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"What [Glavin] reports is not hateful, anti-Western spite perpetuated by 10 years of war and civilian casualties, but a sense of tentative optimism -- a better-than-before place where the people arebeginning to find solace in an environment of peace brought by foreign soldiers."
(The Martlet 20111125)"[Glavin] provides an alternative to the usual Western media portrait, particularly of Afghan women, who rely on foreigners for security while boldly rebuilding their society."
(Ms. Mag 20120104)An award-winning journalist overturns western stereotypes as he takes readers as he takes readers "outside the wire" of the war in Afghanistan and introduces the people whose defiant courage offers hope for the future.
Far from the Taliban's grim desert strongholds, the country we visit with Terry Glavin is a surprisingly welcoming place, hidden away in alleys and narrow streets that bustle with blacksmiths, gem hawkers and spice merchants. This is the unseen Afghanistan, reawakening from decades of savagery and bloodletting.
Glavin shows us how events have unfolded in Afghanistan since September 11, 2001. Travelling with fluent interpreters and Afghan human rights activists, Glavin meets people from many walks of life -- key political figures, teachers, journalists, farmers, students, burqa-shrouded women and soccer players -- and in these pages they speak for themselves. And in the life story of Afghan-Canadian writer, translator and activist Abdulrahim Parwani, he finds the story of Afghanistan's agonies over the past 30 years.
Celebrated as "a critical voice in the dialogue that sustains a civil society," Glavin is a co-founder of the Canada-Afghanistan Solidarity Committee and is increasingly seen as an expert on Canada's role in Afghanistan. He is also one of the best writers we have. Come from the Shadows mounts a passionately, marvellously readable challenge to the usual depiction of the war in Afghanistan. What, Glavin asks, has made the West incapable of hearing the voices of Afghans at the forefront of the global struggle against slavery, misogyny and tyranny? His answers are often unexpected and always illuminating.
(20120129)
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A revelation of Western ignorance,
This review is from: Come From The Shadows (Hardcover)
Great book! If you read only one book about the conflict in Afghanistan, this should be it. It takes the reader well beyond the headlines and the superficial assessment by Western mainstream media.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review) 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buy 2 copies of thsi book immediately!,
By Frederick Litwin - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Come From The Shadows (Hardcover)
Don't think another minute. Buy two copies of this book and give one to a friend. They will thank you profusely for your thoughtful gift. Terry Glavin is one of Canada's most important writers. Given that most journalists today actually practice stenography, Terry is a throwback to something real - a journalist who actually asks the hard questions and actually goes where he needs to be. I should say up front that I am a friend of Terry's, so I am biased - but that doesn't make me wrong. "Come From The Shadows" not only gives you an accurate history of Afghanistan, but Terry takes you on a tour of the country through the eyes of Afghans. And, you'll discover a people yearning for peace and security - and people who appreciate the sacrifices that many countries have endured in the fight against savage Talibanism. Glavin also analyzes the anti-war left and this part of the book should be required reading in every school and University. Needless to say, he is disgusted that many on the left seen anxious to abandon the Afghan people - and, for some reason, resigned to the Taliban taking over again. And, as Glavin says over and over again, who can blame the Afghans for putting their bets on the Taliban when they see the West wavering and unsure in our commitment to democracy. Essential reading and once you discover Terry Glavin, you'll want to read his other books and his blog.
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