Synopses & Reviews
Part historical evocation, part travelogue, and part personal quest,
An Unexpected Light is the account of Elliot's journey through Afghanistan, a country considered off-limits to travelers for twenty years. Aware of the risks involved, but determined to explore what he could of the Afghan people and culture, Elliot leaves the relative security of Kabul. He travels by foot and on horseback, and hitches rides on trucks that eventually lead him into the snowbound mountains of the North toward Uzbekistan, the former battlefields of the Soviet army's "hidden war." Here the Afghan landscape kindles a recollection of the author's life ten years earlier, when he fought with the anti-Soviet mujaheddin resistance during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
Weaving different Afghan times and visits with revealing insights on matters ranging from antipersonnel mines to Sufism, Elliot has created a narrative mosaic of startling prose that captures perfectly the powerful allure of a seldom-glimpsed world.
Jason Elliot lives in London. This is his first book.
An American Library Association Notable Book
Part historical evocation, part travelogue, and part personal quest, An Unexpected Light is the account of Elliot's journey through Afghanistan, a country considered off-limits to travelers for twenty years. Aware of the risks involved, but determined to explore what he could of the Afghan people and culture, Elliot leaves the relative security of Kabul. He travels by foot and on horseback, and hitches rides on trucks that eventually lead him into the snowbound mountains of the North toward Uzbekistan, the former battlefields of the Soviet army's "hidden war." Here the Afghan landscape kindles a recollection of the author's life ten years earlier, when he fought with the anti-Soviet mujaheddin resistance during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
Exploring various Afghan historical phases, socio-cultural trends, and geographic locations while also considering matters ranging from antipersonnel mines to Sufism, Elliot has created a narrative mosaic of startling prose. The Unexpected Light captures perfectly the powerful allure of a seldom-glimpsed world.
"The most sustained firsthand description of life in Afghanistan to be produced by a foreign observer in recent years . . . Exciting."Richard Bernstein, The New York Times
"The most sustained firsthand description of life in Afghanistan to be produced by a foreign observer in recent years . . . Exciting."Richard Bernstein, The New York Times
"A work of substance and style, witty and moving by turns, never less than wholly passionate . . . What raises the book to the level of a classic is its intensely personal meditation on the magic of unplanned adventure, of the pain and pleasure of pushing into the unknown."The Times (London)
"The surprise of the year: a lyrical, unrestrained and enthralling account of a journey into Afghanistan . . . I loved this book."The Daily Telegraph
"This extraordinary debut is an account of Elliot's two visits to Afghanistan. The first occurred when he joined the mujaheddin circa 1979 and was smuggled into Soviet-occupied Afghanistan; the second happened nearly ten years later, when he returned to the still war-torn land. The skirmishes that Elliot painstakingly describes here took place between the Taliban and the government of Gen. Ahmad Shah Massoud in Kabul. Today, the Taliban are in power, but Elliot's sympathies clearly lie with Massoud. Although he thought long and hard before abandoning his plan to travel to Hazara territory, where 'not a chicken could cross that pass without being fired on,' Elliot traveled widely in the hinterland, visiting Faizabad in the north and Herat in the west. The result is some of the finest travel writing in recent years. With its luminous descriptions of the people, the landscape (even when pockmarked by landmines), and Sufism, this book has all the hallmarks of a classic, and it puts Elliot in the same league as Robert Byron and Bruce Chatwin."Library Journal
"An Unexpected Light is often unexpectedly funny and constantly perceptive, but it is also profound."Jason Goodwin, The New York Times Book Review
"Elliot is an enthralling writer with a great gift for evoking places, people and atmosphere, from the pastoral calm of a fertile valley to the terrifying sights and sounds of war."Merle Rubin, The Los Angeles Times
"Lyrical . . . alluring . . . a poignant remembrance, hued in the mixed reds of war and sunset, that comes close to a place that has already changed beyond imagination."Paula Newberg, San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
"Humorous, honest and wry . . . [Elliot's] literary talents are exceptional. His sonorous prose moves forward with the purposeful grace of a river."Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"An Unexpected Light is an unexpected gift . . . Elliot's account is vivid and should broaden the reader's comprehension of an often misunderstood country."Jonathan Shipley, Columbus Dispatch
"The author's impressive knowledge of Afghanistan's history, his seemingly boundless affection for its people, his understanding and respect for their culture and religion, and his flair for the language make this more than a casual travelogue. It is a plaintive love song whose discordant notes are provided by daily encounters with violence, hardship, and poverty."Kirkus Reviews
"An Unexpected Light thoughtfully lays out new and overlooked information that policy-makers in the U.S. and the West as a whole need when trying to decide what may work."Robert A. Lincoln, Richmond-Times Dispatch
"I am sure this book will soon be among the classics of travel [writing]."Doris Lessing
"An astonishing debut: one of the most remarkable travel books this decade."William Dalrymple
Review
"The most sustained firsthand description of life in Afghanistan to be produced by a foreign observer in recent years . . . exciting."
