Afghanistan: A Companion and Guide

Description

Thanks to 20 years of civil war and its association with terrorism, Afghanistan is now unjustly considered by many in the West as a barbarous backwater. Afghanistan: A Companion and 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 1500 BC, each wonderfully illustrated chapter looks at the major regions and cities, describing their distinctive cultural and ethnic traditions, their associations with poets, artists, travellers and holy men, as well as warriors and conquerors. A number of specialist essays by leading experts further present topics such as archaeology, architecture, carpets, miniature painting, food, music, flora and fauna. Experienced Afghan traveller Matthew Leeming contributes detailed information for those who intend to visit the country, with guides to specific cities and areas, as well as more general travel advice. This lavish publication reveals an immense treasury of cultural, historical and natural wealth too frequently forgotten that is Afghanistan.

Bijan Omrani attended Lincoln College, Oxford. His first book, Ticking Tom and the Tornado, was published when he was 10 years old, which he followed with contributions to The Spectator as an undergraduate. His research interests include Euripides, mysticism, Henry Purcell and the history of the Afghan-Pakistan frontier. He is the author and editor of various works on Central Asia including Asia Overland: Tales of Travel on the Trans-Siberian and Silk Road (Odyssey Books & Guides), and also a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society and the Royal Geographical Society. He teaches Classics at Westminister School. Matthew Leeming was educated at Trinity College, Oxford. He first visited Afghanistan in 1993 to help restart the traditional tile-making industry, after which he became an extensive traveller throughout the country, writing on Afghanistan for the Times (London), Sunday Telegraph, Spectator, and the Literary Review. He is now based in Kabul. Elizabeth Chatwin grew up in the United States. She attended Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Elizabeth Chatwin now lives in Oxfordshire, England and raises Black Welsh Mountain Sheep. She travels often to India, Mongolia, and other destinations.

"If travel books came with warnings, [this one] would read 'Caution, may inspire actual voyage.'" - Time "...It might seem madness to publish a guide of nearly 800 pages to a country that is still on the Foreign Office 'blacklist', but this one, strong on history and sumptuously produced, can be enjoyed even by adventurers who never leave their armchair..." - Daily Telegraph (UK) "...I used the Afghan guide across the country and thought it was fabulous. Odyssey has invented a wonderful new format for guidebooks that deserves to change the genre forever..." - William Dalrymple "Thorough and beautifully illustrated, this book is a comprehensive - and fun - window into Afghan history, culture, and traditions. A must-have for travel readers and a gripping read for anyone with even a passing interest in Afghanistan." - Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner"