When discussing the Paxtuns, a major ethnic group which straddles the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, one thing that scholars are keen to mention is paxtunwali, the Paxtun code of morality and honor. There is a Paxtun proverb that refers to the paxtunwali, which says ?you don?t speak Paxto; you do paxto.? But what does doing paxto entail? More often than not, the description of what it means to do paxto has come from a male scholar who studied among male Paxtuns. Hospitality (melmastia), right to refuge (nanawati), and revenge (badal) are the three precepts of the paxtunwali as they are traditionally understood.

But Benedicte Grima, as a female anthropologist and folklorist, was allowed access to the world of female Paxtuns, which had received far less attention than the more public male sphere. She argues that men and women have different ways of carrying out the paxtunwali, especially in terms of badal. Women consider it to be keeping badal when they visit one another in order to inquire about events that have recently taken place, as well as when they give each other gifts. Badal should therefore be understood more in terms of general reciprocity in social relationships, rather than just as blood feuds.

It is on these visits of inquiry that most of Grima?s ethnography focuses. She uses Dell Hymes? model of the ethnography of communication to focus on a speech event called tapos, which literally means ?to inquire? to Paxtun men, but is defined by women as making a personal visit to the female head of a household to ask about an illness or other misfortune. During each of these visits, there is a performance of a woman-to-woman speech genre. The women share stories of the misfortunes of their families in great detail, while following a sort of genre formula.

While working in the framework of the ethnography of communication, Grima also provides an ethnographic account of emotion which is compelling. She argues that emotions are both culturally constructed and socially performed; they are not simply inner states arising solely from within the individual herself. Cognition and emotion are therefore intricately linked, since one must understand the social norms in order to know which emotions are appropriate and how to perform them. She explains the performance of emotion as something Paxtun women do in order to show that they understand the cultural norms that they must follow in doing paxto. For example, when a woman is married, she must shed tears, because traditionally, being taken from one?s mother?s home and into the home of one?s husband is a tragic event, or gham. Even if one is happy to marry her husband, which is not the norm, she must still cry.

The concept of gham is central to Grima?s study. Gham means ?sorrow?, as opposed to xadi, ?joy?. In the misfortune narratives she collected at tapos, as well as the life stories she collected under more controlled circumstances, the main theme was gham. Women?s life stories were told as a series of ghams, focusing primarily on the tragedies that they had endured. This is where the subtitle of the book comes from; ?The Misfortunes Which Have Befallen Me? is an opening line to one of these life story narratives.

Once the Paxtun women learned of Grima?s desire to hear their life stories, they began to compete. The person who could tell the saddest story would gain the greatest respect from her female Paxtun peers. She would be recognized by her fellow Paxtun women as truly a worthy member of their community, because she had undergone so many hardships as a result of the Paxtun way of life, yet continued to endure these troubles for the sake of maintaining her own honor and that of her family.
Grima argues that withstanding a series of ghams is a great deal of what it means for a woman to do paxto. Being a Paxtun woman involves a great deal of hardship. A woman must stay in her home unless granted permission to leave by a male relative. She is separated from her family in a patrilocal arranged marriage system. She must maintain the honor of her entire family, which among other things requires veiling in public and avoiding contact with males who are not relatives. If she dishonors the family, she is subject to beatings, and perhaps even death. If one is willing and able to undergo all of these hardships for the sake of her family and the community, she is considered a true Paxtun, one who does paxto by following paxtunwali.

It should be noted that Grima?s study focuses primarily on rural Paxtun women. Although she did fieldwork among urban Paxtuns as well, they tended to be less traditional. As urban dwellers, they were less tightly bound by the norms of a small rural community. They therefore claimed that they did not have any life stories to tell, because they had suffered no ghams. It would seem to be implied therefore, following Grima?s theory that for women suffering ghams is central to what it means to do paxto, that these urban women do not do paxto to as great of an extent as their rural counterparts. A comparative ethnography of urban and rural Paxtun women would help explore this question.

