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

Christina Lamb (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
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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: 19.6 x 12.4 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 114,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Christina Lamb
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Product Description

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

Matthew Leeming, Spectator

'Brilliant.’
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
54 of 55 people found the following review helpful
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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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
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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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
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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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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 12 months ago by Songlines
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 15 months ago by Ms. Mary H. Smith
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 16 months ago by Quick reviews!
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 16 months ago by Maria Staal
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 21 months ago by Wren
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 23 months ago by scar;et
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
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
One woman's love affair with a tortured land
In these memoirs the author writes about her experiences in Afghanistan, a country with which she has come to care deeply about and to explore intimately. Read more
Published on 3 Sep 2008 by Gary Selikow
Much more than sewing circles
Lamb's title is misleading. The sewing circles which hid clandestine education for women forbidden by the Taliban, are but a minor part of the author's travels in Afghanistan in... Read more
Published on 29 Sep 2007 by G. J. Weeks
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