Richard Bernstein, The New York Times"A work of substance and style, witty and moving by turns, never less than wholly passionate . . . What raises the book to the level of a classic is its intensely personal meditation on the magic of unplanned adventure, of the pain and pleasure of pushing into the unknown."The Times (London)
"The surprise of the year: a lyrical, unrestrained and enthralling account of a journey into Afghanistan . . . I loved this book."Daily Telegraph
"This extraordinary debut is an account of Elliot's two visits to Afghanistan. The first occurred when he joined the mujaheddin circa 1979 and was smuggled into Soviet-occupied Afghanistan; the second happened nearly ten years later, when he returned to the still war-torn land. The skirmishes that Elliot painstakingly describes here took place between the Taliban and the government of Gen. Ahmad Shah Massoud in Kabul. Today, the Taliban are in power, but Elliot's sympathies clearly lie with Massoud. Although he thought long and hard before abandoning his plan to travel to Hazara territory, where 'not a chicken could cross that pass without being fired on,' Elliot traveled widely in the hinterland, visiting Faizabad in the north and Herat in the west. The result is some of the finest travel writing in recent years. With its luminous descriptions of the people, the landscape (even when pockmarked by landmines), and Sufism, this book has all the hallmarks of a classic, and it puts Elliot in the same league as Robert Byron and Bruce Chatwin."Library Journal
"An Unexpected Light is often unexpectedly funny and constantly perceptive, but it is also profound."Jason Goodwin, The New York Times Book Review
"Elliot is an enthralling writer with a great gift for evoking places, people and atmosphere, from the pastoral calm of a fertile valley to the terrifying sights and sounds of war."Merle Rubin, The Los Angeles Times
"Lyrical . . . alluring . . . a poignant remembrance, hued in the mixed reds of war and sunset, that comes close to a place that has already changed beyond imagination."Paula Newberg, San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
"Humorous, honest and wry . . . [Elliot's] literary talents are exceptional. His sonorous prose moves forward with the purposeful grace of a river."Publishers Weekly (starred)
"An Unexpected Light is an unexpected gift . . . Elliot's account is vivid and should broaden the reader's comprehension of an often misunderstood country."Jonathan Shipley, Columbus Dispatch
"The author's impressive knowledge of Afghanistan's history, his seemingly boundless affection for its people, his understanding and respect for their culture and religion, and his flair for the language make this more than a casual travelogue. It is a plaintive love song whose discordant notes are provided by daily encounters with violence, hardship, and poverty."Kirkus Reviews
"An Unexpected Light thoughtfully lays out new and overlooked information that policy-makers in the U.S. and the West as a whole need when trying to decide what may work."Robert A. Lincoln, Richmond-Times Dispatch
"I am sure this book will soon be among the classics of travel."Doris Lessing
"An astonishing debut: one of the most remarkable travel books this decade."Willam Dalrymple
John Blades - Ellen Kanner - Gilbert Taylor - Jane Brody's "Personal Health" column in The New York Times - Daniel Mallory - Jim Harrison, author of True North - Michael Ondaatje - Karen Karbo - Kristine Huntley - Susan Orlean - John Banville - Anthony Quinn - Gahan Wilson - John Fowles - Neil Walsh - Stephen R. Donaldson - Jacqueline Carey - Glen Cook - Elizabeth Haydon - David Drake - Robert Charles Wilson - Cory Doctorow - Bret Easton Ellis - Candace Bushnell - Dominick Dunne - Jay McInerney - Jonathan Demme, filmmaker - A.O. Scott - Martin Arnold - Steve Kroft, 60 Minutes - J. B. Priestley - Charles de Lint - Dallas Observer - Jennifer Weiner, author of In Her Shoes and Little Earthquakes - Jay Leno - Laura Zigman, author of Animal Husbandry, Dating Big Bird, and Her - Liz Smith - Gillian Engberg - Clarissa Cruz - Jay Strafford - Hallie Ephron - Patrick Anderson - Walter Jon Williams - S. M. Stirling - Connie Willis, Hugo Award-winning author of To Say Nothing of the Dog - Morgan Llywelyn - Jacqueline Carey - George R.R. Martin - Frederick Busch - Anthony Quinn - Gahan Wilson - John Fowles - Paul Di Filippo - Kirkus - Anthony Quinn - Gahan Wilson - John Fowles - Anthony Quinn - Gahan Wilson - John Fowles - Jon Winokur - Neil Walsh - Andrew Leonard - Stephen R. Donaldson - Michael A. Stackpole - Glen Cook - Neil Walsh - Andrew Leonard - Stephen R. Donaldson - Michael A. Stackpole - Glen Cook - Neil Walsh - Stephen R. Donaldson - Jacqueline Carey - Glen Cook - Elizabeth Haydon - David Drake - Dr. Lewis G. Maharam, medical director for the New York City Marathon - Danielle Ofri M.D., Ph.D, author of Singular Intimacies: Becoming a Doctor at B - Jane Brody's "Personal Health" column in The New York Times - Ulick O'Connor - Michael Billington - Michael Coveney - Sir Ian McKellen - Oline H. Cogdill - Kristine Huntley - Oline H. Cogdill - Jay Strafford - Hallie Ephron - Marilyn Stasio - Wed Lukowsky - Spider Robinson - Robert Silverberg - Richard A. Lupoff - Harlan Ellison - George R. R. Martin - Jon Winokur - Alison Weir, author of Eleanor of Aquitaine and The Six Wives of Henry VIII - Dallas Observer - Jennifer Weiner, author of In Her Shoes and Little Earthquakes - Jay Leno - Laura Zigman, author of Animal Husbandry, Dating Big Bird, and Her - Liz Smith - Eoin Colfer - John Banville - W.E.B. Griffin, author of Final Justice - James Carville - Nomar Garciaparra, professional baseball player - Martin Arnold - Ulick O'Connor - Michael Billington - Michael Coveney - Sir Ian McKellen - Bill Bryson - Jon Winokur - J. B. Priestley - Dallas Observer - Jennifer Weiner, author of In Her Shoes and Little Earthquakes - Jay Leno - Laura Zigman, author of Animal Husbandry, Dating Big Bird, and Her - Liz Smith - Ulick O'Connor - Michael Billington - Michael Coveney - Sir Ian McKellen - Jay Strafford - Hallie Ephron - Daniel Mallory - Robert Charles Wilson - Cory Doctorow - Ellen Kanner - Orson Scott Card - L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - Kevin J. Anderson - Katherine Kurtz - David Farland - Janet Maslin - Harlan Coben, author of No Second Chance - Andrew Klavan, author of True Crimes - Robert B. Parker, author of Back Story - Nelson DeMille, author of Up Country - Lisa Scottoline, author of Dead Ringer - Daniel Silva, author of The Confessor - Ronnie H. Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson - Patrick Anderson - Sharon Sala, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Dark - Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author of Say No to Joe? - Janet Maslin - Harlan Coben, author of No Second Chance - Andrew Klavan, author of True Crimes - Robert B. Parker, author of Back Story - Nelson DeMille, author of Up Country - Lisa Scottoline, author of Dead Ringer - Daniel Silva, author of The Confessor - Ronnie H. Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson - Patrick Anderson - Bill Bryson - Jon Winokur - J. B. Priestley - Dallas Observer - Jennifer Weiner, author of In Her Shoes and Little Earthquakes - Jay Leno - Laura Zigman, author of Animal Husbandry, Dating Big Bird, and Her - Liz Smith - Kirkus Reviews - L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - Kevin J. Anderson - Katherine Kurtz - David Farland - Orson Scott Card - Simon R. Green - Kevin J. Anderson - L. E. Modesitt, Jr. - David Farland - Gilbert Taylor - Karen Karbo - Martin Arnold - Walter Jon Williams - S. M. Stirling - Connie Willis, Hugo Award-winning author of To Say Nothing of the Dog - Morgan Llywelyn - Jacqueline Carey - George R.R. Martin - Paul Di Filippo - Patrick Anderson - John Farris - David Hagberg - W. Michael and Kathleen O' Neal Gear - Lincoln Child - Stephen Coonts - Sara Douglass - Bill Bryson - J. B. Priestley - Dallas Observer - Jennifer Weiner, author of In Her Shoes and Little Earthquakes - Jay Leno - Laura Zigman, author of Animal Husbandry, Dating Big Bird, and Her - Liz Smith - Gilbert Taylor - Jacqueline Carey - Jonathan Demme, filmmaker - A.O. Scott - Philip Pullman - John Blades - Oline H. Cogdill - Page Traynor - James Boylan - Janet L. Nelson - Mavis Reimer - Gail M. Gerhart - Jessica Wang - The Source - Bill Piekarski - Harold W. Jaffe - Jessica Wang - Elizabeth A. Muenger - Megan Cassidy-Welch - Jeffrey Merrick - John Gray - Gilles Kepel - Peter Bergen - Jeffrey Merrick - Paul Corner, Professor of European History, University of Siena - Paul Corner, Professor of European History, University of Siena - Jessica Wang - Jessica Wang - Mavis Reimer - Elizabeth A. Muenger - Norman A. Lockman - Terrence Hackett - Shannon Mullen - Jessica Wang - Paul Corner, Professor of European History, University of Siena - Peter Bergen - Gilles Kepel - John Gray - Michael Stern - Edmund Carlevale - Martin Sieff - Paul Corner, Professor of European History, University of Siena - Jessica Wang - Jessica Wang - Jessica Wang - Peter Bergen - Gilles Kepel - John Gray - Peter Bergen - Gilles Kepel - John Gray - Peter Bergen - Gilles Kepel - John Gray - Peter Bergen - Gilles Kepel - John Gray - Paul Corner, Professor of European History, University of Siena - Paul Corner, Professor of European History, University of Siena - New Statesman - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - Holy War, Inc. - New Statesman - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - Holy War, Inc. - New Statesman - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - Holy War, Inc. - New Statesman - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - Holy War, Inc. - American Historical Review - American Historical Review - American Historical Review - Publishers Weekly - The Washington Times - The Boston Globe - The American Lawyer - New Statesman - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - Holy War, Inc. - American Historical Review - Asbury Park Press - Chicago Tribune - USA Today - War, Literature, and the Arts - The Lion and the Unicorn - American Historical Review - American Historical Review - Forum for Modern Language Studies - American Historical Review - Holy War, Inc. - Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam - New Statesman - American Historical Review - H-France - War, Literature, and the Arts - American Historical Review - New England Journal of Medicine - Library Journal - The Source - American Historical Review - Foreign Affairs - The Lion and the Unicorn - American Historical Review - Columbia Journalism Review - Publishers Weekly - Publishers Weekly - Romantic Times BOOKreviews - South Florida Sun-Sentinel - Chicago Tribune - Kirkus Reviews - New York Times Book Review - San Francisco Chronicle - Booklist (starred review) - Publishers Weekly - Booklist - Altair - TV Week (Australia) - The Washington Post Book World - The Los Angeles Times Book Review - Booklist - Library Journal - Boston Globe - Library Journal - Library Journal Review - New York Post - About.com - Booklist, starred review - Publishers Weekly, starred review - San Francisco Chronicle - School Library Journal, starred review - Newsweek - Washington Post - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Parade - Publishers Weekly - Mystery News - Publishers Weekly - Chicago Tribune - Library Journal - The Washington Post - The Washington Times - Publishers Weekly - The Tampa Tribune - Booklist - Kirkus Reviews - Publishers Weekly - Altair - TV Week (Australia) - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - Library Journal - VOYA - Edmonton Journal - Bookpage - Rocky Mountain News - Minneapolis Star-Tribune - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist - SciFi.com - Publishers Weekly - Chronicle - Publishers Weekly - Publishers Weekly - The Dark Spiral - Chicago Tribune - Philadelphia Inquirer - The Orlando Sentinel - Booklist - The Australian Woman's Weekly - Time Out New York - Time Out New York - Library Journal - Cincinnati CityBeat - The Washington Post Book World - The Los Angeles Times Book Review - Booklist - Washington Post Book World - The New York Times - Philadelphia Inquirer - Newsweek - San Francisco Chronicle - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - The Associated Press - San Antonio Express-News - Booklist - Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) - Library