The Performance of Emotion among Paxtun Women is reminiscent of Lila Abu-Lughod?s widely read ethnography of communication and emotion among Bedouin women, Veiled Sentiments. Like Veiled Sentiments, it is an important read for anyone interested in feminist anthropology, the ethnography of communication, the ethnography of emotion, folklore, or Islamic studies.

It is not easy to draw parallels between nations with similar histories or backgrounds. The mosaic of mankind creates variations that are not limited by borders or even categorizations. The three nations discussed share things in common: they all speak Indo-European languages (albeit altered due to Semitic influences); a common religious background (Islam predominates, but Iran is predominantly Shi'i or Shi'a); and historical currents that separate and unite the three nations. Iran, Afghanistan, and western Pakistan all belong to a greater Persian civilization (which expands to include the Kurds in the west) that has adapted to Islamic conversion in different ways. All three nations have had to deal with dismemberment by sea-faring and land-faring expansionist nations from Europe and herein lies the differences. Iran has developed the most literate and socially advanced society of the three, but lacks the social and political freedom found in British-influenced Pakistan. Pakistan has had to adapt as a new nation with an ancient past as a crossroads of civilization (primarily Indo-Iranian) and contentious neighbors (notably India). Afghanistan has been ravaged by wars since ancient times, but remains a strategically vital country. Ethnic politics further confuse the issues both within and without these states. All share cross-border ethnic groups such the Pashtuns (the largest group in Afghanistan and 2nd largest in Pakistan), Farsiwans (Iranian Shi'is found in Afghanistan), Baluchis (living in Iran and Pakistan as well as Afghanistan), and groups that border nations outside the area of this collection of monographs (such as Kurds in Iran, Tajiks and various Turks in Afghanistan, and Panjabis and Kashmiris in Pakistan). The attempts to create monolithic societies in such countries is often futile and difficult to establish. The issue at hand in this work is to analyze the societies, politics, and also the histories of these nations and the divergent paths they have all taken. This is a prodigious task that is tackled with vigor and the result is a one of a kind work on a region of the Near East that is not fully understood by the rest of the world.

Chaliand, Gerard. Translated by Tamar Jacoby. Report From Afghanistan. Penguin Books: New York, 1982. 112. 6 maps. Chronology. Annotated Bibliography. Index.

Translated by Tamar Jacoby, Gerard Chaliand's Report From Afghanistan provides an extensive, concise and in-depth look at Afghanistan during the exact time of the Soviet intervention. From its first initial monarchy of 1747 until the one-year anniversary of the Soviet occupation of 1979, the book also contains numerous maps and a detailed chronology, adding to the amount of precise data in the book. Chaliand immediately begins to list the extent if his travels and his vast experience in the world making him a viable source of important information. For example, Report From Afghanistan "reflects two reports [Chaliand] made to Afghanistan, to Paktia and Kunar provinces, and to Peshawar, first in June and then in October and November 1980" (7). Furthermore, Chaliand's information accents the theme of the novel which echoes the closing lines of the book, which claims that, "The intervention of Afghanistan was not a backyard maneuver of little concern to anyone but the Soviets and Afghans themselves. Unless it is eclipsed by an even more serious Western theater, it will almost certainly be a major international sore spot for years to come" (91).
Each chapter provides a deeper look at various aspects of Afghanistan life and a mini-theme which eventually culminates together to create a larger theme in the final chapter of the book entitled. For example, "The Afghan Setting" claims that in the end the only solution would be to increase the country's arable land by improving irrigation providing an explanation on how to aid Afghanistan agriculturally. The following chapter, "From the Coup d'Etat to the Soviet Invasion" depicts the various leaders Afghanistan has had and their ultimate failures showing how many different government have ceased to accomplish anything. "The Afghan Resistance" chapter claims that Afghanistan stands at a point of crisis, waiting for badly needed economic growth and social progress and that religion for them is an ideology of resistance and represents group identity. The next chapter, "Soviet Strategy and Afghan Response" indicates the underlying motives of the Soviets and claims that their intervention has only been tolerated because "Western diplomats are uncertain about it significance" (75). Finally, the concluding chapter brings all these themes together and collectively emphasizes the desperate need for United States intervention. Perhaps this claim resonates in the reader's mind because the theme echoes a similar remark conveyed by Ahmed Shah Massoud before his gruesome murder in 2001. Even in 1980 Afghanistan requested US intervention and perhaps the September 11 tragedy has became the final product of what Chaliand attempted to show.
Report From Afghanistan proves to be an essential book for understanding the country of Afghanistan. From example, the maps indicating the terrain, population and ethnic distribution of Afghanistan to the detailed chronology in the end, any student would find Report From Afghanistan a fundamental book full of the complete history of the country. Report From Afghanistan also provides extensive and significant information about the economic factors of the country, the religious aspects and the different types of Afghanistan, as well. In addition, Report From Afghanistan clearly reflects the reasoning behind the Soviet intervention during the exact time when the intervention began. Furthermore, Chaliand's book foreshadows the turmoil that could develop if the West fails to aid Afghanistan in their fight for resistance and is a great place to start for the reader who knows nothing about the country.

