Winter in Kandahar

by Steven E. Wilson

Book Overview

Afghanistan- the name conjures images of rugged mountains, ancient cities, hardened Mujaheddin, a country rife with regional rivalries, and the eternal struggle between Tajik and Pashtun. Afghanistan... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0972948007
• ISBN13: 9780972948005
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: H-G Books
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

SURPRISINGLY, MY FAVORITE AFGHANI ADVENTURE NOVEL!

I loved this book and the page-turning intrigue and depth, especially because of the style of the author and the interweaving of the story into current day events. I just read The Kite Runner and Winter in Kandahar back-to-back, and I loved them both, but I must say that on the balance I got into Winter in Kandahar more - relishing sitting by the fire with a glass of wine after a hard day and being transported to rugged, colorful Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as excitingly unique Amsterdam, Venice, Seattle, and Vancouver, by Wilson's descriptive writing style. Is there another novel on the way? Let's hope so!

Intellectual, thrilling!

Winter in Kandahar is a sublime novel of international intrigue, spanning not only modern global technology, but also delving into the dark, rich history and culture of a little-known area of the world, Afghanistan. Compelling and currently relevant, the theme of possible bioterrorism grips the reader in a page-turning, fast-paced race through South Asia, Europe, the United States, and Canada. As if this were not enough, Wilson lavishes upon the reader a portrayal of Afghan culture so rich in detail that one can almost taste the flat bread and feel the humility of the women, shrouded as they are in their burqas. Most interesting, however, given current political maneuvers, is Wilson's elucidation of the troubled history of the region, which has been at war, either from outside invaders or from internal intertribal warfare, for centuries. Such historical conflict provides a dramatic backdrop for a modern spy novel. A must read!!

Exciting Read

An extremely entertaining novel with a great deal of fast-paced action in a bigger-than-life setting. I learned a great about the area as the author transported me into an exotic world that is in the headlines. Well-researched and well-written. I had fun staying up at night reading this book. I look forward to the next.

WONDERFUL POIGNANT ADVENTURE-ROMANCE TALE FOR MEN AND WOMEN

My wife and I both became completely engrossed in this novel-although I was smitten from the start and for her it wasn't until the female characters come into the story in Pakistan. We've asked ourselves how Winter in Kandahar has remained so relatively unknown and the only explanation that makes sense is that this publisher just didn't have the budget to market it properly. We're hoping for a new novel by the author soon! To us no one has quite captured the essence of this epic tale like Ed Altmann and we've taken the liberty of reprinting his old review here. Wilson's novel is an exciting, action packed mystery/adventure tale set in some of the most fascinating places in the world, ranging from Venice to Amsterdam, Seattle and Vancouver. It is, however, for its central locale, Afghanistan, that this work will be remembered for a long, long time. The plot involves bio-terrorism, the CIA, and the ongoing war. You feel as if you are reading current headlines with Taliban, al-Qaida, Mujaheddin, and other organizations racing through the pages in the non-stop action as the search for the ultimate weapon reaches across the world. The author weaves three love stories into his exciting plot. He even makes us believe (successfully) that an isolated cave, sealed and hidden in some of the most forlorn mountains of our planet can be a tremendously romantic hide-away for a pair of star-crossed lover. His descriptions of places are exciting and factually right on the mark. He takes us into these exotic worlds and we can almost taste the bread and the lamb stew; see the unusually decorated windows in Amsterdam; and sail the waters of Puget Sound. But it is his detailing of the characters, primary and secondary, that leaves an indelible mark on the page turning reader. He describes the motivations, the ancient histories still influencing these people as they love and kill across the pages. This is truly a window into a world that is almost every day in the newspaper headlines as even in Iraq, some of these influences are still extremely powerful. On a personal note, when I left Afghanistan earlier this year, I carried a lot of baggage of conflicting, sometimes horrible, images back with me. Images of a fifteen year old boy struggling to walk on his hands down a crowded street as both his legs were amputated; of smiling little girls begging for their parents; of soldiers inviting me to play soccer and laughing with me; of people who had nothing and yet were generous; of a little girl who, with tears in her eyes answered my question about her parent's fate under the unbelievably cruel Taliban. Dr. Wilson's book places a perspective on these and other memories burned into me and for this I am grateful for his work. He takes us behind the headlines and into the minds of the people, whether they are Tajiks, Pashtuns, Pakistanis, or CIA. You will long remember and use this novel as a reference as our violent century unfolds around us. And, without giving away the

A highly entertaining story steeped in Afghani reality

I absolutely loved this novel! I found the story gripping and believable. The character development, especially for the three Tajiks that are central to the story, was exceptional. The ending was unexpected, but heartrending and imaginative. I spent time in Afghanistan, over two years from early 2002 to the summer of 2004. I spent most of my time in the north in Taloqan and Mazar-e-Sharif, but also spent a few months in Kabul and several weeks in Kandahar. My take on the situation in Afghanistan, as it relates to this novel, are a little different. There was great animosity among the non-Taliban Pashtun towards the Arabs, who often acted like they ran the country, before and after 9/11. Pastun President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai himself is an excellent example. When the Taliban first emerged in the early 1990s, Karzai and his family supported them. A native of the region around Kandahar, he saw the Taliban as a force that could finally end the terrible violence that had engulfed the country during and after the Soviet occupation. As the Taliban gained power, however, Karzai became distrustful of them and openly accused them of being too influenced by foreign groups, including the Arabs of al-Qaeda. In 1995, the Taliban approached Hamid Karzai and asked him to join their effort. They offered him the position of U.N. ambassador in a new Taliban government, but he rebuffed them because he felt the Pakistan intelligence service (ISI) was the real power behind the Taliban. Karzai was no longer welcome in Afghanistan after the Taliban solidified their control over most of Afghanistan in 1996, so he and most of his family fled to Pakistan. Karzai's father was gunned down as he returned home from prayers in the Pakistani city of Quetta in 1999 and he blamed the slaying on the Taliban. After 9/11, the U.S. prepared to attack the Taliban and Karzai urged the allied nations and non-Taliban Pashtun in Afghanistan to purge the nation of al-Qaida terrorists. There were definitely cases of Arabs being killed by Pashtun forces in the early days of the American-led attacks on Afghanistan and in some cases these fighters had been aligned with the Taliban only a few weeks before. Most of the Taliban fled into the Pakistani tribal territories along with the Arabs, but many just changed sides (as typically happens in confrontations in Afghanistan) when it became clear who was going to prevail. As to the relations between the Tajiks and Pashtun that are central to this novel, there are definitely deep-seated animosities, and even hatreds, between the two largest ethnic groups that date back many centuries. It is true that the Hazara are mistreated and viewed as second-class citizens by both the Pashtun and Tajik, but my personal experience is that there is no love lost between the Pashtun and Tajiks either and there are many, many examples of clashes and feuds between these groups continuing right up to the present. As a previous reviewer noted, this is a n