Silk Road Books & Photos

Afghanistan Travel Literature (Page 6 of 8)

Peregrine Hodson

Hodson was a rare commodity amongst the travel writers of this period, a graduate in Persian, who could debate with the Mujahedin on religious topics. Hodson meets a commander who asks him his age and whether he is married. Both the commander and Hodson are thirty, but the Commander is confused as to how Hodson manages to survive without a woman in his life.

51

Hodson, Peregrine

Under a Sickle Moon

Travelogue with the Mujahideen in war torn Soviet Occupied Afghanistan. The author is a Persian Graduate and Barrister who has a good appreciation of Islamic culture and religion and holds his own in debates with the Mujahideen as they try to convince him of the merits of becoming Muslim. 1986 hardback first edition.

£25

52

Lessing, Doris

The Wind Blows away our Words

1987 Paperback 172 pages Picador.

£10

53

Loseby Richard

Blue is the colour of Heaven a journey into Afghanistan

Paperback account of journey through Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan during the Soviet Occupation. The author was inspired to travel to Afghanistan by encounters with Afghan camel drivers in Australia as a child. Loseby travels to Herat from Iran. 2004 Indian edition.

£16

54

Martin Mike

Afghanistan inside a rebel stronghold

First UK edition 1984 in hardback with dust wrapper. The author travelled into Afghanistan under Soviet occupation in 1984 with the Hisb e Islami party. During his visit Massoud’s jamiat Islami signed a temporary peace agreement with the Afghan Govt and Soviet forces and used this to consolidate power in the Panjshir and then attack Hisb e Islami. The author witnessed Panjshiri Mujahedin walking through Soviet Check points unmolested during this ceasefire.

£15

55

Nasir, B.K.Zahrah/Pam Morris

The Gun Tree One Woman’s War

Oxford Univ Press Pakistan Mint paperback third edition account of the then Pam Morris' account of travel to war torn Afghanistan in 1983 with the Mujahideen. Morris later converts to Islam and changes her name.

£20

56

Palmer, Louis

Adventures in Afghanistan

The author travels with a group of Sufis in Soviet occupied Afghanistan during the late 1980s. At one point he is in a Mujahedin convoy disguised as a Russian Officer, some POWs on a forced march see him and shout insults, the author witnesses the Guards accompany the POWs execute them for daring to insult a Russian officer. There is a lot about Sufism in this book and the author meets a Sufi who transfers his power to cure people to the author.

£25

57

Ryan, Nigel

A hitch or two in Afghanistan

Hardback in mint dust wrapper first UK edition, account of travel through Nuristan and onto the Panjshir valley with the Veteran TV journalist Sandy Gall in 1982.

£25

58

Schulthesis Rob

Night Letters Inside Wartime Afghanistan

155 pages hardback in dust wrapper first edition. Details the night of Allahu Akbar in Kabul in 1980 as the whole city proclaimed their outrage against the soviet invasion by shouting Allah O Akbar. Schulthesis provides a gripping account of what life is like in war torn Afghanistan.

£20

59

Shah Saira

Story Teller’s Daughter

Hardback

60

Sikorski Radek

Dust of the Saints

Hardback in dust wrapper, account of travel to Herat during the Soviet occupation. Sikorski is presently the Polish Foreign Minister.

£20