to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir. The Indian government has denied to hold a plebiscite ever since.

People here in the US must read this book to get a clear understanding of a complex situation in the sub continent.