Winter in Kandahar

Rating:
Summary: Get an Editor
Review: I read to the end of this book only because it was my book club's selection and my turn to lead the discussion. Otherwise I would have put it down, or more likely trashed it, after just a few chapters. I completely agree with the reviews submitted by Richard A. Mitchell, M.L. Rosen and Remydog and see no reason to repeat what they have written. Read their reviews if you are thinking of buying this book.

Rating:
Summary: A facinating story!
Review: I really loved this novel! It's a perfect combination of Adventure and Romance. The insights regarding the al-Qaeda and the Taliban were informative, as well as entertaining. I've given copies to several of my friends and plan to read it again myself after a few months.

Rating:
Summary: An adventure with a timeless message
Review: I spent time in Afghanistan working with a relief organization, so I was curious about Winter in Kandahar. It definitely exceeded my expectations. The exceptional plot accurately portrays the hatred at play in the country, especially the enmity between the Tajik and Pashtun. I even learned a few things I didn't know about the history of Afghanistan and the events that occurred there after 9/11.

This is not a story with one battle or fight scene after another. Although it has excellent action in appropriate context, it is more of a story about people with dialogue that brings the story to life. I thought the interaction between the three Tajik characters Ahmed Jan, Mustafa, and Mohammadjon that dominates the first two-thirds of the novel and their very different personalities and motivations under dangerous and challenging circumstances was exceptional. Weaving factual information into the story enhanced the feeling of actually being there. The ending was surprising and satisfying.

Ignore the nonsense one review only reviewer who undoubtedly has some poorly concealed motive for trashing this book. That's complete nonsense.

I highly recommend this book. It is a poignant adventure with a message.


Rating:
Summary: A first-rate adventure-thriller!
Review: I totally got into this novel that's placed in the midst of post-9/11 events in Afghanistan and the war on terrorism. This adventure-thriller travels from Afghanistan to Rawalpindi (Pakistan), Amsterdam, and several other places, before coming to an end in Kandahar. I thought the ending was first rate...completely unexpected and moving.

Rating:
Summary: Captured my imagination!
Review: I'm one of those who really loved this book. I liked it because of the descriptive style of the author and the story that was placed in current day "history." I'm not much of a writer, but I thought the comments of Amazon TOP 500 Reviewer Jana Kraus were right on and since they are burried in the many reviews I hope she doesn't mind if I resubmit them here:

Various peoples of Turkic, Iranian and South Asian origins surround the rugged central Hindu Kush mountain range, but no single group absolutely dominates the nation known as Afghanistan. To the south and east of the Hindu Kush, live approximately 6.5 million Pashtun. They make-up the predominate population of the capital, Kabul, major cities like Jalalabad, Khost and Kandahar, and are almost exclusively Sunni Muslims. Virtually all Taliban are Pashtun. Dominating the mountainous northeast of the country are the Tajiks, numbering around 3.5 million within Afghanistan. They are the most powerful group in the Northern Alliance, and are mostly Sunni Muslims. Ethnic hatred and rivalries have existed between these two groups for centuries. "Winter In Kandahar," deals, in part, with the struggle between the Tajik and Pashtun, and a diabolical plot involving potential genocide.

Author Steven E. Wilson begins his extraordinary story in late August 2001, in Taloqan, Afghanistan. A young Tajik Mujaheddin, Ahmed Jan, lost his uncle, as he lost his father before him, in a battle with Taliban forces. Ahmed fights with the Northern Alliance and was ordered to report to Commander Ahmed Shah Massoud at the Khoje Bahauddin base on the Amu Dar'ya River. He reached Massoud in time to be present for the Commander's assassination by al Qaeda terrorists posing as TV journalists. The Lion of Panjshir was dead. The date was September 9, 2001.

