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The Sewing Circles of Herat: My Afghan Years [Paperback]

Christina Lamb
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
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Book Description

7 July 2003

Ten years ago, Christina Lamb reported on the war the Afghan people were fighting against the Soviet Union. Now, back in Afghanistan, she has written an extraordinary memoir of her love affair with the country and its people.

Long haunted by her experiences in Afghanistan, Lamb returned there after last year's attack on the World Trade Centre to find out what had become of the people and places that had marked her life as a young graduate.This time seeing the land through the eyes of a mother and experienced foreign correspondent, Lamb's journey brings her in touch with the people no one else is writing about: the abandoned victims of almost a quarter century of war.

‘Of all books about Afghanistan, Christina Lamb’s is the most revealing and rewarding…a personal, perceptive and moving account of bravery in the face of staggering difficulties.’ Anthony Sattin, Sunday Times

‘As an account of how Afghanistan got into its present state, and of the making of the grotesque regime of the Taliban, this book could not possibly be bettered. Brilliant.’ Matthew Leeming, Spectator

‘Lamb’s book combines a love of Afghanistan with a fearless search for the human stories behind the past twenty-three years of war…Her book is not only a necessary education for the Western reader in the political warring that generated the torture, murder and poverty, but also a stirring lament for the country of ruins that was once better known for its poetry and mosques.’ James Hopkin, The Times


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Product details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Flamingo; New Ed edition (7 July 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0007142528
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007142521
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 19.9 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 89,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

‘“The Sewing Circles of Herat” opens a window on to the deeply unromantic horrors of Taliban-led Afghanistan and, less troubling for the squeamish, tells the remarkable stories of those who dared to defy that particularly vile regime…Lamb writes with pace, conviction and honesty, uncovering both the terrible human cost of the Taliban experiment and the enduring strength of spirit of those who refused to join it.’ Justin Marozzi, Sunday Telegraph

‘Award-winning foreign correspondent Christina Lamb has written an inspiring and moving account of Afghanistan’s plight…Lamb shows that, despite attempts to destroy the country and its culture, its soul remains uncrushed.’ Marianne Brace, Independent on Sunday

‘A lucid, intimate, haunting book, which sings the song of Lamb’s love – and the tragic plight of a defiant and divided nation.’ Sunday Times

‘The definitive account of modern Afghanistan… This is a lucid, intimate, haunting book, passionate yet never self-indulgent, which sings the story of Lamb’s love – and the tragic plight of a defiant and divided nation.’ Rory Maclean, Sunday Times

‘Deeply penetrating, informative and always engaging… Through the dispiriting events under which Afghanistan continues to be submerged, Lamb continually finds delightful people who have latched on to the fact that Faith is an ecclesiastical word for credulity, and offer some hope for the country’s future.’ Cal McCrystal, Financial Times

‘Lamb has a curiosity that demands she listen to anyone – warlord, reluctant torturer, Pakistani intelligence officer, family of the last man hanged… And beyond the door of the “Golden Needle Ladies’ Sewing Classes” in Herat, Lamb is awed by that cultured city’s resistance… which, as [she] understands, matters more than pages of guns and rubble.’ Veronica Howell, Guardian

‘A remarkable blend of outrage, compassion and hope, Christina Lamb’s book is an alternately horrifying and uplifting insight into the Taliban regime.’ Justin Marozzi, Evening Standard

From the Publisher

Long haunted by her experiences in Afghanistan, Lamb returned there after the attack on the World Trade Centre to find out what had become of the people and places that had marked her life as a young graduate.This time seeing the land through the eyes of a mother and experienced foreign correspondent, Lamb's journey brings her in touch with the people no one else is writing about: the abandoned victims of almost a quarter century of war.

