|
| 
 enlarge | Author: Steven E. Wilson
Publisher: Hailey-Grey Books
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $5.45
You Save: $9.50 (64%)
New (19) Used (21) Collectible (2) from $5.45
Rating:  89 reviews
Sales Rank: 169337
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8
ISBN: 0972948007
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780972948005
ASIN: 0972948007
Publication Date: September 1, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Used Condition - GOOD can be a well cared for Book (including Audio) that is in great condition to a Book that may show some signs of wear. GOOD Books may be marked; have some spine or page creases; exibit signs of aging or an ExLibrary copy. ** Possible marking on cover. 100% Satisfaction guaranteed on all purchases. Delivery is 7-14 days for standard mail. **
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Superb book!!! You will love it! August 4, 2006
19 out of 21 found this review helpful
Winter in Kandahar is a wonderful book about a young Afghani man set during the time just prior to September 11th. I am an avid reader and I absolutely could not put this book down!! It had a bit of everything in it... mystery, suspense, romance. If you are looking for a fabulous read, look no more!! You will LOVE this book!!
Enthralling, thought provoking, enjoyable! July 24, 2006
21 out of 23 found this review helpful
I absolutely loved this novel! The timeliness of the reality-based plot in the framework of an epic that spans the globe made for a lot of reading enjoyment. I usually don't get an opportunity to read until we put the kids to sleep and by then I'm usually too tired. I got a copy of this book just before a two week vacation and had a hard time putting it down long enough to enjoy my trip. I found myself eager with anticipation for the chance to crawl beneath the covers each night and return to the captivating Winter in Kandahar story.
The novel begins a short time prior to September 11, 2001 in the northeast corner of Afghanistan where the Northern Alliance remains precariously in control of territory that includes the Panjshir Valley where the Alliance Mujaheddin are making what appears to be their last stand against the combined forces of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. The main character of the novel, young ill-fated fighter Ahmed Jan, is on the front lines of the see-saw battles that have seen his entire family wiped out. As shaky as the Northern Alliance situation is, it's made all the worse by the assassination of revered Northern Alliance leader Commander Ahmed Massoud at the hands of al- Qaeda in chapter 2. Ironically, in this their darkest hour, the Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington D.C. turn out to be salvation for the Tajik, Uzbek and other groups of the Northern Alliance who are resisting the cruel Taliban domination. Within weeks, U.S. Special Forces, Air Force, Navy, and other military units sweep the Taliban out of Kabul, Taloqan, Kandahar, and other major cities of Afghanistan and put them on the run, along with their al-Qaeda guests, into the Pakistani tribal territories along the Afghan border. Ahmed Jan finds a mysterious communiqué in the coat of an al-Qaeda messenger and, along with ruthless Mujaheddin fighter Mustafa and old, rigid holy man Mohammajon, gets swept into an adventure that spans the globe from Islamabad to Amsterdam to Venice to Seattle to Vancouver to Karachi and back to Kandahar. This engrossing epic story includes CIA operatives and Special Forces soldiers interwoven with three love stories with very different endings. The adventure concludes with a movingly heartrending, surprise finale. I must be a romantic at heart too, because I enjoyed the romances. It's hard to believe the previous reviewer was writing about the romance between the Tajik fighter Mustafa and the nurse Fatima in the Pakistani Hospital because it's so central to the plot. I guess she was referring to the pubescent romance between the young American scientist and his student. I guess the author could have omitted it, but I enjoyed it, and it helped to break up what otherwise could have been too heavy.
I highly recommend this book for both women and men who are fans of international thrillers.
Thrilling story - fiction close to non-fiction. April 23, 2006
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
Steven E. Wilson has written a must-reading fiction novel about the time after 9/11 2001 in Afghanistan. He take us into the heart of the struggle between the local tribes and the political situation between US, Pakistan and Afghanistan - and most important he is able to write a very thrilling action-romantic novel and project his story into the international scene of terrorism. The heart - and the strength - of his story is that it is very close to non-fiction. One of the best novels for years.
Couldn't Put It Down! April 19, 2006
14 out of 17 found this review helpful
Centuries old rivalries between the Tajik and Pashtun clans dominate this riveting tale of adventure, intrigue and romance all wrapped around a plot of bioterrorism which, if successful, would result in the genocide of the Pashtun clan. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the central locale of the tale, but the related actions flit around the globe to Venice, Amsterdam, Seattle, Vancouver and points in-between. I could hardly put it down because there was no point at which my interest even partially abated as regards what was going to happen next. There are so many points at which the stories of the various characters interconnect in such interesting ways. And in these connections are displayed many opposing human qualities, sometimes simultaneously in one individual. The author obviously possesses considerable insight, great compassion and much wisdom as regards both the frailty and the tremendous strength of human nature. What a great read! I eagerly await Steven Wilson's next novel "Ascent from Darkness" which is scheduled to be out by this fall. Like one of the other reviewers of "Winter in Kandahar," I can't understand why this book has not gained wide acclaim. If "Ascent from Darkness" is of equal caliber, it's only a matter of time before Steven Wilson joins the ranks of those authors whose latest works are eagerly welcomed by devoted fans.
SURPRISINGLY, MY FAVORITE AFGHANI ADVENTURE NOVEL! December 24, 2005
19 out of 20 found this review helpful
I loved this book and the page-turning intrigue and depth, especially because of the style of the author and the interweaving of the story into current day events. I just read The Kite Runner and Winter in Kandahar back-to-back, and I loved them both, but I must say that on the balance I got into Winter in Kandahar more - relishing sitting by the fire with a glass of wine after a hard day and being transported to rugged, colorful Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as excitingly unique Amsterdam, Venice, Seattle, and Vancouver, by Wilson's descriptive writing style. Is there another novel on the way? Let's hope so!
|
|
|
The Outpost Network | |