A scholarly work that tells the reader more about Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan then any tour book and most encyclopedias. The mosaic tapestry of peoples, cultures, and religious sects is presented clearly and with great detail. Each nation is presented as the heir to a unique civilization, but is torn by ethnic divisions and political instability. As three non-Arab Islamic nations that exist along ancient invasion routes overlapping into Western, Central, and South Asia the common historical bonds are explored, but the differences are also pointed out. Like many countries in the Near East ethnic groups overlap past the modern frontiers, creating concerns about nationalism and secessionist movements. All of these issues are explored as are larger geo-political ones regarding the military, civil unrest, and the role of democracy in three undemocratic societies (although Pakistan has moved towards a more democratic status of late). This is a fascinating and informative look at eastern wing of the broa

This is a beautiful book of photographs and text by the 33 year old photographer/author. Tracing a grandfather's origins back to Pakistan, Fazal discovers that the area where his ancestor lived is now an Afghani refugee camp. He meets the people, finds out their stories and travels to the war ravaged capitol to photograph the inconceivable devastation. His specialty is poetic text and portraits done in the clasical,direct, nineteenth century style. One powerful series is done in a extraordinary closeups by gaslight and focuses on the face exclusively. These expressive faces combine with their life histories to form a moving document of the tragedy of Afghanistan. The book closes with a series of portraits of children reminiscent of Walker Evan's best work. Harsh history is revealed in their faces. A beautiful and poetic account of human dignity in war torn Afghanistan.

The conflict in Afghanistan is one from which the whole world must learn, The extensive media coverage that accompanied its every nuance was often dealing with the circumstances current at the time and was unable, of course, to view events retrospectively from the major turning point of the withdrawal of Soviet forces. In the first substantial study to be published since the Russians' departure, US military commentator David Isby provides the detail and analysis required to enable informed evaluation.

The war offered diverse experiences for all combatants. The Soviet Union became embroiled in anti-guerrilla action against a nation it knew to be of independent trait, when it had primarily trained its forces for major warfare in Europe. The Afghans found themselves fighting a hugely superior force that had total control of the air; the wholly irregular units of the Mujahadeen relied initially on primitive weapons and moral support from distant external friends rather than their own government.

The author has spent much time with the guerrillas observing Soviet action against them and their response to it. His assessment of the conflict brings the war into a sharper, more balanced focus for todays reader who wants to understand the course of the war; the reasons for the successes and failures: the wide differences between the logistic support received by the opposing forces: and the general circumstances in which the battle was waged.

if the Soviets failed to learn from history that their venture into Afghanistan would be fraught with problems and certain to be met by determined opposition, then studies such as this thought-provoking volume will enable a wide readership - both military and civilian - to use the value of hindsight and skilled commentary to avoid the same mistake.

In his chronological treatment, David Isby used many first-hand accounts and illustrates his pages with over 100 illustrations, many of which are published here for the first time.

