Reviews (47)

a genuine journey of discovery
This is a fascinating book, a well told tale, and a genuine journey of discovery. Stewart combines a physically demanding expedition with cultural exploration and, in the process, achieves genuine insight into lives most of us will never have the faintest conception of. Some reviews of the book (e.g. Washington Post) miss the critical element of the journey that sets it apart from books that are entirely expeditionary in nature (like mountains climbed and rivers rafted) - and that is the Muslim cultural proclivity to welcome / shelter / feed travelers no matter how desperately poor they may be (and most in rural Afghanistan are very poor indeed).A critical talent that allowed Stewart to achieve this (besides his keen wit and prodigous writing skills) is his linguistic diversity, which allowed him to do what he did without getting killed or dying in the process. When the British Special Forces declare him a f'g nutter I found myself smiling along with Stewart at his formidable achievement.

A little shy of cultural insights
I would actually give this book a 3.5, but that's not an option.I think I was expecting a broader range of cultural insights from this book.The first half got a bit tedious and sometimes read more like an itinerary than an elucidating journal.The second half perked up for me; I admit this could be because the actual terrain improved and people themselves were more colorful and friendly.In the end, I did take away something from this book and do have a better idea of what Afghanistan's mountain region is about.I passed the book on to a friend this weekend as a suggested read.But the fact that I did this is a testament to my reaction to the book, for I never give away books that I love.Perhaps one day I'll come to regret it!And I can say, I don't regret having read this book.

Five-star rating for Stewart's experience; three stars for his writing of it
Try as I might, I couldn't quite enjoy "The Places In Between," Rory Stewart's travelogue from his walk across post-Taliban Afghanistan.Stewart is an amazing young man, brilliant and courageous, and his trek is an ambitious, noble effort.But his writing was so dispassionate, so resolutely matter-of-fact, that I quickly stopped caring.
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Subjects:  1. Afghanistan    2. Asia - Central    3. Description And Travel    4. Essays & Travelogues    5. History    6. History: World    7. Middle East - General    8. Middle East - History - 20th Century    9. Modern - 20th Century    10. Social life and customs    11. Stewart, Rory    12. Travel    13. Travel - General    14. Travel / Middle East / General   

Editorial Review

For more than a decade following the end of World War II, Eric Newbytoiled away in the British fashion industry, peddling some of the ugliestclothes on the planet. (Regarding one wafer-thin model in her runway best, hewas reminded of "those flagpoles they put up in the Mall when the Queen comeshome.") Fortunately, Newby reached the end his haute-couture tether in 1956. Atthat point, with the sort of sublime impulsiveness that's forbidden to fictionalcharacters but endemic to real ones, he decided to visit a remote corner ofAfghanistan, where no Englishman had planted his brogans for at least 50 years.What's more, he recorded his adventure in a classic narrative, Read more

Reviews (21)

A Wonderful, Humorous Description of Travel
Eric Newby does an excellent job in writing about his adventures, or misadventures in the Hindu Kush.He is witty in that British way that many Americans may not understand.However, due to the popularity of Britcoms in the United States, Americans should be able to appreciate Newby's not so subtle humor.
Kush comes to Shove
Despite the occasional clunky writing [and who knows maybe because of the rough edges] this book possess a compelling charm that makes it a fun read for the most part, although it does get a tad tedious at times. Frequently hilarious, often amazing, sometimes sad, it is a book well worth the read, even if it is now ancient history.

