A Land Without Time: A Peace Corps Volunteer in Afghanistan

by John Sumser

Since 9/II, the American appetite for information on Afghanistan has surged. The bulk of this information has come from the media, Afghan Scholars or from the Afghans themselves. For the first time, the story of Afghanistan prior to, and during, the communist coup of 1979 is told from the perspective of an American working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Afghanistan. The story begins with Peace Corps recruitment and training in the United States, then...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0897335430
• ISBN13: 9780897335430
• Release Date: June 2006
• Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers
• Length: 205 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.7" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Compelling reading

As do so many of the best books, this book takes the reader back to a different time and place and way of life, with amusing and thoughtful insights. First book I've ever read about personal Peace Corps experiences, with a rich historical perspective. It was compelling and fascinating, and especially interesting to read about the Bamiyan Buddhas before their destruction.

A memoir is a very personal thing!

I was also a Peace Corps volunteer in Afghanistan at the same time as the author. I was part of the "other" group that trained in country rather than Vermont. I share the author's thoughts with respect to the fact that the Afghanistan we knew is gone and, sadly, remembered by too few.I have a bit of a quibble about some of the names of the volunteers he mentions, but I don't claim perfect memory myself! My own experiences were quite different in that most of my social life was with Afghans, not embassy or USAID folks. Perhaps this was easier because I was an American woman who could interact with Afghan men as well as women. I also lived in Kabul during my years of service and had only limited experience with provincial life. The author mentions Marty, a Peace Corps staff member, who was like an older brother to me for a time (now deceased) as well as Melissa who continues to be a dear and valued friend. It was good to see that they loom large in his memory too. Although our memories differ in many ways, I am so glad that this book reminds the world that there was once a very different and special place called Afghanistan. Thank you, John!

A 'must' for any who would understand Afghanistan culture

Here's a first: the story of Afghanistan prior to and during the communist coup of 1979, told by an American who worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Afghanistan. Only a handful of foreigners lived in the country at the time: A LAND WITHOUT TIME: A PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER IN AFGHANISTAN starts in the US with peace corps training and recruitment then follows a group of young men and women to the country, where they adopt to its needs and ways. A 'must' for any who would understand Afghanistan culture and history and the peace corps perspective. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Thoughtful and funny

I enjoyed this book immensely! It was at times hilarious and other times thought provoking. I know a Peace Corps volunteer can't stay forever in this country but I was kind of sorry to reach the end of the road. This is a must read for anyone who thinks they already know Afghanistan.