Winter in Kandahar [Paperback]

Steven E. Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2003

AFGHANISTAN- the name conjures images of rugged mountains, ancient cities, hardened Mujaheddin, a country rife with regional rivalries, and the eternal struggle between Tajik and Pashtun. Afghanistan comes to life in this epic adventure of love, betrayal, and war. Young Tajik Ahmed Jan¹s heroic journey begins in the Northern Alliance stronghold near Taloqan just a month prior to 9/11. He is swept away by the chaos that soon engulfs the country before a chance discovery propels him to the forefront of the clash between civilizations. Pursued by both the CIA and al-Qaeda, he struggles to save his people from obliteration and find the true meaning of life in a land where all seems lost.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Wilson's fictional account is a gift to readers, who want more than news accounts of current events facing our world.² -- Joan E. Phelps Co-owner, Lucky Press, LLC; co-author, Wham! Bam! Publishing.

"Wonderful! This timely novel is destined to be a classic in the genre of Laurence of Arabia." -- Rex Patterson

Author! Author! Great book- fast-paced, interesting, and highly entertaining. -- David Power, September 2003

Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist for 2004 in the category Best New Voice in Fiction! -- Publisher's Marketing Association, 2004

I loved Winter in Kandahar! It¹s a unique exploration of this troubled land. The ending is powerful, ironic, and perfect. -- Leslie Sabbagh, Jobson Publishing, LLC

This is an excellent thriller! Focuses on CIA and US special operations. The surprise ending is both entertaining and poignant. -- Bob Spear, Publisher and Chief Reviewer, Heartland Reviews, March, 2004 Bob Spear, Chief Reviewer, Heartland Reviews, 2004

About the Author

Steven E. Wilson is an internationally acclaimed eye surgeon and scientist. He is currently Staff Cornea and Refractive Surgeon and Director of Corneal Research at the Cole Eye Institute of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Wilson has authored more than 200 medical and scientific publications. Winter in Kanadahar is his first published work of fiction.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: H-G Books (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972948007
• ISBN-13: 978-0972948005
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #904,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Above Average Afghani Thriller!, July 18, 2004

By 

Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Winter in Kandahar (Paperback)

Various peoples of Turkic, Iranian and South Asian origins surround the rugged central Hindu Kush mountain range, but no single group absolutely dominates the nation known as Afghanistan. To the south and east of the Hindu Kush, live approximately 6.5 million Pashtun. They make-up the predominate population of the capital, Kabul, major cities like Jalalabad, Khost and Kandahar, and are almost exclusively Sunni Muslims. Virtually all Taliban are Pashtun. Dominating the mountainous northeast of the country are the Tajiks, numbering around 3.5 million within Afghanistan. They are the most powerful group in the Northern Alliance, and are mostly Sunni Muslims. Ethnic hatred and rivalries have existed between these two groups for centuries. "Winter In Kandahar," deals, in part, with the struggle between the Tajik and Pashtun, and a diabolical plot involving potential genocide.

Author Steven E. Wilson begins his extraordinary story in late August 2001, in Taloqan, Afghanistan. A young Tajik Mujaheddin, Ahmed Jan, lost his uncle, as he lost his father before him, in a battle with Taliban forces. Ahmed fights with the Northern Alliance and was ordered to report to Commander Ahmed Shah Massoud at the Khoje Bahauddin base on the Amu Dar'ya River. He reached Massoud in time to be present for the Commander's assassination by al Qaeda terrorists posing as TV journalists. The Lion of Panjshir was dead. The date was September 9, 2001.

Three months later, Ahmed Jan reports to elderly Mullah Habid in Kabul. The aging cleric holds a position of leadership with the Tajiks and the Alliance. During a brief period of captivity by the Taliban, the month before, Jan had discovered papers written in Arabic with information about a new, deadly biological weapon. His captors were overtaken and Jan escaped with the papers. The mullah and the young warrior read that the new weapon is to be delivered in Venice during Carnevale. A plan was also outlined to spread the pestilence in Panjsjit, among the Tajik population. Mullah Habid makes Ahmed Jan the leader of a mission to Amsterdam, which will eventually take him to Italy and America in pursuit of the deadly substance. Accompanying him are two men, Mustafa and Mohammedjan, who are to assist him in every way. They all have appropriate, falsified documents, passports and replacement papers, to use if needed. They are given a credit card and plenty of money to bribe their way through the Khyber Pass to Islamabad where they will catch a plane to the Netherlands. They are specifically told not to go to the Americans, who are "consumed with their own concerns."