Very entertaining
I've read Edmund Hillary's latest book.And now, for something completely different, we have Eric Newby's, um, "short" walk in the Hindu Kush.Newby is not at all a champion mountain climber like Hillary.Quite the opposite.But that is part of what makes this book interesting and funny.It is a great travel story, and I recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Central    2. Description and travel    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. General    5. Hindu Kush Mountains    6. Hindu Kush Mountains (Afghanistan and Pakistan)    7. Newby, Eric    8. Travel    9. Travel - Foreign    10. Afghanistan    11. India    12. Travel writing    13. c 1945 to c 1960   

Reviews (1)

The only book on Afghanistan you ever need to buy.
The photographs say it all!After acknowledging the poverty that does exist they lay open the richness of spirit of people who have withstood the test of time and found their way.They have not been born-again.They were here at the beginning.What entrepreneural way of life could offer them anything, anything but the gift of being left alone.Look into their eyes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Afghanistan    2. Photo Essays    3. Photo Techniques    4. Photoessays & Documentaries    5. Photography    6. Photojournalism    7. Pictorial works    8. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/Middle East    9. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    10. Individual photographers    11. Photographs: collections    12. Photography / Travel    13. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000   

Reviews (13)

As good as dead . . .
This is the angriest book I've read about women in Islamic countries since Geraldine Brooks' "Nine Parts of Desire." Author Ann Jones, who has written before of violence against women, finds no reason to applaud the so-called liberation of women in post-Taliban Afghanistan, where traditional ultraconservative attitudes toward women (which she points out have no basis in Islam itself) continue to prevail. Considered property to be bought and sold, they have lives that often lead to child marriages, domestic violence, prison, murder, and suicide. A woman at odds with either her husband's or her father's family, the author argues, is as good as dead. She often holds accountable the often glamorized mujahadin, who fought the Soviets for a decade with arms from the West and then, after driving them out, went on to destroy much of what was left of the country with a long civil war.
Unravelling the Afghan Victory...
Okay, we never found the monster Osama Bin Laden, but look at what we did accomplish. We whupped the Taliban, chased down Al Qaeda, and broughtTruth, Justice and The American Way to the humble and grateful Afghanis.Oh, and we liberated the women folk too, while we were at it.People Magazine ran stories about women with nothing but one rat-tailed comb and a lot of grit opening up beauty salons. Men were free to fly kites, and everyone could listen to music and enjoy the harmless pastimes forbidden by their cruel opressors. With the U.S. running things, women could toss aside the burkhas and veils. Everyone was going to be free, equal and happy.After the pain and anger of the September 11th tragedy, we were back. Mission accomplished.So why is this Ann Jones stirring up trouble, looking around and telling us different. Why is she interviewing Afghani men and women? We already know they're better off now.Ms. Jones takes a deep look at what the overthrow of the Taliban means to the average Afghani, nd to the women in particular. What she sees is disquieting and discomfiting because it takes us beyond the spin.Her first-hand descriptions and conversations with Afghani women and men reveal not Kabul a la Disney, but one more Potemkin village.The rosy pictures of happy independent women heading to shops, offices or university classrooms are as phony as the doctored Iraqi photos of crowds straining to tear down Saddam's statue. "Men are first," is one of the first words we hear from an Afghani woman in the book's early pages. "Kabul in Winter" indicates that not much has changed except for the tune played in the American press. The destruction and the fighting continue...but now, America isn't paying much attention. After all, we already won. Who needs to hear about the Taliban regrouping? Or that women are slapped around by their husbands, their voices are suppressed, their actions monitored, just like in the bad old Taliban days. For those who want a dose of reality, Jones delivers. For those who want feel good infotainment, there's always Fox News and the talking heads who never get nearer to Afghanistan than a Pentagon press release.

Hard times in Afghanistan for women , educators and local citizens
This is an excellent book regarding the problems of the Afghan culture in regard to treatment and feelings about women and the conditions under which the educators must work.Ann Jones shows in detail some of the serious threats that the average Afghan deals with on a daily basis.The culture is imbedded with religious attitudes and will be a very, very long time changing or advancing.Democracy...a theory they dont understand as they have no frame of reference to compare with what they have now and in the past. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Afghanistan    2. Anthropology - Cultural    3. Archaeology / Anthropology    4. Asia - Central    5. Asia - Central Asia    6. Customs & Traditions    7. Description And Travel    8. History    9. History: World    10. Islamic Studies    11. Kabul (Afghanistan)    12. Social life and customs   

