Afghanistan: Crossroads and Kingdoms: My 1970s Peace Corps Service and Recent Afghan History (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781950444694)

In 1971, at age 22, Toby Marion joined the Peace Corps. He was tasked with training high school science teachers in rural Afghanistan, and later with teaching in the Faculty of Engineering in Kabul.

In text rich with description and detail, Toby relates his experiences living among a Farsi-speaking Muslim people, learning their language, their culture, their literature, their food.

At the time Afghanistan was desperately poor, characterized by an ancient Islamic culture, a Pashtun monarchy and Farsi-speaking minorities descended from ancient Central Asian empires. The people readily accepted and welcomed American support. However, at this time towards the end of the Cold War, a revolution under the influence of the USSR was at hand.

Toby's meticulous research into the historical background of Afghanistan's chaotic past will help the reader understand why this time period was the beginning of fifty years of strife and tragedy, culminating with America's unsuccessful efforts at nation building.

Author: Guy Toby Marion
ISBN-10: 1950444694
ISBN-13: 9781950444694
Publisher: Peace Corps Writers Book
Language: English
Published: 01/12/2024
Pages: 280
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.83lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.59d