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

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4.7 out of 5 stars
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars THIS BOOK WOULD BE SO EASY TO MISS! 25 Jan 2008
By Joiner
Format:Paperback
Why did Ms Lamb's editor allow her to choose this title! I suppose I feel a bit of a cheat because I only paid 50p for it from a local library sale, and then on a second visit, having bypassed this book the first time around because of its title. What on earth would I, a bloke, want to be reading a book about sewing circles in Herat written by someone called Christina Lamb? Well, at 50p a shot, why not? It was one of those "most important decisions I ever made" moments because it's the best book I have EVER read about this war-ravaged country and its people. Probably one of the most important books ever WRITTEN about the place. It should be compulsory reading for everyone sent to serve there in the military, and every leader of every country with a military presence there (and those who refuse to send troops) should be made to read it from cover to cover, because "about sewing circles in Herat" it ain't about. Now how on earth do we get this message out?
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55 of 56 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars the human side of Aghanistan 9 Jan 2004
By dwaas76
Format:Paperback
The author of the book, Christina Lamb, has visited Afghanistan extensively as a foreign correspondent. She was first there during the Soviet occupation, and this book covers experiences she's had from that time up to the present day. Christina Lamb doesn't focus on any one aspect of her visits, but describes the people she met, the places she saw, history and local politics with equal enthusiasm. She has done remarkable things, such as befriending Hamid Karzai, getting cornered by Russian tanks and visiting the madrassa that produced most of the Taliban leadership.

This book gives the reader a fascinating glimpse of life in the country that has been the subject of news stories for decades. You get to tag along as the writer recounts her visits, branching off into handy titbits of history or local politics to explain why the people act the way they do. Reading it is a roller-coaster ride as it calls up almost every emotion: sadness, despair, hope, compassion, even raising the occasional smile. I found the book enlightening, especially about the history and the differences between all the local tribes. It gave me a view of how that all fit together to form the present situation in Afghanistan.

Ms Lamb's writing style is easy to read and combined with the subject matter it makes for a cracking great read. I don't think you even need to have any specific knowledge of or interest in Afghanistan to choose it.

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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Eye Opener 15 Oct 2004
Format:Paperback
Not that many books move me, but this one did. I didn't know anything about Afghanistan apart from what's on the news and this book provided the best inside narrative I could've hoped for. The author was great. She reported everything equally and did not play for any shock factors, messages - it was great to read something from a journalist. It's inspired me to hope that one day I'll get to visit the country and meet it's people.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A great insight into Afganistan.
I really enjoyed this insightful representation of a much maligned Country. The history of Afghanistan is really interesting and this book gives you a good overview. Read more
Published 21 days ago by sherry
5.0 out of 5 stars A page turner...
I am simply fascinated by Afghanistan. My ex-boyfriend was military and I started reading more and more attempting to find out what was happening to this country. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Ms. K. Nesbitt
5.0 out of 5 stars A brave and inspiring account
I very much enjoyed Christina Lamb's "The Sewing Circles of Herat" It is a great account of the modern history of Afghanistan and it takes the reader through some harrowing... Read more
Published on 15 May 2011 by Songlines
5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable account
The Sewing Circles of Herat is a remarkable account of journalist Christina Lamb's time in Afghanistan, interwoven with history. Read more
Published on 13 Feb 2011 by Ms. Mary H. Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
A good book, interesting, but again with Lamb I feel slightly let down by the writing style, it doesn't flow as well as you'd hope
Published on 2 Feb 2011 by Quick reviews!
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, but at times hard to read
Fascinating, and at the same time hard to read book about the authors visits to Afghanistan, first when the country was still under Russian occupation and later after the fall of... Read more
Published on 17 Jan 2011 by Maria Staal
4.0 out of 5 stars I liked it but.....
Okay, this book is a very easy to read story of Afghanistan, it's people, it's culture, it's history & from this point of view I really enjoyed it. Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2010 by Wren
5.0 out of 5 stars Do we really understand?
I agree the title was misleading, this book made me really think about the situation. Having lived in Saudi Arabia for several years with my husband's job in the oil industry, I... Read more
Published on 4 July 2010 by scar;et
5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read
A fabulous read that has sparked a crazy interest in all things Afghani. I highly recommend this book that is written in an easy to read and understand way even though the subject... Read more
Published on 5 April 2010 by Teecee
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book
Christina Lamb loves Afghanistan and it shows in every page of this wonderful book. It is so good to read a book on Afghanistan that doesn't focus solely on the horrors of war, the... Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2009 by James Rogers
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