Reviews (16)

A classic of travel litterature that still raises enthusiasm
How did I come to read this book? It is a period that I am interested in Central Asia history and else, because I became aware that European culture has long ignored this part of the world. I was talking with my father who has an encyclopedic knowledge on almost every topic (sic!) and he asked me if I had read this book. After a long search we found it in his library in an italian translation and a Bruce Chatwin presentation. He had read it because interested in Islamic architecture and art. This breif introduction is to underline how this book is not only a great travel book in the line of those written by foreign travelers in the 1930's, but also an original, well-documented and researched book on islamic architecture of the medieval and modern period. Actually, the author who was an amatuer historian of the arts (read his other books on Mount Athos and Byzantine art) intended this book to be a first-hand report on islamic architecture that had not been seen and described as a whole in those times at least in european countries. The english had a "great game" vision of Central Asia that consisted essentially of folklore, customs, a little history and much adventure with the fiend represented by the russians. What Byron went looking for instead was the the expression of the concept of space that had taken place in the east. He identifies the subtle transitions from roman-greek architecture to the islamic revolution, that will be successivelly reimported to Europe years later in the Romanic period. He is particularly fascinated by the arch and the dome and their evolution, and he is probably the first to identify the "iwan" as an architectural feature. As to tiles, that are the other main feature of islamic decoration, he captures the hues of the blues and turquoises, yellows and browns and the way they respond to light and mesmerizes the reader with their description.
Great writing, great landscape, great characters - read it!
This wonderful account by Robert Byron of his travels through Persia and Afghanistan is spare when it should be spare: "Lifar came to dinner. Bertie mentioned that all whales have syphilis" (a complete paragraph from page 19) and effusive when it should be effusive: "Here the green resolved, not into ordinary grass, but into wild corn, barley, and oats, which accounted for that vivid fire, as of a life within the green. And among these myriad bearded alleys lived a population of flowers, buttercup and poppies, pale purple irises and dark purple campanulas, and countless others..." (from a paragraph on page 200). Never mind the country he was traveling through, I just love his prose. They are never trite, never clich�. It's almost as if when a hackneyed phrase would have done, he sought hard for something bright, fresh, new.
Interesting View of an Area Now in the Spotlight
In the 1930's this part of the world was far, far away from Britain and the United States. Recent events have placed these countries and people in the forefront. In some ways, Byron's experiences are not much different than those of today. Some of his observations seem quite prescient, but really just help give us a clear picture of an area that has seen a lot of history, and is the stage for more of the same today.
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Subjects:  1. Afghanistan    2. Byron, Robert,    3. Description And Travel    4. Education    5. General    6. History - General    7. Iran    8. Middle East    9. Middle East - General    10. Travel    11. Travel - United States    12. United States - General    13. Byron, Robert    14. Literature/English | British Literature | 20th C    15. Travel / Middle East / General    16. Travel writing   

Reviews (6)

Fantastic read...
The most striking thing about this book isn't the age of the author, or even his unique perspective, returning to Afghanistan after September 11, having been raised in California. The most striking thing about this book is that, by the time you have finished reading it, you will care very deeply about what has happened, and IS happening, in Afghanistan. At times very touching and sad, and at other times very funny, this is a very moving, emotionally-charged and honest book.

Present at the Creation!

Best recent book on what's going on in Afghanistan I've found
Comback to Afghanistan, by Hydar Akbar is unique
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Subjects:  1. 2001-    2. Afghanistan    3. Asia - Central    4. Asia - General    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Description and travel    9. General    10. History    11. History - General History    12. Politics and government    13. Travelers    14. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (5)

An Excellent Guidebook, Now in an Updated Version
The new (2005)edition of this guide brings the story up to 2004 and contains ample documentation regarding the struggling new democracy of Afghanistan.The writing is rich in colorful, touching, scary, revealing details that tend to get filtered out of official and semi-official reports.I found the discussions of deforestation, landmines, and security particularly helpful.Written from a European perspective, the book provides many useful suggestions for travel in Afghanistan that usefully complement advice from American sources.