Journal, Starred Review - Romantic Time Bookclub Magazine - Library Journal - Bookpage - Rocky Mountain News - Kirkus Reviews - The New York Times Book Review - The Atlantic Monthly - The Washington Post - Chicago Tribune Book World - The New York Times Book Review - Houston Chronicle - Los Angeles Times - The New York Times - San Francisco Chronicle - Time - Chicago Tribune - Publishers Weekly - Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Library Journal Review - New York Post - About.com - Publishers Weekly - Washington Post Book World - The New York Times - Philadelphia Inquirer - Newsweek - Newsweek - San Francisco Chronicle - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - The Associated Press - San Antonio Express-News - Booklist - Washington Post - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Parade - Publishers Weekly - Mystery News - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - Library Journal - Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) - The New York Times - Entertainment Weekly (A-) - USA Today - People Magazine - New Orleans Times-Picayune - Bookpage - Rocky Mountain News - Publishers Weekly - Fangoria - Publishers Weekly - Mystery News - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - Kirkus Reviews - Library Journal - New York Daily News - Publishers Weekly - The Dallas Morning News - The Guardian [UK - ] - The New York Times - The Times [UK - ] - Library Journal - Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) - The New York Times - Entertainment Weekly (A-) - USA Today - People Magazine - New Orleans Times-Picayune - Library Journal, Starred Review - Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) - Romantic Time Bookclub Magazine - Bookpage - Rocky Mountain News - Booklist - Publishers Weekly - USA Today - Pages Magazine - Booklist - Publishers Weekly - Fangoria - Romantic Times - El Paso Herald-Post - Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear, USA Today bestselling authors - Kirkus Reviews - Library Journal - Max Evans - Norman Zollinger - Publishers Weekly - Richard Wheeler - Rocky Mountain News - Tony Hillerman - Tulsa World - The Washington Post - Library Journal - Booklist - Entertainment Weekly - Boston Globe - Richmond Times-Dispatch - The Financial Times (London) - The Guardian (London) - The Sunday Independent (London) - Chicago Tribune - Chicago Tribune Book World - Houston Chronicle - Los Angeles Times - Publishers Weekly - San Francisco Chronicle - The Atlantic Monthly - The New York Times - The New York Times Book Review - The New York Times Book Review - The Washington Post - Time - Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Library Journal Review - New York Post - About.com - Publishers Weekly - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist - Booklist - Kirkus Reviews - Washington Post Book World - The New York Times - Philadelphia Inquirer - Newsweek - Newsweek - San Francisco Chronicle - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - The Associated Press - San Antonio Express-News - Booklist - Washington Post - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Parade - The Financial Times (London) - The Guardian (London) - The Sunday Independent (London) - Time Out New York - The New York Times - The Washington Times - The Guardian - The Observer - Financial Times - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books - The New York Times Book Review - Library Journal Review - New York Post - About.com - Booklist - The New York Times Book Review - Kirkus Reviews - Bulletin of Center for Children's Books - School Library Journal - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist - Publishers Weekly - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist, starred review - Publishers Weekly, starred review - San Francisco Chronicle - School Library Journal, starred review - Washington Post Book World - The New York Times - Philadelphia Inquirer - Newsweek - San Francisco Chronicle - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - The Associated Press - San Antonio Express-News - Booklist - Horn Book Magazine - School Library Journal - Publishers Weekly, starred