Opium Season: A Year on the Afghan Frontier (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: opium season, logistics assistant, deputy team leader, Sher Muhammad, Haji Habibullah, Land Cruiser (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A wrenching account of lofty hopes and bitter disappointments."--The New York Times

 

"Laden with urgent information and stinging political insights."-- Booklist

 

"His personal narrative gracefully introduces this complex and troubled land."-- Publishers Weekly

 

"The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in the aftermath of 9/11 has resulted in another wretched chapter in the recent history of that volatile country. Six years after the overthrow of its fundamentalist Taliban government, chaos and uncertainty characterize daily life there. Notwithstanding elections that have led to the establishment of a nominal central government in Kabul, the country continues to exhibit all the hallmarks of a failed state. The opium trade has once again become the most important source of revenue in Afghanistan, where a combination of opium growers and the so-called warlords exercise more political and socioeconomic control than do the country’s elected officials and its government. This very readable and engaging book recounts the harshness of daily life in Afghanistan, as seen from the vantage point of an American who spent a year in the country’s rugged Helmand province for an aid organization seeking to train farmers to cultivate other crops than opium. The author, who has published articles on Afghanistan, describes in a diary format his experience of violent political intrigue and criminal alliances resulting in the murderous drug trafficking, and the impossibility of his mission, in that country. Recommended for public libraries."
—Nader Entessar, Univ. of South Alabama, Mobile, Library Journal

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description

A young American working on the brutal fault line where the war on terror meets the war on drugs. Joel Hafvenstein signed up for a year in Afghanistan in the heart of the country's opium trade, running an American-funded aid program to help thousands of opium poppy farmers make a legal living, and to win hearts and minds away from the former Taliban government. The author was soon caught up in the deadly intrigues of Helmand's drug trafficking warlords. Click here to read the review in The New York Times or for more information on this title go to opiumseason.com.

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Product Details Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: The Lyons Press (November 1, 2007) Language: English ISBN-10: 1599211319 ISBN-13: 978-1599211312 Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #282,375 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #16 in  Books > Travel > Asia > Afghanistan #91 in  Books > History > Asia > Central Asia

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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
opium season, logistics assistant, deputy team leader, poppy eradication, opium gum, funeral convoy, acceptable casualties, monitoring officer, disarmament campaign, intelligence police, poppy cultivation

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sher Muhammad, Haji Habibullah, Land Cruiser, Musa Qala, Mullah Omar, Helmand River, Jim Graham, Elder Odysseus, Dick Scott, Land Rovers, Engineer Dawari, All Asghar, Hayat Khan, Amu Darya, Elder Priam, Yaqub Roshan, Kajaki Dam, Mir Ahmad, Mir Wali, Raz Muhammad, King Zahir, Gulbuddin Hekmetyar, Ahmad Shah Massoud, West Kabul, Dave Guier

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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	80% buy the item featured on this page: Opium Season: A Year on the Afghan Frontier 4.7 out of 5 stars (12) $18.21
	6% buy Seeds of Terror: How Heroin Is Bankrolling the Taliban and al Qaeda 3.9 out of 5 stars (20) $17.13
	6% buy Descent into Chaos: The U.S. and the Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia 4.1 out of 5 stars (46) $12.24
	4% buy Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia 4.6 out of 5 stars (152) $11.56