Best book on Afghanistan
This is an excellent guide to Afghanistan. Both for the expert and the newcomer. Given the current security situation in Afghanistan, I would recommend the Essential Field Guide as a must to all US and Coalition soldiers and peacekeepers. It could save their lives and US policy. Afghanistan fieldguide tells the full story
Crosslines Essential Field Guide to Afghanistan tells the full story about Afghanistan in a way I can't find in any other book. Whether it's politics, culture or humanitarian information you're after - it's all in there. I never realised how big those Buddhas were that the Taliban blew up until I saw a picture in this book! If you want to understand more about the country at the centre of world news, this is the book to buy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. History: World    4. Middle East - General    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Sociology - General    7. Afghanistan    8. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    9. Sociology, Social Studies    10. Travel & holiday guides    11. Travel / Middle East / General   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (2)

long on archaeology and art history,
short on good anecdotes and local color.and a rather dry style to boot.I love good travel writing and could not finish this book.

To A Lost World-- With Chatwin, Too
Peter Levi is himself a remarkable figure: An English Jesuit who is a poet, art historian, classicist,and sometime archaeologist. "Light Garden of the Angel King" is Levi's account of his travels in Afghanistan in the late 1960s as he looked for remnants of Greek presence and examined the influences of Hellenistic art, and it's a wonderfully crafted piece. Spare, elegant, softly ironic, and informed by a sensitive intelligence and a deep knowledge of the classical world. Levi is able to evoke not only the age of Alexander's Bactrian conquests but the beauties and complexities of Islamic architecture and poetry and the travails of learning Persian. His travel companion here was the young Bruce Chatwin, and Chatwin's presence (and his fascination with nomads) gives this book a wonderful set of stories. The Afghanistan of the book is long gone, shattered by twenty years of invasion, resistance, and civil war, and for anyone who loves Central Asia, "Light Garden" is a reminder of a long-vanished world. It's very different from Newby's "Short Walk in the Hindu Kush" or Byron's classic "Road to Oxiana", but it is a brilliant travel book in its own right. Very much worth owning! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Central    2. Asia - General    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. AFGHANISTAN_DESCRIPTION AND TRAVEL    7. ASIA    8. Afghanistan    9. Travel / Asia / Southwest    10. Travel writing   

Reviews (58)

Well-told story of arrest and rescue in Afghanistan
Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry were Christian humanitarian aide workers in Kabul, Afghanistan, who had been arrested by the Taliban shortly before September 11th for proselytizing the Christian faith.Their 105-day detainment captured the attention of this nation as well as the attention of the world.This is the story of their arrest, imprisonment, and rescue (with assistance from freelance writer Stacy Mattingly).
Arrogant and selfish
Read this book and see Christian zealotry at its worst.Let's see, we have two amazingly naive girls who want to help the needy and change the world.Hey, that's good.Hummm, well, there just are not enough needy folks here in the US, so let's be world travelers!Yeah, that's the ticket!More, let's go where it is illegal to preach our religion! Yes, let's live dangerously! More still, let's endanger folks who are so poor they consider clean water a gift and let's preach our illegal stuff to them. These two nitwits are shameful, silly, and - make no mistake - dangerous.Their selfish acts endangered innocent people - poor, destitute people.Sadly, when one considers that they were treated as "heroes" upon their rescue (which endangered military personnel), we are in bad shape and things are getting worse.Thank God that we are not a theocracy ............... yet.
More Than Just A Thriller
This is a terrific book on several levels.First, just the love that these two women have for the people of Afghanastan and the picture they paint of life under the Taliban is interesting in and of itself.In places it reads like a thriller, especially when they are arrested and their daring rescue.Finally, just the incredible faith that these women exhibited under such trying circumstances is an inspiration to me.Not that they are perfect, and they are the first to admit they struggled at times in those dark hours in prison, even bickering among themselves at times.But in the end, their deep faith prevailed and a miracle occurred. I felt like I was with them before, during and after their imprisonment, and that is a tribute to the great writing of this book.And, by the way, much of the negatives reviews I've read here sound a lot more like anti-Christian bigotry then thoughtful criticisms.Ignore them, and buy this inspirational, wonderful book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Afghanistan    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Christian biography    5. Curry, Dayna    6. Mercer, Heather    7. Political Science    8. Political prisoners    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Reference    11. Religious    12. Travelers    13. Women    14. Current Events / General   

