Guests in the Land of Buzkashi: Afghanistan Revisited | 
 enlarge | Author: Miriam L. Stratton
Publisher: 1st Books Library
Category: Book
List Price: $14.50
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Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 2737036
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 268
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.1 x 0.7
ISBN: 0759667209
Dewey Decimal Number: 305
EAN: 9780759667204
ASIN: 0759667209
Publication Date: January 1, 2002
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| Customer Reviews:
 An American Woman in Afghanistan before the Taliban March 30, 2006
The author, an American already seasoned to living abroad, recounts her adventures during two years in Afghanistan in the 1970's. Women could work in the offices and schools then, before the religious fundamentalists came to power
Even though it was a safer time for foreigners (her husband was an agriculturalist with the UN.) Ms. Stratton seems to have taken some unusually adventuresome risks in her travels about the country. She nonchalantly explains that most Afghans were not dangerous, merely curious.
Afghanistan may be different now, but Ms. Stratton's story shows us a more peaceful time and perhaps gives hope for the future. I found her book very readable and informative.
experiences in the early 70's in afghanistan May 19, 2003
i really enjoyed the book, but was somewhat disappointed that the authors experiences were from the early 1970's and not the recent past. however, it seems as though little has changed in afghanistan in the 30 years since the author lived there.her descriptions of the trips outside of the city were my favorite parts of the book, especially the hiking trip with the us embassy group and visits to pakistan. you get a glimpse of the struggles in her marriage, the 'workings' of non-governmental agencies, the un, usaid, and local governments.
 'Guests' is what a lot of people are looking for these days February 16, 2002
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
This book is a wonderful collection of stories about living in Afghanistan just before the present Taliban regime came into power. It presents a vivid picture of life in those days and in the process provides background to why the Taliban was successful in taking over the government.There is a minimum of political analysis- as the author shows repeatedly, they were kept ignorant of the political scene by the news censorship practiced by the Government. Stratton doesn't 'talk about' Afghanistan, she describes what she saw, felt and smelled as she, her children and friends travelled around the country, and lets the imagery speak for itself. She has a knack for describing scenes so you feel like you're right there, too, seeing what she's seeing. Stratton had contact with several different social classes in her experiences so this is not at all a story of What Happened At The U.S. Embassy. She shows how the average Afghan lived in conditions most Americans wouldn't tolerate, what it's like to deal with native servants, lack of the most basic medical care, shortages of even the commonest food staples. The everyday evidence of institutionalized male chauvinism is faithfully noted, but not analyzed. This book has no mission or agenda, it's purely, "Wow, look at that!". Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of the book is seeing how people coped with their situations. Unless it was the description of the ride in the airliner crammed with unbathed Afghan men who insisted on ignoring the stewardesses. Or dealing with Customs on a trip to India, or barely escaping getting jailed when they found themselves in the middle of the Russian coup. This book is a lot of fun, it's an eye opener to a radically different culture than ours, and almost coincidentally, it's relevant to current events.
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