{"product_id":"9781399802505-in-a-land-far-from-home","title":"In a Land Far from Home","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA John Murray Journey\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA vivid new translation of a Bengali classic -- Syed Mujtaba Ali's account of his travels in 1920s Afghanistan.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY TARAN KHAN, author of \u003ci\u003eShadow City\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTRANSLATED FROM BENGALI BY NAZES AFROZ\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn intrepid traveller and true cosmopolitan, legendary Bengali writer Syed Mujtaba Ali spent a year and a half teaching in Kabul from 1927 to 1929. Curious to explore Afghan society, Mujtaba Ali had access to a cross-section of Kabul's population, and in \u003ci\u003eIn a Land Far from Home \u003c\/i\u003ehe chronicles his experiences with a keen eye and a wicked sense of humour.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMujtaba Ali's travels coincided with a critical point in Afghanistan's history: when the reformist King Amanullah tried to steer his country towards modernity by encouraging education for girls and giving them the choice of removing the burqa. Branded a 'kafir', Amanullah was overthrown by the bandit leader Bacha-e-Saqao. With striking parallels to twenty-first century events in the region, \u003ci\u003eIn a Land Far From Home \u003c\/i\u003eis the only first-hand account of this tumultuous period by a non-Afghan.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProviding a unique perspective, Mujtaba Ali's fascinating account is brought to life by contact with a colourful cast of characters at all levels of society -- from the garrulous Pathan Dost Muhammed and the gentle Russian giant Bolshov, to his servant, Abdur Rahman and his partner in tennis, the Crown Prince Enayatullah.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40138813898849,"sku":"9781399802505","price":10.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/products\/stand_8125828_jpg.jpg?v=1706931628","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781399802505-in-a-land-far-from-home","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}