Reviews (17)

Considers its pivotal role in world politics
Pakistan is both a terrorist haven, a den of corruption, and the probable battlefront of Islamic terrorists. This report considers its pivotal role in world politics, blending a history of the country through two decades of eyewitness reporting with portraits of its leaders. Pakistan In The Shadow Of Jihad And Afghanistan is an excellent source for any seeking an understanding of the history and politics of modern Pakistan.

Wonderful Introduction based on experience
Much has been written about Pakistan since September 11th.But as Ms. Weaver points out in her wonderful book about the only Islamic Republic in the world, much harm could have been avoided if only we were more aware of this country and its problems BEFORE the terrorist attacks.Weaver's experiences as a journalist in this country form the basis and the strength of this book.Having covered this country for two decades, she provides a depth of experience in tracing the recent social and political ills of this nation.Her basic thesis is simple and seems chillingly accurate given current events.She convincingly states the case that U.S. foreign policy set up the country for much of its woes by at first supporting Islamic violent jihad in Afghanistan in the 80's, then abandoning the country completely after the Soviets withdrew and the Cold War ended.While it would be unfair not to assign some responsibility for their current predicament on the Pakistanis themselves, especially their failure to achieve economic growth and political stability, Ms. Weaver's writings on how the situation in Afghanistan destabilized Pakistan to the point where it is now practically as ungovernable as its neighbor is well taken. up close and personal
Up close and personal -- terrific intro to the country. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Current Affairs    2. Description And Travel    3. International Relations - Diplomacy    4. Political    5. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    6. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. South Asia - History   

Reviews (47)

A different kind of travel book all together.
I've been recommending this book to the readers I know ever since I read it for two primary reasons.
Vivid, articulate, intensely felt . . .
This book is a gem. The author's prose style is elegantly suited to his subject matter, capturing the wonderful complexities and nuances of Afghanistan's breathtaking physical terrain and its people, whether in urban Kabul, its remote regional centers, or its far-flung mountain villages, and all in the aftermath of the disastrous Russian occupation. Meanwhile, it is the 1990s, and civil warfare continues as the Kabul government resists the increasing military pressure from Taliban forces.
A masterpiece
A must have. If you have any interest in faraway places get this book. If you want to be absorbed in a story get this book. If you want to get and understanding of why Afghanistan is the way it is today get this book. If you want to read one of the best travelogues ever written get this book. If you want to learn and dig deeper get this book. It is beautifully written, full of facts, full of personal adventures and very very humane. Jason Elliot has contributed a great deal to travel writing; it is amazing that this is his first book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Afghanistan    2. Asia - Central    3. Description    4. Description and travel    5. Elliot, Jason    6. Essays & Travelogues    7. Travel    8. Travel - General   

Reviews (16)

Very readable
I found the book The Sewing Circles of Herat to be historically very informative.The book showed a map at the beginning which it was helpful to keep referring to in order to keep in mind where the towns were located.There were also alot of photographs in the book which gave a good impression of how people looked.I really understood the change that all the unrest in Afghanistan had wrought on both the people and the country.I enjoyed the book very much.