review - Cory Doctorow, author of Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town - Janny Wurts, author of Traitor's Knot - Kevin J. Anderson - Nalo Hopkinson, author of The Salt Roads - Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author - USA Today - Dallas Morning News - Fantasy Review - Houston Post - Publisher's Weekly - The Denver Post - The Providence Sunday Journal - The Washington Post Book World - Publishers Weekly - Booklist - New York Times Book Review - Entertainment Weekly - Boston Globe - Richmond Times-Dispatch - South Florida Sun-Sentinel - Richmond Times-Dispatch - Booklist - South Florida Sun-Sentinel - Yoga Journal - The Financial Times (London) - The Guardian (London) - The Sunday Independent (London) - Newsweek - Booklist - Kirkus Reviews - Publishers Weekly (starred) - SF Site - The Dallas Morning News - New York Observer - Booklist - Salon.com - SF Site - The Good Book Guide - Publishers Weekly - Salon.com - SF Site - The Good Book Guide - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist - Booklist - Romantic Times Bookclub - Booklist - Kirkus Reviews - Entertainment Weekly - Kirkus - New Scientist - Newsday - Publishers Weekly - Realms of Fantasy - San Francisco Chronicle - The Sunday Times - The Washington Post - Time Out London - Wired - Entertainment Weekly - Kirkus - New Scientist - Newsday - Publishers Weekly - Realms of Fantasy - San Francisco Chronicle - The Sunday Times - The Washington Post - Time Out London - Wired - Interzone - Library Journal - SF Site - Kirkus - USA Today - Enigma - SF Site - Australian Bookseller and Publisher - Australian Jewish News - Marie Claire (Australia) - Vogue (Australia) - Enigma - SF Site - Publishers Weekly - Kirkus Reviews - Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine - Publishers Weekly - Kirkus Reviews - Kirkus Reviews - Booklist - SciFi.com - Entertainment Weekly - Kirkus - New Scientist - Newsday - Publishers Weekly - Realms of Fantasy - San Francisco Chronicle - The Sunday Times - The Washington Post - Time Out London - Wired - Los Angeles Times - Vanity Fair - New York Times Book Review - Rocky Mountain News - Library Journal - Publishers Weekly - Southern Living - Booklist - Publishers Weekly - Romantic Times - Midwest Book Review - Cincinnati Enquirer - Booklist - Publishers Weekly - Booklist - Romantic Times Bookclub - The New York Times - The Washington Times - Los Angeles Times - West Coast Review of Books - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - Booklist - Chicago Sun-Times - Rocky Mountain News - Chicago Tribune - New York Sun - Publishers Weekly - Fangoria - Horn Book Magazine - School Library Journal - USA Today - Entertainment Weekly - Boston Globe - Richmond Times-Dispatch - Entertainment Weekly - January Magazine - Booklist - Library Journal - Library Journal Review - New York Post - About.com - New York Observer - The New York Times Book Review - Publishers Weekly - The Knoxville News-Sentinel - The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction - Midwest Book Review - Santa Barbara News-Press - Newsweek - Library Journal - Greenwich Magazine - Time Out New York - New York Times Book Review - San Francisco Chronicle - Booklist (starred review) - Booklist - Kirkus Reviews - Publishers Weekly (starred) - Washington Post Book World - Publishers Weekly, starred review - Kirkus Reviews - Publishers Weekly - School Library Journal - Kirkus Reviews - Publishers Weekly - Altair - TV Week (Australia) - Publishers Weekly (starred review) - SF Site - New York Observer - The Economist - Publishers Weekly - Enigma - SF Site - Entertainment Weekly - Kirkus - New Scientist - Newsday - Publishers Weekly - Realms of Fantasy - San Francisco Chronicle - The Sunday Times - The Washington Post - Time Out London - Wired - Romantic Times - San Francisco Chronicle - Chicago Tribune - Washington Post - The Associated Press - San Antonio Express-News - Booklist - Kirkus Reviews - Library Journal - Booklist - The Guardian - The Observer - Financial Times - New York Observer - Houston Chronicle - Art Week - Christian Science Monitor - Charlotte Observer - Edmonton Journal - Richmond Times-Dispatch - Booklist - Publishers Weekly - Booklist - Time Out New York - Library Journal - Cincinnati CityBeat - Globe and Mail - Quill and Quire - Vancouver Sun - New York Times Magazine - The Washington Post - Library Journal - Booklist - Dallas Morning News - Newsweek - The Washington Post Book World - The Los Angeles Times Book Review - Booklist - Stephen Coonts - W.E.B. Griffin - Thomas Fleming - Walter J. Boyne - Pages Magazine - Chronicle - Publishers Weekly - Southern Living - Booklist - Publishers Weekly - Romantic Times - Midwest Book Review - Chicago Tribune
