News and Views

New Books on Afghanistan

 

A number of recent books on Afghanistan have been published recent months, exploring politics, history, religion and culture.

The Quest for the All-Seeing Eye

by Vernita D. Khosti

During finals week at the University of Cincinnati in 1949, History professor Adam Shaw is astonished to receive a telegram from his old friend, the Dalai Lama, imploring him to visit him in Tibet. Adam immediately feels a rush of curiosity and intrigue-something he hasn't experienced in a long time. When Adam arrives in Tibet, he soon realizes that this is no social call. The Dalai Lama wants him to retrieve the All-Seeing Eye, an artifact that has the power to create a great force of energy for those who possess, protect, and care for it. His Holiness fears the invasion of Tibet by Communist China and knows that possessing the Eye will help save his country and the very foundation of Buddhism. Adam and Tim embark on a quest to find the Eye-one that will take father and son on a journey of renewal in both their own lives and in their relationship with each other. Their search brings them to Afghanistan, where it is rumored that a group of monks has protected the Eye for centuries.

Building State and Security in Afghanistan

Edited by Wolfgang Danspeckgruber, with Robert Finn, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan

“Building State and Security” in Afghanistan is the second volume of the study series composed by the Lichtenstein Institute on Self Determination at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. The book includes a foreword by President Hamid Karzai and a preface by H.S.H. Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein.  Content is based on work prepared for various meetings of the Liechtenstein Colloquium on European and International Affairs, a private diplomacy forum sponsored by LISD. The book examines past, present and future policies to stabilize Afghanistan and provides a series of recommendations on the way forward. Contributors include:

WOLFGANG DANSPECKGRUBER, ROBERT P. FINN, SARAH LISTER, WILLIAM

RANI D. MULLEN, ANDREW REYNOLDS, AMIN SAIKAL, SUSANNE SCHMEIDL, ECKART SCHIEWEK,

ANNA SELENY, BARBARA J. STAPLETON, J ALEXANDER THIER, MARVIN G. WEINBAUM, ANDREW WILDER

Journey Among Nations

by Michael Cohen

“Journey Among Nations” details the epic story of a family who left their homeland in Afghanistan to immigrate to Israel and then to the United States. It is a story lovingly related about tradition and sacred ceremonies, the values that hold a family together, and the events of war that forever altered their lives.

The memoir details the lives of Afghanistan’s Jewish community and the culture shock that they experienced upon leaving their homeland.

The engaging memoir is a chronicle of Afghan history, as well as a personal firsthand account of a family’s trials and joys through the tumultuous decades of the 20th century.

Lonely Planet: Afghanistan

Afghanistan was once well known on the backpacking circuit as the place to stop for unparalleled hospitality, fantastic food, and great hiking. In the intervening decades of violence, Afghanistan saw few tourists. However, since 2001, Afghanistan’s tourist industry has been rejuvenated, facilitated by paved roads, new hostels, adventure travel companies, and the lure of untouched natural beauty. The popular travel company Lonely Planet recently pubished its first guide to Afghanistan, one of the very few currently on the market. It includes numerous maps and important information for travelers, as well as helpful commentaries on Afghan history and culture. If you are tempted to see Afghanistan for yourself, Lonely Planet will help you travel to Afghanistan’s legendary sights, such as Band-e-amir, the Minaret of Jam, the Panjshir Valley and beyond.

Afghanistan Alive

The new year will see the publication of "Afghanistan Alive," a new national magazine concentrating on Afghanistan's unique identity and history. It will publish stories on the Afghanistan that exists behind the headlines, will be free and will be printed in Dari, Pashto and English. It will be distributed in the major cities of Afghanistan and will include contributions of readers who wish to share their "good news" about Afghanistan reconstruction.