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| Afghanistan: A Companion and Guide | 
 enlarge | Authors: Bijan Omrani, Matthew Leeming
Publisher: Odyssey
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $18.70
You Save: $11.25 (38%)
Buy New/Used from $18.70
Avg. Customer Rating:  (6 reviews)
Sales Rank: 38652
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 768
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.4
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 6 x 1.7
ISBN: 9622177468
Dewey Decimal Number: 958.1
EAN: 9789622177468
ASIN: 9622177468
Publication Date: June 30, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Thanks to 20 years of civil war and its association with terrorism, Afghanistan is often unjustly thought of in the West as a barbarous backwater. This guide dispels that image in a comprehensive introduction to 3,500 years of Afghan culture. Starting with a full history of the country from 1500 BC, each chapter looks at the major cities and regions, describing their distinctive cultural and ethnic traditions, and their associations with poets, artists, musicians, travelers, and holy men, as well as warriors and conquerors. Ancient and modern sources from Afghanistan are extensively quoted, as well as the thoughts, musings, and experiences of writers from America, Europe, Russia, China, India, and the Middle East. Wonderfully illustrated, this book also features engravings, paintings, and images of priceless museum artifacts. A number of specialist essays by leading experts present topics such as archeology, architecture, carpets, flora and fauna, miniature painting, and music.
This new edition contains the latest travel updates from the ground, a new special topic on Kabul's Bala Hissar?one of the world's greatest but least well-known Mughal forts?and a new essay on Afghanistan's search for unity, providing the full historical background for the political struggle which Afghanistan is now facing. 307 color photos, 19 maps & plans.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
Excellent April 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am currently deployed to Kabul and after reading and reviewing many guides and books this is the best guide and historic account I have found. Another great book is Taliban by Rashid.
See Afghanistan without leaving your livingroom March 28, 2008
When I picked up this book, I was prepared for a dense, AAA/Lonely Planet-style guidebook (filled with useful information, but not meant to be read from cover to cover). Instead I was surprised to find a very readable and richly informative book on the history and sites in Afghanistan.
Rather than writing a summarized narrative of the history of a particular city, castle, or mosque, the authors use numerous first person accounts from travelers from throughout Afghanistan's history from Alexander's historians to British explorers in the 20th century. These first hand accounts are fascinating. He also includes poems and folk tales translated from historical documents and local interviews. The combined effect of all of these first-hand accounts is a feeling of intimate familiarity with each region described.
The book opens with the history of Afghanistan and is very detailed for being so concise. The rest of the book is broken down into regions. Some regions, notable Kandahar, are left out due to the fact that security was still to dangerous at the time of writing (2006) for the authors to visit. The northeast area of Badakshan opens the account and it is hard not to want to visit this mountainous area after having read the tales. It works its way around the country counterclockwise hitting the areas around Mazar-e-Sharif, Heart, Bamiyan, Ganzi and Kabul to name a few.
Even if you never go to Afghanistan this book could define the concept of the armchair traveler.
 Afghanistan:A Companion and Guide October 27, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is something betweeen a Planet Earth travel book and an historical compendium of facts and figures. It is quite useful and interesting but some of the material will be outdated rather quickly so a Planet Earth guide, it is not. I like it and am glad I purchased it.
afghan guide March 27, 2007
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
A comprehensive guide to everything about Afghanistan from carpets to stupas. Its excellent photographs and abundant maps leave the reader with a desire to visit this fascinating country. The book is heavy to hold but difficult to put down. A must for all travelers (armchair or footworn) of distant horizons.
The unknown Afghanistan January 12, 2007
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
This hefty tome oozes quality. From its 768! pages printed on very fine paper to the wonderful photographs to the heavy duty binding. The authors convey a deep love for this intriguing country so often only heard of in terms of war and violence. This is also a most comprehensive history of Afghanistan. Its blue lapis lazuli was used as ornament on The Mask of Tutankhamun. Coins of the Graeco-Bactrion kingdoms of Afghanistan reveal life in the lost "Atlantis of the East". As a travelling guide you get "down to earth" advice: "Driving in Kabul is a contact sport. (An airline)... fly, when they feel like it. "The Worst Hotel in the World." etc. Some places are presently out of reach for the ordinary traveller due to war - again. For the Afghans, I sincerely hope peace will prevail. They are proud and tough people despite, or maybe because of, their many hardships. This book tenfold improved my understanding of their beautiful and complex country. Possibly you would bring the several pounds of guide book along in your rucksack? Probably not. On the final page, as in many places in this "tour de force", there is a fine underlying humour: "Published to appeal to the armchair traveller". I'll be travelling often with this good companion.
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