Review
"The most sustained firsthand description of life in Afghanistan to be produced by a foreign observer in recent years . . . exciting."—
Richard Bernstein, The New York Times"A work of substance and style, witty and moving by turns, never less than wholly passionate . . . What raises the book to the level of a classic is its intensely personal meditation on the magic of unplanned adventure, of the pain and pleasure of pushing into the unknown."—The Times (London)
"The surprise of the year: a lyrical, unrestrained and enthralling account of a journey into Afghanistan . . . I loved this book."—Daily Telegraph
"This extraordinary debut is an account of Elliot's two visits to Afghanistan. The first occurred when he joined the mujaheddin circa 1979 and was smuggled into Soviet-occupied Afghanistan; the second happened nearly ten years later, when he returned to the still war-torn land. The skirmishes that Elliot painstakingly describes here took place between the Taliban and the government of Gen. Ahmad Shah Massoud in Kabul. Today, the Taliban are in power, but Elliot's sympathies clearly lie with Massoud. Although he thought long and hard before abandoning his plan to travel to Hazara territory, where 'not a chicken could cross that pass without being fired on,' Elliot traveled widely in the hinterland, visiting Faizabad in the north and Herat in the west. The result is some of the finest travel writing in recent years. With its luminous descriptions of the people, the landscape (even when pockmarked by landmines), and Sufism, this book has all the hallmarks of a classic, and it puts Elliot in the same league as Robert Byron and Bruce Chatwin."—Library Journal
"An Unexpected Light is often unexpectedly funny and constantly perceptive, but it is also profound."—Jason Goodwin, The New York Times Book Review
"Elliot is an enthralling writer with a great gift for evoking places, people and atmosphere, from the pastoral calm of a fertile valley to the terrifying sights and sounds of war."—Merle Rubin, The Los Angeles Times
"Lyrical . . . alluring . . . a poignant remembrance, hued in the mixed reds of war and sunset, that comes close to a place that has already changed beyond imagination."—Paula Newberg, San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
"Humorous, honest and wry . . . [Elliot's] literary talents are exceptional. His sonorous prose moves forward with the purposeful grace of a river."—Publishers Weekly (starred)
"An Unexpected Light is an unexpected gift . . . Elliot's account is vivid and should broaden the reader's comprehension of an often misunderstood country."—Jonathan Shipley, Columbus Dispatch
"The author's impressive knowledge of Afghanistan's history, his seemingly boundless affection for its people, his understanding and respect for their culture and religion, and his flair for the language make this more than a casual travelogue. It is a plaintive love song whose discordant notes are provided by daily encounters with violence, hardship, and poverty."—Kirkus Reviews
"An Unexpected Light thoughtfully lays out new and overlooked information that policy-makers in the U.S. and the West as a whole need when trying to decide what may work."—Robert A. Lincoln, Richmond-Times Dispatch
"I am sure this book will soon be among the classics of travel."—Doris Lessing
"An astonishing debut: one of the most remarkable travel books this decade."—Willam Dalrymple
Review
"The most sustained firsthand description of life in Afghanistan to be produced by a foreign observer in recent years . . . exciting."
