Afghanistan: An Empire of Blood and Ash
Afghanistan: An Empire of Blood and Ash is an entertaining account of the author’s visit to war-ravaged Kabul and Panjsher Valley exactly a year after 9/11. Diligently researched, the book has a sense of history and politics, fun and adventure. The author spins engrossing yarns as he searches for the drinking throne of Emperor Jahangir; tramps through graveyards to visit the Muslim power places; mingles in markets, mosques and homes with characters from all walks of life; witnesses the barbarism and cultural suicide at Darulaman; and unmasks the myth of Afghan invincibility. Accompanied by Speed, a guerrilla fighter who claims to have killed over 500 Russians and Taliban, and the official photographer of Great Masood, the assassinated leader of the Northern Alliance, he rattles through the land-mine lined road in the torched Shamali Plains to Panjsher Valley. The captivating beauty of the region; the romantic life of nomads who “are not inconvenienced by the frequent changes in the country’s rulers – as long as they all eat meat”; the quixotic capture of a Russian tank – are all told in a chatty, punchy style. In spite of the palpable atmosphere of fear and despair in a combustible region, there is enough humour and splendour in the book to energise the reader to visit this ancient land. Thirty-three photographs supplement the text.
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