Don't be misled by the title . . .
Not knowing Christina Lamb's reputation as an award-winning, hardcore journalist, I started this book expecting it to explore the domestic arts and social conditions of women in this regional center of Afghanistan. Wrong. Couldn't be more wrong. This is a hard-hitting look at the combined political, military, and religious forces that over the last three decades have shattered this country.
Truthful, objective perspective for a people misunderstood
Though this book was at times hard to follow (mostly dates of trips, return trips, interviews and return intervies) it was an excellent read.Difficult to put down, journalist Christina Lamb compels the reader forward with a prose that rivals many novels.A non-american perspective also helps portray a realistic and empathetic look at past and current Afghanistan issues while adding some historical data I find useful in following the situation today.I highly recommend. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Afghanistan    2. Asia - General    3. Asia - History +    4. Current Affairs    5. Description and travel    6. General    7. History - General History    8. Lamb, Christina    9. Middle East - General    10. Political    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Travel    13. Voyages And Travels    14. War and society    15. Women's Studies - General   

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - General    2. Individual Photographer    3. Photo Essays    4. Photoessays & Documentaries    5. Photography    6. Portraits    7. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/Middle East    8. Taliban    9. Afghanistan    10. Photographs: portraits    11. Photography / General   

Reviews (12)

A glimpse into two horrific lives
I read a negative review on here, that I was unhappy to see. This book focuses on "Salima" and "Hala" two Afghani sisters, both opressed by different wars and regimes at different times in Afghanistan. They are 16 years apart. Reading that Salima had a "pampered life" in one of the reviews was quite disturbing to me. Considering that she fought for women's rights underground in a country that supressed them, that she was house bound and beat by an abusive father, Locked into her room and then threatened with guns by her brother, I would hardly call this a "pampered life". She continued to risk for the women she served. Later the book focuses on her horribly physical abusive relationship with her husband. This is also part of the culture, where it is considered "okay" to beat a woman. Her heroism and story was amazing.
psychologically astute and culturally enlightening
I disagree with the last reviewer. I feel that when I read BEHIND THE BURQA, I got an amazing glimpse into Afghan culture. The story went well beyond the individual circumstances of the two sisters but encompassed an entire timeline of Afghan history since the 1950s and also a great deal about Afghan society, practices, customs and beliefs. Hala's story was even more shocking because she was oppressed in our own country! I am sad that the last reviewer didn't understand the true meaning of the book, and its real message. I highly recommend this book as both a great read (lots of others have said this and I totally agree) and as an important educational experience.

I can't understand how this book got such excellent ratings
I can't understand how this book got such excellent ratings as presented under the guise of Taliban oppression. The older sister, Sulima, was extremely pampered and spoiled by her bizarre father. She seems to have lacked for anything she wanted. Her story is really one about becoming an abused wife. Her unhappy story doesn't relate to her culture as much as her particular circumstances. Abuse of this sort is present within every culture. It is a story about misery, just as all abuse stories are. Her sister, Hala, younger by 20 years has relayed a bit more interesting story, but it takes up less than one third of the book. She touches on the upheavals that led to the ultimate Taliban rule as seen from her exceedingly narrow point of view. Neither of the sisters seems very politically astute. Apparently they lack the erudition to give them a real worldview. Needless to say I was disappointed since I was looking for a book on Afghani culture from a more objective viewpoint. The only thing I gave it stars for is Hala's story of her experiences in detention centers after coming into the US under asylum. After 9/11 we need to be careful about who we let into our country, but I was surprised that detainees were treated like prisoners. After reading "Mayada, Daughter of Iraq", I am sorry to say that Hala's experiences as a prisoner in the US are almost laughable ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Afghanistan    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Hala    7. Historical - General    8. Personal Memoirs    9. Social conditions    10. Social life and customs    11. Sulima    12. Travelers    13. Women    14. Biography & Autobiography / Historical    15. Biography: general    16. True stories of endurance & survival    17. USA   