Richard Bernstein, The New York Times"A work of substance and style, witty and moving by turns, never less than wholly passionate . . . What raises the book to the level of a classic is its intensely personal meditation on the magic of unplanned adventure, of the pain and pleasure of pushing into the unknown."The Times (London)
"The surprise of the year: a lyrical, unrestrained and enthralling account of a journey into Afghanistan . . . I loved this book."Daily Telegraph
"This extraordinary debut is an account of Elliot's two visits to Afghanistan. The first occurred when he joined the mujaheddin circa 1979 and was smuggled into Soviet-occupied Afghanistan; the second happened nearly ten years later, when he returned to the still war-torn land. The skirmishes that Elliot painstakingly describes here took place between the Taliban and the government of Gen. Ahmad Shah Massoud in Kabul. Today, the Taliban are in power, but Elliot's sympathies clearly lie with Massoud. Although he thought long and hard before abandoning his plan to travel to Hazara territory, where 'not a chicken could cross that pass without being fired on,' Elliot traveled widely in the hinterland, visiting Faizabad in the north and Herat in the west. The result is some of the finest travel writing in recent years. With its luminous descriptions of the people, the landscape (even when pockmarked by landmines), and Sufism, this book has all the hallmarks of a classic, and it puts Elliot in the same league as Robert Byron and Bruce Chatwin."Library Journal
"An Unexpected Light is often unexpectedly funny and constantly perceptive, but it is also profound."Jason Goodwin, The New York Times Book Review
"Elliot is an enthralling writer with a great gift for evoking places, people and atmosphere, from the pastoral calm of a fertile valley to the terrifying sights and sounds of war."Merle Rubin, The Los Angeles Times
"Lyrical . . . alluring . . . a poignant remembrance, hued in the mixed reds of war and sunset, that comes close to a place that has already changed beyond imagination."Paula Newberg, San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
"Humorous, honest and wry . . . [Elliot's] literary talents are exceptional. His sonorous prose moves forward with the purposeful grace of a river."Publishers Weekly (starred)
"An Unexpected Light is an unexpected gift . . . Elliot's account is vivid and should broaden the reader's comprehension of an often misunderstood country."Jonathan Shipley, Columbus Dispatch
"The author's impressive knowledge of Afghanistan's history, his seemingly boundless affection for its people, his understanding and respect for their culture and religion, and his flair for the language make this more than a casual travelogue. It is a plaintive love song whose discordant notes are provided by daily encounters with violence, hardship, and poverty."Kirkus Reviews
"An Unexpected Light thoughtfully lays out new and overlooked information that policy-makers in the U.S. and the West as a whole need when trying to decide what may work."Robert A. Lincoln, Richmond-Times Dispatch
"I am sure this book will soon be among the classics of travel."Doris Lessing
"An astonishing debut: one of the most remarkable travel books this decade."Willam Dalrymple
Synopsis
Part historical evocation, part travelogue, and part personal quest,
An Unexpected Light is the account of Elliot's journey through Afghanistan, a country considered off-limits to travelers for twenty years. Aware of the risks involved, but determined to explore what he could of the Afghan people and culture, Elliot leaves the relative security of Kabul. He travels by foot and on horseback, and hitches rides on trucks that eventually lead him into the snowbound mountains of the North toward Uzbekistan, the former battlefields of the Soviet army's "hidden war." Here the Afghan landscape kindles a recollection of the author's life ten years earlier, when he fought with the anti-Soviet mujaheddin resistance during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
Weaving different Afghan times and visits with revealing insights on matters ranging from antipersonnel mines to Sufism, Elliot has created a narrative mosaic of startling prose that captures perfectly the powerful allure of a seldom-glimpsed world.
Description
Part travelogue, part historical evocation, part personal quest, and part reflection on the joys and perils of passage, An Unexpected Light is a remarkable, poignant book about Afghanistan and a heartfelt reflection on the experience of travel itself.
About the Author
Jason Elliot lives in London. This is his first book.