I chose this book because of its historical/political aspects in a very volatile part of the world. This would be a classic fictional action story. The fact that The Jewel Carriers is based on real people and real events made it very appealing to me. I read in two days when I was home sick. I could not put it down!

This book was great, it had everything a reader could ask for. It plays on all the emotions-love, pain, trust. The author kept my attention. I was rooting for Abdul I wanted him to accomplish what he was going for. And what else can an audience ask for, but a TRUE story. The setting and atmosphere was real, the story was about something that really happened. This book in a way gave me an inside take on the war. In that respect it was educational. This book had action, suspense, romance, comraderie. And it was beautifully written, I honestly felt like I was there. This is definitely movie material, I would love to see it on the big screen.

I was told about this book by a friend during a conversation about the Afghan mishaps over the years. Upon reading the book I became very interested in the true story and the characters in it. The thing that makes it very exciting is the suspense and danger the characters face through out the events. I feel this book was very well written & would make a superb motion picture.

If you want to learn about the Taliban, turn here first. Rashid gives you a clear picture of what the Taliban is, how it came to be, and why it came to be. It's a journalistic book, full of dates and names, but it's also a very engrossing tale of tragedy upon tragedy, and includes some interesting chapters on oil interests in Afghanistan.

A cliche is appropriate here. Ahmed Rashid owned this story.

A long-time correspondent based in Central Asia, Rashid was singularly situated to tell the world about the Taliban. Written well before the United States invaded Afghanistan, Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia is a testament to the author's power of observation, ability to cultivate excellent sources, and prowess as an interviewer and a researcher. To the outside world, the Taliban seemed insane. Rashid chronicles why that distant perception was correct. Years as a journeyman reporter provided Rashid entree into places few independent sources could go. This unprecedented access, and Rashid's talent as a writer, convey the sheer madness that gripped Afghanistan. The result is the definitive book on the Taliban.

Rashid proves to be a brilliant analyst as well as an intrepid reporter. As an example, the author gives the best explanation to date of why the Taliban was so virulently misogynistic. Many of these Islamist fanatics, Rashid explains, were raised in all-male orphanages, educated only by men, and lived exclusively among other boys. This incisive explanation of the gender issue is typical of the author's best analyses, some of which come across almost as throwaway lines ("failed states are not necessarily dying states" springs to mind). Rashid also has a keen eye for the absurd. The number of Taliban officials missing limbs, eyes and other body parts, he notes, was quite disconcerting.

On a serious note, Rashid also examines the wider issues the Taliban represented. In the process, he spares no one. Such diverse personages as American oil barons, old-style Russian expansionists, Islamic religious fanatics, atavistic communist tyrants, and corrupt Muslim officials all receive the harsh treatment they richly deserve. The Taliban's Afghanistan truly became a quagmire for its enablers and enemies. As some regional powers promoted their vision of a religious utopia, they also sowed the seeds of their own destruction as Afghan-based terrorists put those very governments in their crosshairs. Unfortunately for the West, this failed state also gave al-Qaeda and heroin producers a sanctuary. Western energy interests, Wahhabi-promoting Saudis, Central Asian dictators, and power-crazed Pakistani intelligence officers sacrificed national interests for their narrow concerns, and Rashid makes it clear the world is a much more dangerous place as a result.

This book is a triumph precisely because the author ties together all these seemingly disparate evils--terrorism, repression, gratuitous violence, corporate greed, geopolitical hegemony, Islamic radicalism, drug trafficking----and makes a compelling case that the Taliban was more their symptom than cause.

Ahmed Rashid's book "Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and the Fundamentalism in Central Asia" is an excellent book for those who would like to understand the Taliban, its background, rise to power as well as US and Pakistan's support of the fundamentalist regime. Published in 2000, it is a very timely book given the tragedy of the World Trade Center plane attacks on September 11th.