Three months later, Ahmed Jan reports to elderly Mullah Habid in Kabul. The aging cleric holds a position of leadership with the Tajiks and the Alliance. During a brief period of captivity by the Taliban, the month before, Jan had discovered papers written in Arabic with information about a new, deadly biological weapon. His captors were overtaken and Jan escaped with the papers. The mullah and the young warrior read that the new weapon is to be delivered in Venice during Carnevale. A plan was also outlined to spread the pestilence in Panjsjit, among the Tajik population. Mullah Habid makes Ahmed Jan the leader of a mission to Amsterdam, which will eventually take him to Italy and America in pursuit of the deadly substance. Accompanying him are two men, Mustafa and Mohammedjan, who are to assist him is ever way. They all have appropriate, falsified documents, passports and replacement papers, to use if needed. They are given a credit card and plenty of money to bribe their way through the Khyber Pass to Islamabad where they will catch a plane to the Netherlands. They are specifically told not to go to the Americans, who are "consumed with their own concerns."

Ahmed Jan and his countryman are in constant danger on this mission to save his people from ethnic cleansing. They are pursued by al Qaeda and the CIA. This is not just another predictable novel where the bad guys chase the good ones and, after a crisis and denouement, everyone lives happily, etc.. Jan has a medical background, having studied in Saudi Arabia before his country's last war, and comes up with an alternate use for the weapon of terror. The introduction of some scientific material, about genetics, is fascinating and adds much to the storyline. The ending, like the rest of the book, is powerful.

The characters are also extremely well developed and give the reader remarkable insight into their culture and customs. The men are all credible. The women are not as strong. There are three major romances, one for Ahmed Jan, and one for each comrade. Although I enjoyed the romantic aspect of the novel, three for three is a bit hokey. The narrative is well written, as is the dialogue, especially between the Tajiks.

I really enjoyed "Winter In Kandahar" and look forward to Mr. WIlson's next book. Highly recommended!

Jana Kraus (ceruleana) from New York, NY USA

Rating:
Summary: Mezmerizing! A stunning adventure. A captivating romance.
Review: In my humble opinion, this is one of the best adventure novels to come along in a long, long time. It starts out like a guy's adventure novel, but it's the strong women characters that really give it substance and feeling. The combination of Afghani, Pakistani, and American characters, along with a compelling story, provides a reality-based fictional account that is as informative as it is entertaining. Other reviewers have said the same thing, but it is really true, I couldn't put it down. My wife loved it too!

Rating:
Summary: A great story!
Review: It is hard to place this book in one category. It has some traits of an action book, some thriller twists, a bioterrorism plot, and romance. All these things are combined in a very compelling story about modern day Afghanistan and its relations with the world. You have a strong impression that the book is written by a seasoned writer, and yet, it is his first fiction work. The salient feature is a lot of research behind the lines, which makes the characters so vivid and the plot so believable. This especially concerns the bioterrorism part, where the author brilliantly used his own scientific experience and explained complex biology in a way that everybody would easily follow. It is a sad story about the country torn by long decades of wars including the most recent civil war. Yet, love and friendship surpass the sufferings and hatred making a clear optimistic note despite bad happenings. Being a big fan of Robert Ludlum, I was kind of skeptical about this book but it quickly surpassed my expectations and I simply could not let it go before the last page was turned. Unlike many thrillers/action stories that you don't remember a thing about only a week after having finished reading, the characters of "Winter in Kandahar" stay with you. This is why I believe that beside being a great story to read, it may soon become a major movie as well. My wholeharted congratulations to the author for such a wonderful accomplishment. Alexander V Ljubimov

Rating:
Summary: I loved it!
Review: It took me a few chapters to really get into this book (the first few chapters are battle and assasination-necessary to lay the groundwork for what follows-but not really my thing), but once the female characters showed up and this became a story about people, I was hooked. I finished the last 2/3 of the novel in a little over two days because I just couldn't put it down- really! The location descriptions of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Amsterdam, and Venice made me feel like I was there (which I enjoyed immensely since I've never been to any of these place), but most of all I loved the ending. Not only was it a complete surprise, but it left me teary-eyed and it just keeps popping up in my mind two weeks after I finished the book. I highly recommend Winter in Kandahar!



Rating:
Summary: A Thrilling Journey
Review: It was hard to put this book down....exciting and wonderful....great job!!

Rating:
Summary: A great story that will be remembered for a long, long time!
Review: It's me again! All this haggiling is fun, but I think it's getting us away from the real message of this novel. I hope Mr. Altmann doesn't mind my reprinting his review. Lorraine

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 ending, he performs an incredible sleight of hand at the end. Edward Altmann RA [e-mail]