Being a keen reader of almost everything that I've found about this terrible and fascinating country, I bought this book and the reviews on the back and front covers made me expect a great read. But after having reached the last 100 pages, it unexpectedly ended up falling from my hands, and so far I have not had the desire or the willpower to finish it. All the 1 star reviews in Amazon are worth reading before you give a try to this long, pretentious and boring travelogue. However, there are a few passable moments, as can only be expected in over 500 pages dealing with Afghanistan. In the end, an unsuccessful attempt.