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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: $18.78
You Save: $11.17 (37%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (8 reviews)
Sales Rank: 77680
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 768
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.1
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 6.1 x 1.8
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 now unjustly thought of in the West as a barbarous backwater. Afghanistan: A Traveler's Companion & Guide aims to dispel this image in a comprehensive introduction to 3,500 years of Afghan culture. Starting with a full history of the country from 1500BC, each chapter looks at the major cities and regions, describing their distinctive cultural and ethnic traditions, 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, including such luminaries as Wilfred Thesiger and Bruce Chatwin. Experienced Afghan traveler Matthew Leeming contributes detailed information for those who intend to visit the country as tourists, with guides to specific cities and areas, as well as more general advice. A number of short specialist appendices by leading experts further illustrate matters such as archaeology, architecture, carpets, miniature painting, calligraphy, music, flora and fauna. Wonderfully illustrated with superb images from world-renowned photographers such as Michael Yamashita and Roland and Sabrina Michaud. Also includes engravings, etchings, paintings and priceless museum artifacts. This lavish guide reveals the immense treasury of cultural, historical and natural wealth-too frequently forgotten-that is Afghanistan. - Written by authors with both academic and first-hand knowledge of the country
- Essential reading for anyone with an interest in Afghanistan's history
- Includes stunning contemporary photography from world-renowned photographers such as Michael Yamashita and Roland and Sabrina Michaud
- Rare archive material includes black-and-white photography by Wilfred Thesiger
- Literary excerpts from Herodotus to Robert Lowell, Robert Byron, Peter Levi and Bruce Chatwin
- The most comprehensive coverage, from Alexander the Great to the new constitution
- 110 stunning color photos
- 512 pages of invaluable information on Afghanistan
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
Invaluable Deployment Companion October 8, 2008
This is not your typical guide book. "Go here, stay here, visit this museum, etc...". This is a comprehensive field guide with detailed information on every aspect of culture, traditions and history of the people and land of Afghanistan. The book is a daunting 768 pages, but it is very managable. It is broken down regionally with emphasis on ethnicity. This is especially valuable when trying to understand the intracacies of modern Afghanistan, i.e. Dealing with a Hazara is differnt from dealing with a Pashtun as they have different cultural backgrounds. This book has helped me survive two deployments to Afghanistan. It has also helped me to appreciate and respect the people and land, so that I fully understand the importance of saving this beutiful land and vibrant culture from descending back into the darkness of taliban rule.
"A river is not contaminated by having a dog drink from it." Afghan proverb
 Great Book! October 5, 2008
This is a great informative book about the history and culture of Afghanistan. Lots of nice photos too! It's compact and they fit a lot of info into this fairly compact book. Also has some travel advice for tourists. Paperback.
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
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
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