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews 5 star:  (9) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.7 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 15 of 16 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A Brief Introduction to an Impossible Task, October 29, 2007 By  E. Blockley "ewinbee" (Columbus, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Joel Hafvenstein's first book somehow manages to juggle the anecdotal familiarity of an autobiographical travellogue with the clinical objectivity of a historical text... somehow leaving the "clinical" by the wayside. Most Americans saw it on the news that a group of aid workers were killed in Afghanistan in May of 2005. But if that's the extent of your knowledge about aid projects or Afghanistan, ten pages of this book could change your entire perspective on the event. Each chapter introduces you to the aid workers of Chemonics, both Afghani and foreign, with Hafvenstein's signature warmth of loving description. Every page details the near-impossibility of the glass mountain that they climb, endeavoring to help underprivileged agricultural laborers in a country where almost all of the power is in the hands of those who have a vested interest in opium. Every page is a heart-rending yet hopeful account of the unending work that they do in the face of results that may or may not, in the end, be meaningful to the people who need help the most. And as you get to know the people he introduces you to, and as you grow to truly appreciate the dragons they face, you suddenly realize that this book is a true story... and that at the end of this book, some of these characters you have grown to love will die. Hafvenstein has immortalized for the world several lives that may otherwise be forgotten in the endlessly fickle noise of the evening news. As it turns out, they are lives well worth reading about. And once you've encompassed the content of the book, the rest is merely a discussion of the talent of the writer. I found that this account of life and work in Afghanistan nearly reads itself... that, despite the incredible depth of information inside, which in and of itself will have me doing a re-read very shortly. Hafventstein has done something rather masterful with his history: he's used every single historical detail to add nuance and interest to every event in the story. Thus you find out how spats between groups of police are actually related to territorial disputes going back for decades... this could easily become dry, but in fact, it remains steadily and even increasingly fascinating as the pages turn. Another facet of Hafvenstein's particular style: he has a way of writing about the horrors of war and corruption without ranting like a polemicist. His words gather you in, presenting the facts as they happened and respecting your sensibilities enough to let you realize for yourself what it must have been like. But when he describes his own reactions to the things that happened, he switches to a nakedly honest account of his own emotions and motives that I can only wish were more encouraged in journalism. This is a well-written book... even if it weren't more worthy of being read simply because of its vast importance. People, despite the impossibility of the task, are still doing some good in these countries. Joel, his wife, and countless others will spend their lives chipping steadily away in an effort to make the life of even a single war-ravaged village slightly better. This book somehow explains to you why they're doing it, even while carefully detailing how incredibly difficult it has always been and will continue to be. 10 of 12 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing and Incisive Look at Afghanistan and International Development, October 23, 2007 By  Louna "Louna" (USA) - See all my reviews This vivid memoir both tells a gripping story and demonstrates the enormous problems with the U.S.'s current approach to aid and development work in Afghanistan. Despite the best of intentions and the heroic work efforts detailed in this book, Chemonics and its Afghan workers ultimately not only failed in their attempt to provide alternative livelihoods for opium farmers but, in some cases, lost their lives in the struggle. At best, they provided a brief respite from the chaos and terror that has now returned to the province of Helmand. It's amazing that the author has retained his faith in international development and his love for Afghanistan. 6 of 7 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, December 6, 2007 By  Matthew W. Weems (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I read new books on Afghanistan whenever I can. Visiting Afghanistan seems to bring lunacy to the surface in westerners. Joel Hafvenstein retained his sanity and wrote a good common sense book about an experience that must have been really painful. His writing is easy to read, very expressive, and he does a superb job of explaining the local politics that cripple our efforts there and which we understand so poorly. This is easily the best personal experience book written by an American about Afghanistan so far.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent personal narrative I read this book last summer and immediately afterwards read "Three Cups of Tea" from Greg Mortenson. I have to say that I found Opium Season a much better book! Read more Published 12 months ago by world reader 5.0 out of 5 stars Rings true to me I just retired as a USAID Foreign Service Officer after 26 years of service. Although I didn't work in Afghanistan (I just spent the last 3 years in post tsunami Sri Lanka) I... Read more Published 17 months ago by M. Gould 5.0 out of 5 stars treacherous development A very sad story, but simply and strongly written. Mr Hafverstein worked in Afghanistan as part of a U.S. Read more Published 17 months ago by Mike B 5.0 out of 5 stars The Opium Season: A Year on the Afghan Frontier Vivid, passionate writing. Reveals through personal experience, the complexity of Afghan culture and the failing of US foreign policy. jms Published 19 months ago by Joanna M. Shaw 4.0 out of 5 stars Inside the world of development contractors and the dangerous world they work in Joel Hafvenstein provides a detailed account of a year in Afghanistan trying to provide wage work for farmers who would otherwise certainly be growing opium poppies. Read more Published 21 months ago by Katherine Jensen 5.0 out of 5 stars Massively more exciting than my college lectures, and lots more edifying than my other pleasure reading Reading the Opium Season felt like reading a first-rate adventure novel starring a particularly likeable and honest protagonist. Read more Published 22 months ago by Matthew Adam 5.0 out of 5 stars Telling it like it is Immensely readable and impressively honest. This is a great way to learn about Afghanistan's tortured history and what aid work actually involves on the ground. Read more Published 22 months ago by alex partridge 3.0 out of 5 stars Good first effort Although it probably wasn't intentional on the authors part, the main point I took away from the book was the general incompetence of American bureaucracy when it comes to dealing... Read more Published 22 months ago by A. MacCabe 5.0 out of 5 stars An extremely good read. Mr. Hafvenstein is one of the best young non-fiction writers I have read in a while. The subject matter is fascinating, and this book introduces it well without oversimplifying... Read more Published 24 months ago by Jens Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press (November 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599211319
• ISBN-13: 978-1599211312
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #282,375 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #16 in	Books > Travel > Asia > Afghanistan
  #91 in	Books > History > Asia > Central Asia

