Product Description

When U.S. bombs started raining on the Taliban, Rall jumped on a plane straight to the war zone to get the real story for himself. He provides a decidedly different take on this gritty war. Featuring, as its centerpiece, a 50-page graphic novel travelogue of his experience as a war correspondent, it also includes Rall's articles, cartoons and photos as filed from the front for the Village Voice and syndicated throughout America.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #539301 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781561633593
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Rall (2024) is a talented comics artist and a contrarian journalist who has challenged what he perceives to be sacred cows by calling Pulitzer Prize-winning comics artist Art Spiegelman overrated and labeling some September 11 widows as golddiggers. This book records his experiences during a trip to Afghanistan during the U.S. bombing. It includes prose columns Rall wrote for the Village Voice and a graphic novel that captures his talent for smart, ironically comic observation even in hellishly dangerous circumstances. A longtime visitor to and commentator on Central Asia, Rall knows his way around war-torn nations. He journeys by convoy with about 45 journalists, separating himself from them by his determination to travel simply and cheaply. And what a trip: eight journalists are killed by the time he reaches eastern Afghanistan. He must deal with finding a warm place to sleep, keeping his phone charged ($40 a day) and the constant worry of being killed by Afghani soldiers or U.S. bombs. Rall slams victory claims in a war in which adversaries simply change sides when they lose. He suffers a procession of Afghanis out to hustle him for money and lampoons the media for covering the conflict as if it were another celebrity murder trial. But Rall's claims about clueless media reporting aren't fully true (there were regular U.S. press accounts of both civilian casualties and violent ground conditions), and his diatribes about U.S. military action suggest that, to be valid, every war effort must be perfectly executed. Nevertheless, his book joins Joe Sacco's accounts of life in Palestine and Bosnia as a tremendous contribution to comics war journalism.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-For those who have come to the realization that learning about Afghanistan, the "war on terrorism," and Islam is of paramount importance but who have little inclination to turn to the many weighty tomes on these subjects, Rall's "graphic travelogue" just may start them on their way. The author, a journalist who spent time in Afghanistan during the U.S.'s military strikes, fascinates and appalls with this undiluted account. He spent three weeks in a "14th-century" country with only five paved roads, where sleeping in unheated rooms with fleas and scorpions were the norm, and where both 11-year-old soldiers and exploding grenades and bombs were commonplace. He describes corruption and treachery, violence, and death; he records the murder of a journalist "killed for his money" the same night he barely escaped a similar fate. By turns cynical, angry, and ironic, Rall's slim record reminds readers of the difficulties-and danger-of culture clash and points out the "Escheresque conundrum" facing the United States as a result of 9/11. His views run counter to current, uncritical jingoism, yet for that reason are noteworthy and valuable. With introductory chapters on Afghanistan, 9/11, and the military campaign; a graphic center section; and a post-mortem, this essay/editorial/illustrated travelogue will challenge readers, provoke many thoughtful discussions, and kindle interest in a people and place.
Dori DeSpain, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Late last year editorial cartoonist Rall, whose inflammatory work makes his colleagues' work seem timid as a Jay Leno monologue, traveled to Afghanistan to discover the effects of the U.S. bombing campaign on ordinary people there. His "graphic travelogue," drawn in his characteristically quirky, vaguely cubist style, discloses that life under the Northern Alliance differs little from life under the Taliban; that virtually nothing is the way it appeared on CNN; and that being a war correspondent is harrowing and dangerous--3 of the 45 reporters who entered the country with Rall were killed within two weeks. In addition to the comic-strip center section, the book includes more traditional, albeit heavily opinionated, reportage that first appeared in the Village Voice. If Rall's approach lacks the nuance and sophistication of his fellow war-zone comics-journalist Joe Sacco, his rage over U.S. policy, which he views as driven by vengeance and oil, gives his reporting undeniable power. For alternative views of post-9/11 politics, don't pass up this small, potent volume. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

a must-read
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.

He lived there
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.

To Hell and Back
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."