The main factor contributing to the strength of the book is Rashid's extensive access to Afghanistan and key players who have shaped the policy of the country. He has spent the better portion of the last 21 years in the country and knows it intimately. Although himself Pakistani, he is very critical of his country's role (and that of the the United States)in nurturing the most radical elements in the Afghan opposition that fought the Soviet Union in the 1980's as well as the Taliban. The most important chapter of the book for our purposes today is Chapter 10 which deals with the rise of Osama bin Laden in the context of the Afghan-Soviet war and US/Pakistani support of the opposition.

Rashid explains in detail American support for the ISI's involvement in drug trafficking as a means to raise money for the anti-Soviet resistance. He laments the American-Pakistani practice of consistent and unwavering support for the most radical elements in the Afghan opposition, virtually ignoring the more moderate opposition. The result: thousands of radical Muslims, armed and trained by The US and Pakistan, sparking "holy wars" against countries deemed anti-Muslim. As I re-read the book after the terrible attack on the US on September 11th, I couldn't help but be disappointed with the lack of foresight the United States policy-makers had in supporting these radicals. Particular blame, in my view, must be meeted out to Zbigniew Brzezinski, who, in his pathological anti-Soviet and anti-Russian passions, went to great lengths in the 80's to push the US to support the Mujahideen radicals. His misguided policies violently bore their fruits in New York and Washington on September 11th.

Rashid also does a great job untangling the web of oil and gas pipelines that lie at the heart of the world's interest in the Central Asian Republics of the former USSR and Afghanistan. The post Cold War American policy of eliminating Russian and Iranian influence in Central Asia has lead to the US Administration to support, without giving formal diplomatic recognition, to the Taliban. The reason for this, Rashid explains, is to circumvent Iranian and Russian territory and lay gas and oil pipelines through Afghanistan and Pakistan for eventual Western consumption. Again Pakistan is a key ally for the US in this venture, along with Turkey.

Some of the most interesting parts of the book are the Stone Age social practices of the Taliban, including their horrific treatment of women. In his appendix he lists most of the decrees the Taliban issued regarding these policies.

In sum, I highly recommend this book to all those interested in a timely, in depth analysis of one of the most repressive regimes in the world and the complex politics of the great powers that make Central Asia the next hot spot of the world.

The Flashman books are a rip-roaring read. First-hand accounts of real historical events portrayed through the eyes of Flashman, everybody's favourite scoundrel. Flashman, a British cavalry officer, lies, fornicates, cheats, pleads and abuses his way thro ugh battles and uprisings and other major historical events always emerging the hero. But Flashman is no hero - he is a self-confessed coward with the morals of an alley cat. You'll love him!
This, the first of the series, is perhaps the best. Flashy take s part in the first Afghan War with hilarious results. You also get the full background in the Flashman character. I've recommended this book to a few people and they all became instant converts, although I think men will find it more directly appealing t han women. Sexy, thrilling AND educational. British military history was never this much fun at school.
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This is the book that starts the Flashman series featuring the cowardly opportunist Harry Flashman. Gifted with a handsome physique, sharp wit, superb horsemanship, and an uncanny linguistic prowess, Flashman embarks upon his military career and ends forcibly married and then sent to the far corners of the British empire before and during the Anglo-Afghan war. At times you'll debate whether you even want Flashman to survive as he backstabs his fellow Brits, uses his native allies, and attempts to molest any half-way attractive woman. No, he's not a noble heroic archetype. Flashman is a selfish, arrogant, and conniving pseudo-aristocrat. The superb account of the British retreat from Afghanistan during the 1st Anglo-Afghan war is fascinating. The characters are all drawn from historical figures and George M. Fraser breathes amazing life into all of his characters. No one-dimensional figures here. No one is entirely good or bad. They are human. It's rare to see such honest writing that is sometimes uncomfortable and disturbing, but always wildly entertaining. Flashman ends up in the thick of the Anglo-Afghan War and along the way he meets all of the well-known British and Afghan/Pathan historical figures of the time. If you want to learn history the fun way and want to read a book you won't be able to put down until your eyes start to burn, then this is the book for you. My personal favorite so far in the Flashman series (I've only read one before), this is a novel I won't soon forget. This series deserves to be on the silver screen, but knowing most film-makers they wouldn't do it justice and they'd turn Flashman into a real hero, which he is most certainly is not! Great stuff!