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brief Introduction to an Impossible Task, October 29, 2007

By	E. Blockley "ewinbee" (Columbus, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Joel Hafvenstein's first book somehow manages to juggle the anecdotal familiarity of an autobiographical travellogue with the clinical objectivity of a historical text... somehow leaving the "clinical" by the wayside.

Most Americans saw it on the news that a group of aid workers were killed in Afghanistan in May of 2005. But if that's the extent of your knowledge about aid projects or Afghanistan, ten pages of this book could change your entire perspective on the event. Each chapter introduces you to the aid workers of Chemonics, both Afghani and foreign, with Hafvenstein's signature warmth of loving description. Every page details the near-impossibility of the glass mountain that they climb, endeavoring to help underprivileged agricultural laborers in a country where almost all of the power is in the hands of those who have a vested interest in opium. Every page is a heart-rending yet hopeful account of the unending work that they do in the face of results that may or may not, in the end, be meaningful to the people who need help the most. And as you get to know the people he introduces you to, and as you grow to truly appreciate the dragons they face, you suddenly realize that this book is a true story... and that at the end of this book, some of these characters you have grown to love will die.

Hafvenstein has immortalized for the world several lives that may otherwise be forgotten in the endlessly fickle noise of the evening news. As it turns out, they are lives well worth reading about.

And once you've encompassed the content of the book, the rest is merely a discussion of the talent of the writer. I found that this account of life and work in Afghanistan nearly reads itself... that, despite the incredible depth of information inside, which in and of itself will have me doing a re-read very shortly. Hafventstein has done something rather masterful with his history: he's used every single historical detail to add nuance and interest to every event in the story. Thus you find out how spats between groups of police are actually related to territorial disputes going back for decades... this could easily become dry, but in fact, it remains steadily and even increasingly fascinating as the pages turn.

Another facet of Hafvenstein's particular style: he has a way of writing about the horrors of war and corruption without ranting like a polemicist. His words gather you in, presenting the facts as they happened and respecting your sensibilities enough to let you realize for yourself what it must have been like. But when he describes his own reactions to the things that happened, he switches to a nakedly honest account of his own emotions and motives that I can only wish were more encouraged in journalism.

This is a well-written book... even if it weren't more worthy of being read simply because of its vast importance. People, despite the impossibility of the task, are still doing some good in these countries. Joel, his wife, and countless others will spend their lives chipping steadily away in an effort to make the life of even a single war-ravaged village slightly better. This book somehow explains to you why they're doing it, even while carefully detailing how incredibly difficult it has always been and will continue to be.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing and Incisive Look at Afghanistan and International Development, October 23, 2007

By	Louna "Louna" (USA) - See all my reviews

This vivid memoir both tells a gripping story and demonstrates the enormous problems with the U.S.'s current approach to aid and development work in Afghanistan. Despite the best of intentions and the heroic work efforts detailed in this book, Chemonics and its Afghan workers ultimately not only failed in their attempt to provide alternative livelihoods for opium farmers but, in some cases, lost their lives in the struggle. At best, they provided a brief respite from the chaos and terror that has now returned to the province of Helmand. It's amazing that the author has retained his faith in international development and his love for Afghanistan.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, December 6, 2007

By	Matthew W. Weems (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read new books on Afghanistan whenever I can. Visiting Afghanistan seems to bring lunacy to the surface in westerners. Joel Hafvenstein retained his sanity and wrote a good common sense book about an experience that must have been really painful. His writing is easy to read, very expressive, and he does a superb job of explaining the local politics that cripple our efforts there and which we understand so poorly. This is easily the best personal experience book written by an American about Afghanistan so far.