Ahmed Jan and his countryman are in constant danger on this mission to save his people from ethnic cleansing. They are pursued by al Qaeda and the CIA. This is not just another predictable novel where the bad guys chase the good ones and, after a crisis and denouement, everyone lives happily, etc.. Jan has a medical background, having studied in Saudi Arabia before his country's last war, and comes up with an alternate use for the weapon of terror. The introduction of some scientific material, about genetics, is fascinating and adds much to the storyline. The ending, like the rest of the book, is powerful.

The characters are also extremely well developed and give the reader remarkable insight into their culture and customs. The men are all credible. The women are not as strong. There are three major romances, one for Ahmed Jan, and one for each comrade. Although I enjoyed the romantic aspect of the novel, three for three is a bit hokey. The narrative is well written, as is the dialogue, especially between the Tajiks.

I really enjoyed "Winter In Kandahar" and look forward to Mr. WIlson's next book. Highly recommended!
JANA

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL POIGNANT ADVENTURE-ROMANCE TALE FOR MEN AND WOMEN, June 5, 2005

By 

Will Granger "Avid reader" (Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Winter in Kandahar (Paperback)

My wife and I both became completely engrossed in this novel-although I was smitten from the start and for her it wasn't until the female characters come into the story in Pakistan. We've asked ourselves how Winter in Kandahar has remained so relatively unknown and the only explanation that makes sense is that this publisher just didn't have the budget to market it properly. We're hoping for a new novel by the author soon! To us no one has quite captured the essence of this epic tale like Ed Altmann and we've taken the liberty of reprinting his old review here.

Wilson's novel is an exciting, action packed mystery/adventure tale set in some of the most fascinating places in the world, ranging from Venice to Amsterdam, Seattle and Vancouver. It is, however, for its central locale, Afghanistan, that this work will be remembered for a long, long time. The plot involves bio-terrorism, the CIA, and the ongoing war. You feel as if you are reading current headlines with Taliban, al-Qaida, Mujaheddin, and other organizations racing through the pages in the non-stop action as the search for the ultimate weapon reaches across the world. The author weaves three love stories into his exciting plot. He even makes us believe (successfully) that an isolated cave, sealed and hidden in some of the most forlorn mountains of our planet can be a tremendously romantic hide-away for a pair of star-crossed lover. His descriptions of places are exciting and factually right on the mark. He takes us into these exotic worlds and we can almost taste the bread and the lamb stew; see the unusually decorated windows in Amsterdam; and sail the waters of Puget Sound. But it is his detailing of the characters, primary and secondary, that leaves an indelible mark on the page turning reader. He describes the motivations, the ancient histories still influencing these people as they love and kill across the pages. This is truly a window into a world that is almost every day in the newspaper headlines as even in Iraq, some of these influences are still extremely powerful.

On a personal note, when I left Afghanistan earlier this year, I carried a lot of baggage of conflicting, sometimes horrible, images back with me. Images of a fifteen year old boy struggling to walk on his hands down a crowded street as both his legs were amputated; of smiling little girls begging for their parents; of soldiers inviting me to play soccer and laughing with me; of people who had nothing and yet were generous; of a little girl who, with tears in her eyes answered my question about her parent's fate under the unbelievably cruel Taliban. Dr. Wilson's book places a perspective on these and other memories burned into me and for this I am grateful for his work. He takes us behind the headlines and into the minds of the people, whether they are Tajiks, Pashtuns, Pakistanis, or CIA. You will long remember and use this novel as a reference as our violent century unfolds around us. And, without giving away the ending, he performs an incredible sleight of hand at the end.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars RIGHT ON THE MONEY!, November 4, 2004

By 

Abe Thomas "Baseball Nut" (St. Cloud, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Winter in Kandahar (Paperback)

I just finished reading Winter in Kandahar after hearling Dr. Wilson on the radio around the first of October and hearing him predict the US would hear from al-Qaeda, either an attack (if they were capable at this time) or message of some sort on OCTOBER 29TH. Well, that was the exact day the latest bin Laden tape was released! He seemed very knowledgable on Afghanistan and al-Qaeda, so I ordered this book. I found the book gripping and filled with information I didn't know about the people of Afghanistan and the American invasion. I thought the story was it's strong point. It's an impressive novel.