The Flashman papers - the memoirs of the fictional 19th century British officer Harry Paget Flashman - are the product of George MacDonald Fraser's fertile imagination. If they had really been found in a Leicester saleroom in 1965, as Fraser tells us in the preface of the first Flashman book, their discovery would have been as serendipitous as the discovery of the ruins of Pompeii. These books are really special, and it's a pity that more people don't know about them.

The first of eleven books in the series, Flashman: From the Flashman papers, 1839-1842 recounts Harry Paget Flashman's adventures as a young adult, primarily his participation in the First Afghan War. The book presents certain thematic elements that recur delightfully throughout the series: Flashman's propensity for finding himself at the center of major historical events, brushing shoulders with important historical figures like the Duke of Wellington and Queen Victoria; his uncanny luck in getting out of the stickiest situations imaginable while getting credit for heroic deeds not his own; and his unbridled hedonism.

Flashman is a talented equestrian and linguist. His positive characteristics end there. By any objective measure he is a deplorable human being. Flashman is a coward, a lecher, and a libertine; and yet, oddly, most readers will wind up liking him. Some have compared him to James Bond, but that would be an insult to 007, who was after all a decent guy.

This contradiction is hard to explain. How can we like a guy who has a deplorable character and yet always seems to come out on top? Perhaps he appeals to the irresponsible freedom-loving id in all of us. There is a part of us that envies someone who can sin often, get away with it, and never feel burdened by a guilty conscience. Flashman is a scoundrel and knows he's a scoundrel; it just doesn't bother him. We feel privileged to be let in on the secret, for while some of the book's characters recognize Flashman's true nature, most do not. And Fraser makes an art of killing off the characters that have the most damaging information on Flashman before they get a chance to expose his treachery. Near the end of the book, we can only chuckle when a young Queen Victoria, filled with emotion, gushes to Flashman, "You are a very gallant gentleman. God bless you," as she pins a medal on his coat in recognition of his "service" to England in the Afghan campaign.

As you follow Flashman's every move, devouring this action-packed adventure like ice cream, reveling in its bawdy humor and ironic twists and turns, you'll realize that this is very high quality stuff. Flashman is an extremely well-written piece of historical fiction. The eloquent narration fits with what one might expect from a memoir by a 19th century officer in her Majesty's service. The British retreat from Kabul in early 1842, which is recounted in all its gruesome detail, really did happen as described in the book, with men, women, and children savagely hacked to pieces by Afghani tribes. And true to form, Fraser does justice to the book's many historical figures, who at least in spirit are similar to the real life personalities.

Flashman is a great book that can be seen on many different levels: comic adventure story; commentary on Victorian life; or historical fiction. In the end, no matter how one chooses to view Flashman, there is no denying the entertainment value of this book, which is unparalleled, unless compared to some of the other books in the Flashman series (i.e. Flash at the Charge or Flash for Freedom). One word of caution: given Flashman's offensive views on race and gender, you can throw political correctness out the window with this one.