Subjects:  1. History / Asia    2. Moh Mohana,Liala,Lala,Lal,munshi,Travels,Panjab,Afghanist Turkist Balk,Bokhara,Herat,Visit,Great Britain,Germany,Asia,description   

Reviews (4)

Sprawling, badly written, but wonderful as well
The Gem Hunter concerns gemologist Gary Bowersox's personal journey from self-absorbed businessman to advocate for gems as a tool for betterment of depauperate third-world economies. The prologue starts with his interrogation by a group of grim-faced men who never smile and never even think to offer him a drink of water. Who are they - Taliban, or Afghan secret police? No, they're U.S. Government intelligence agents, anxious to glean his expertise about Afghanistan in the aftermath of 9/11/2001. What follows is a personal account of Bowersox's personal journey from selfish businessman to world-traveler -- adventurer and ambassador for empowerment of third-world economies -- specifically, Afghanistan's war-ravaged economy. He accomplishes this by awakening them to the value of their native gemstone reserves.
"Gem Hunter" is an Insider's view of Afghanistan
The Gem Hunter is a boots-on-the-ground, first hand account of Bowersox's 30+ years of travel to Afghanistan to buy rubies, sapphires, emeralds and lapis puts into perspective the unfolding story of the struggles, hopes & dreams of the Afghan people. Bowersox, who was friends with Massoud the head of the Northern Alliance who was killed at the hand of Bin Laden directed assassins two days before 911, tells about the involvement of the Russians, the Taliban, Al Qaeda and the Pakistani government's role in the affairs of the country. Although perhaps self serving, Bowersox says the best way to help everyday Afghan people is to buy gems from their country, one of their only legal exports with opium being number one illegal export.
This I Know
It is unbecoming of Gary to include so much about his love life, so to speak, in a book about gemstones and travel in Afghanistan.
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Subjects:  1. Essays & Travelogues    2. Gems    3. Middle East - General    4. Reference - General    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel Guides   

Reviews (6)

A great read
The value of this book is the simple albeit not so scholarly observations of the author.Reading it one feels like someone encountering with both curiosity and a bit of fear, new territory.Sure the historical or even common sense elements may be missing here and there, but it's the westerner sharing from western eyes, two world views that proves invaluable.Few authors who serve in third world areas like Pakistan and Afghanistan, ever write about the dizziness of returning to the United States where even the poor live in splendor compared to third world people.And I appreciate the authors reminder to me a woman from the United States, that I am spoiled and really have no idea what true oppression is all about.And as a side note I appreciate the authors love of animals in need.

engaging and courageous
I read most of this book on a long flight from Delhi to Los Angeles. I was inspired to buy the book by a favorable review in an Indian newspaper... For me, the greatest value of the book is the personal story of what it takes to bring us "the story" from conflict-ridden parts of the world, particularly Afghanistan in this case, but also Pakistan and to a lesser extent, Sri Lanka. Anyone aspiring to be a foreign correspondent should read this book... However, it must be admitted that Ms. Constable does not have a real sense of history. Her history on Kashmir and even the lead-up to the Taliban regime is full of gaps, as is the history of the Sri Lanka conflict. Noone should read this book alone and think they understand why Kashmir is what it is, who the Taliban were and how they came to power, and what is the diversity of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka or the long history of that conflict since colonization. Ms. Constable should not be faulted for this, she admits herself that this is more a personal document than history... As a personal document, and as a person, Fragments of Grace and Ms. Constable are worthy of admiration. What courage, what honesty, what compassion, what literature - her book was written not for personal profit, only somewhat for public enlightenment, it was written most of all out of a personal search for meaning, and on these terms it excels. One can only admire what it takes for journalists to give us the story we read with our daily cup of coffee, far far away from the conflicts we follow and can hardly fathom.

Astonishing, remarkable, unforgettable
This is an extremely important piece of literature.It is relevant and a must-read for any American who values her/his freedom.