Afghanistan: A Companion and Guide

Thanks to 20 years of civil war and its association with terrorism, Afghanistan is now unjustly thought of in the West as a barbarous backwater. Afghanistan: A Companion and Guide aims to dispel this image in a comprehensive introduction to 3,500 years of Afghan culture. Starting with a full history of the country from 1500 BC, each chapter looks at the major cities and regions, describing their distinctive cultural and ethnic traditions, their associations with poets, artists, musicians, travellers and holy men, as well as warriors and conquerors.

Experienced Afghan traveller Matthew Leeming contributes detailed information for those who intend to visit the country as tourists, with guides to specific cities and areas, as well as more general advice. Elizabeth Chatwin, whose famous 1970s journey to Afghanistan with her husband Bruce Chatwin and poet Peter Levi was immortalised in The Light Garden of the Angel King, contributes an introduction.

A number of specialist essays by leading experts further present topics such as archaeology, architecture, carpets, miniature painting, music, flora and fauna. Wonderfully illustrated with superb images from world-renowned photographers, this book also features engravings, paintings and images of priceless museum artefacts. This lavish publication reveals the immense treasury of cultural, historical and natural wealth too frequently forgotten that is Afghanistan.

Book Author

Bijan-omrani Bijan Omrani is an historian and classicist specialising in the history of Afghanistan and Central Asia. He was educated at Wellington, and then read Classics and English at Lincoln College Oxford, where he contributed to the Spectator as an undergraduate. He produced his first major publication, Afghanistan: A Companion and Guide, in collaboration with the seasoned Afghan traveller Matthew Leeming in 2005, and since then has edited and published numerous works, articles and book reviews on Afghan and Central Asian history. A special area of research has been the controversial area of the ...
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Book Reviews

  • William Dalrymple
    "...I used the Afghan guide across the country and thought it was fabulous. Odyssey has invented a wonderful new format for guidebooks that deserves to change the genre for ever ..."
  • The Literary Review
    "...a gem of a book..."
  • TIME Magazine
    "...If travel books came with warnings, the one for AFGHANISTAN: A COMPANION AND GUIDE would read, "Caution: may inspire actual voyage". But then, this lavishly produced guide could not help do otherwise - especially if you're partial to adventure..."
  • Spectator
    "..well illustrated... its photographs... give an idea of the unequalled beauty of the country in all its variety... It is strong on the history... full of sensible tips. Above all, it is authoritative and as well-informed as only extensive travels inside the country can make it... If the country deters all but the most dauntless, it will serve as a vade mecum for them and for the rest of us a reminder of what we are missing..."
  • Radek Sikorski
    "...This is a superb book as I'm sure you agree and will be the standard reference book on Afghanistan for years. The launch in London gathered the cream of British journalism and politics and I was very impressed..."
  • Khaled Hosseini, author of 'The Kite Runner'.
    "...Thorough and beautifully illustrated, this book is a comprehensive - and fun - window into Afghan history, culture and traditions. A must-have for travel readers and a gripping read for anyone with even a passing interest in Afghanistan...."
  • Justin Marozzi, author of Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World
    "...what we have all been waiting for. Bijan Omrani and Matthew Leeming have compiled a masterful and elegant guide to this most alluring of countries. Packed with history, rich in whimsical detail, it is a treat for anyone contemplating a trip to Central Asia's greatest treasure, and a fine read for the armchair traveller. Highly recommended..."
  • Christina Lamb, Sunday Times, author of 'The Sewing Circles of Herat'
    "..much more than just a guidebook - the contents page alone had me gripped! The chapter on places to stay in Kabul had me crying with laughter... required reading for anyone with any interest in Afghanistan..."
  • Daily Telegraph
    "...It might seem madness of publish a guide of nearly 800 pages to a country that is still on the Foreign Office 'blacklist', but this one, strong on history and sumptuously produced, can be enjoyed even by adventurers who never leave the armchair..."
  • Mark Thompson,Time Magazine
    "...wonderful books on Afghanistan...I know they will inform my reporting and travels..."