Customer Reviews

To Afghanistan and Back: A Graphic Travelougue

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In little more than a hundred pages, Rall dissects and analyzes the recent war on terrorism in Afghanistan and shows why it may never be won. Eye-opening, frightening, and dispiriting. I do have some minor quibbles with it, though-- there is some repetition between the graphic novel and the written portion, and his characterization of the Afghanis themselves is sometomes contradictory. Still, this is essential reading. I've always hated the phrase, "If you read only one book this year, make it this one," but in this case, it holds true.

I liked this book alot. But, the truth is that Ted could have made this book much much better, simply by organizing it better. First things first, while it possibly looked interesting to the editors, I found it disjointing how the book was a little bit book, then a little bit comic then a little bit book again.

Creative? yes, Functional? No. I'd stick the whole editorial "book" as a second chapter or as an Appendix. They're interesting on their own, but not when I'm in the middle of a quick moving comic. Besides which, the "book" part went over the same events in the comic.

Also, I had to kick myself when I found that 20 pages into the comic, the comic finishes. Oh man, I needed at least 60 pages to get some satisfaction...what are you going to do, the dude came home.

Lastly, some of his "facts" weren't facts, or I'm an idiot reading all the wrong sources. I dont think Ted does it on purpose, but he does state stuff that I haven't found true....ie. "French reporter gang raped by the Taliban"

All in all, I enjoyed it, definatly worth the time he put into it.

If you want to get a grasp about what Afghanistan is really about you need to read this book.

If you think that Iraq was a diversion from the just war against the evil ones in Afghanistan, think again. Ted went there and reported things in 2003 that are just now (2006) making it into the media in this country.

If you can't figure out why the guys in the white hats can't seem to beat the guys in the black hats, this will help. Otherwise, keep watching General Pace tell you that by every objective measure the War On Terror is going very, very well.

This is a fascinating book full of truth you won't find anywhere else.

In this book, Rall chronicles his trip to Afghanistan that starts shortly after the U.S. begins bombing it. Rall has pretty in-depth knowledge of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and other neighboring countries, their customs, languages and other things.

Afghanistan is basically like any other country - rapists in the middle of the street, 15 year olds standing on roof tops with guns, bombs dropping from the sky, horribly hot or cold weather, panhandlers, kill anyone you feel like there is no law, Middle Ages lifestyle.. you know the normal :) (as you can tell i'm being sarcastic about Afghanistan being normal)

Actually I was really surprised about how Afghanistan was described. Our media, which I followed non-stop from October 2001 and on, described everything very differently. "Everything is wonderful" or "Great progress is being made" they said. I don't understand how some journalists can actually go to Afghanistan, see what is going on and still not do critical reporting.

Rall's experiences ranged from: possibly being killed, to not knowing who to trust. In Afghanistan - Taliban fighters getting a shave and turn into Northern Alliance members. Pornography, alcohol and opium are rampant. It is chaos and a mess. People are walking around and they step on a land mine and they are blown to smithereens. If you want to get anywhere you have to pay starving and dirt poor Afghans a ton of money for help and transportation. A British BBC reporter's skin gets ripped!! From some maniac Taliban members.

After all this death and despair, you may be wondering what solution Rall comes up with. Well it is neither the left or right solution - it is basically to leave Afghanistan and let them take care of themselves. After the Soviet invasion, Northern Alliance feuds, Taliban and U.S. bombings, maybe Rall has a good point.

Even after his near death experiences, horrible rashes and other problems, Rall says in the beginning of his book: my friends said don't go to Afghanistan and I answered by saying "there are millions of people who live there everyday, i'm only going to be there for a couple of weeks. Please think about them when you read this book."

First-hand reporting on the feelings of the various combatants in Afghanistan. Thoroughly enjoyable. Not for those who believe the U.S. is always saintly in foreign policy.

Basically a graphic novel with alternating chapters of prose. Rall's experience in Afghanistan is harrowing but humourus at the same time. This is a great book for anyone interested in the Central Asian region.

The average U.S. citizen's knowledge of the world is woefully inadequate. For citizens of a supposed representative democracy that has so many irons in so many global fires, this is inexcusable. Our knowledge of Afghanistan (and the Central Asian region) falls deeply into this dynamic. Ted Rall goes a long way toward ameliorating this problem with this book. His first-hand analysis of the complex and bloody politics of Afghanistan put the 2001 U.S. invasion of this horribly beleaguered nation into a valuable perspective.

"To Afghanistan and Back: A Graphic Travelogue," by Ted Rall, is one of the most fascinating texts to emerge from the post-9/11 era of war. The book's dustcover notes that it is an updated edition with new material at the end. Although this book has a copyright date of 2002, its epilogue (pages 111-126) is dated May 3, 2003. The book also contains a brief introduction by political humorist Bill Maher. In the epilogue Rall notes that he went to Afghanistan in November and December 2001 in order to cover the U.S.-led war there for "The Village Voice" and KFI radio. The book is a striking blend of elements: Rall's reports from the war zone, photographs from the war zone, a three-chapter "graphic novella" about Rall's experience as war correspondent, and a generous helping of stand-alone cartoons about the war and post-9/11 America.

A core theme of the book is Rall's claim that the mainstream media fed the public a load of "mindless jingoism" instead of truthful reportage; he describes his Afghan mission as an attempt "to separate propaganda from reality." In the course of the book Rall satirizes mainstream media, the U.S. military, U.S. foreign policy, and the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance. His view of the U.S. military is particularly scathing. In the graphic novella U.S. military personnel are invisible, distant, but dangerous agents of indiscriminate violence; in the stand-alone cartoons, they are grotesque and destructive parodies. Rall creates a pungent, nightmarish portrait of wartime Afghanistan, and describes in great detail the dangers, discomforts, and frustrations endured by himself and other journalists. War itself is depicted as an ambiguous, messy, and even absurd enterprise.

Rall's passion is evident and admirable, but the book is at times hurt by his arrogant tone. He sometimes sounds a little too convinced about the absolute truth of his own opinions, such as when he declares the Afghan war to be "merely an escalation of genocide," or when he claims that the war "will accomplish exactly nothing." With statements like those Rall strikes me as being as narrow of vision as some of the folks that he mocks elsewhere. Still, this is a bracing and thought-provoking book; Rall skillfully and effectively blends text, photography, and comic art into a compelling whole. I highly recommend "To Afghanistan" for all those with a serious interest in the Afghanistan campaign; as a military veteran of that campaign, I greatly appreciate Rall's work.

An amazingly concise and chillingly realistic account of a crazy situation brought on paper in a powerful way.
What words and photos don't always express, Rall transfer in cartoons. You'll feel like freezing on the outskirts of Mazar E-Sharif and chased by bandits ...
If you think "Maus : A Survivor's Tale : My Father Bleeds History and Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman, is well done, rush for that one too.
If you didn't read any of them - go for both. Even faster !