A great read, dealing with courage of the Afghan people. Sandy Gall seems to explain the situation that the Afghans faced in the war with the USSR, by putting you right there in the midst of the war. Without spending lots of time talking about history, you felt you were smelling mountain blossoms by moonlight, walking all evening to escape capture and then being served tea in some remote mountain village. Overall I felt Mr Gall's reporting brought me right into the heart of the suffering, hardship and struggle that the Afghan people experienced. And beneath this is the story of people, from the depravity of war to the triumph of brotherhood.