Afghanistan's current inaccessibility to Westerners presents a paradox of sorts: on the one hand, travelogues have a long tradition of providing armchair portraits of countries and people not easy visited, and on the other hand, in extreme cases such as contemporary Afghanistan, the difficulties in moving into and around such a country make such travelogues all the rarer. We should be therefore be grateful for this book, in which Jason Elliot recounts his travels and impressions from a trip made in 1979 as a teenager, and a trip 20 years later when he had learned Persian. It's a very traditional and endearing piece of travel literature, full of evocative descriptions of the sights and sounds, and most importantly, the people. While the book has plenty of the other usual travelogue elements-detailed descriptions of perilous trips in overstuffed decrepit vehicles, beautiful descriptions of obscure but astonishing ancient ruins, digestible tidbits of history, and asides of longing for unattainable women-the book's greatest value comes from Elliot's sensitive treatment of the Afghans he meets and befriends. Far from being the religious totalitarianists commonly associated with the country, virtually everyone he meets-almost every one of whom is male-is unstintingly curious, tough, enduring, and most of all, warmly hospitable. When he does encounter the Taliban, he notes how other Afghans warily regard them as powerful outsiders, with no constituency save themselves. Indeed, Elliot, writing in 1999, seems to scoff at the notion of them ever controlling the entire country, as their brand of Islam is so at odds with the forms widely practiced in Afghanistan over history. Elliot spends a fair amount of time and effort in trying to get to various Sufi shrines, and he does a good job of trying to explain the mystical nature of Sufism.

The book does suffer a little bit from Elliot's going back and forth between his two visits, and occasionally one loses track as to which visit an anecdote dates from, but the perspective he gains from having traveled in the country twenty years apart more than makes up for it. Elliot vividly conveys the troubles the Soviet forces had in the war, as well as the classic guerilla tactics used by the Afghans. He takes great pains to point out that the Afghan resistance was not a religiously based one, despite the connotation the word "mujaheddin" has taken in the West, but another struggle in a long succession of resisting incursions by more powerful states. What also emerges from almost every Afghan mouth is a sentiment of having been "abandoned" by America following the Soviet withdrawal. He makes no direct judgment on the matter himself, but like any good reporter, lets the people speak for themselves. In the end, one is left lamenting the destruction of Afghanistan during its tenure as proxy Cold War battleground, and the resultant forces that have allowed the Taliban to impose their will-a least for the moment. If only one thing is totally clear from their history, it is that the Afghan people will only live so long under the yoke of oppressors.

"An Unexpected Light" is one of the best pieces of travel writing I have read in a long time. Frankly, before reading this book, I knew little more about Afghanistan than what I had seen recently on CNN. Jason Elliot introduced me to a brave and generous people and an astonishly beautiful if dangerous land. He writes with a deft pen, mixing apt similes with a wry (and often self-deprecating) humor. He is sufficiently erudite to feed his reader slices of useful history, and sufficiently wise to keep such tidbits to just the right size. His brief asides on Sufiism, architecture and the like similarly enhance the narrative. One comes away from the book not only with an appreciation for Afghanistan and its people, but for Mr. Elliot himself -- as open-hearted and open-minded a man as you would ever want to travel with.

Jason Elliot immerses himself into Afghanistan twice, once in 1979 with the Mujahadeen, and once again in 1989 to see a land still in the throes of war. Perhaps he will still get a chance to revisit the country in 2009, to get a perspective of the latest iteration of warfare and it's nature and tragic effect on the people of the Country. At this rate anything's possible.

I almost dinged this book for Elliot's occasional writing style that dips into the area of over-flowery, fanciful, and meandering, but surprisingly enough if you keep reading, he keeps this distraction to a minimum.

I believe what Elliot achieves with "An Unexpected Light" is the best account of what Afghanistan and its people are like that can be achieved by a Western writer. The reader must be cautioned to not take Elliot's perception at face value for the truth of how Afghani's think and feel and live. That local perspective would have to be gained by a book that was written by an Afghani and translated into English. To my knowledge there isn't a book out there like that available to English readers. If you know of one, by all means shoot it my way.

At first I thought the approach Elliot was taking in writing this book, was to toss himself haphazardly into as many life-threatening situations as humanely possible to experience and still live through it. Through these blood pressure pumping situations, at the end, Elliot would have himself a damn fine book. What I came to realize though is that the book was written about a love affair. A continual burning love affair that Elliot has for the country and especially the people of Afghanistan. That intense love shows, earning this book a special place amongst other travel writings. The work fills a distinct need to learn more about a country that Western nations' find themselves enmeshed in during the ongoing war on terrorism.

Internalize this book. There's a need to make that knowledge your own. Now more than ever.