Download or read book The Book of Abdul Qader Bedil written by Abdul-Qader Bedil and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-01-29 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE BOOK OF ABDUL-QADER BEDIL Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Mirza Abdul-Qader Bedil (1644-1721) is one of the most respected poets from Afghanistan. In the early 17th century, his family moved from Balkh to India, to live under the Mughul dynasty. He was born and educated near Patna. In his later life he spent time travelling and visiting ancestral lands. His writings in Persian are extensive, being one of the creators of the 'Indian style'. Bedil's 16 books of poetry contain nearly 147,000 couplets. With Ghalib he is considered a master of the complicated 'Indian Style' of the ghazal. He had complicated views on the nature of God, heavily influenced by the Sufis. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these beautiful and often mystical poems including ghazals, ruba'is, qit'as, bino rhymes, masnavi, mukhammas. Introduction on The Life and Times and Poetry of Bedil, Some of the Many Forms of Poems in Persian in which Bedil composed poems, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art & Use of Poetry, and a Selected Bibliography. Large Format Paperback, 7" x 10" Pages... 173. COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'. "It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. "Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of mystical works in English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. "Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author of his own poems inspired by Hafiz). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets from the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre. Lalla Ded, Mahsati and others, and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and 12 screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com

Download or read book Life and works of Abdul Qadir Bedil written by Abdul Ghani and published by . This book was released on 1960 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Life and Works of Abdul Qadir Bedil written by ʻAbdulg̲h̲anī and published by . This book was released on 1960 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Bedil Life and Poems written by Paul Smith and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-05-13 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BEDIL: LIFE & POEMS Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith Mirza Abdul-Qader Bedil (1644-1721) is one of the most respected poets from Afghanistan. In the early 17th century, his family moved from Balkh to India, to live under the Mughul dynasty. He was born and educated near Patna. In his later life he spent time travelling and visiting ancestral lands. His writings in Persian are extensive, being one of the creators of the 'Indian style'. Bedil's 16 books of poetry contain nearly 147,000 couplets. With Ghalib he is considered a master of the complicated 'Indian Style' of the ghazal. He had complicated views on the nature of God, heavily influenced by the Sufis. The rhyme-structure has been kept and the meaning of these beautiful, mystical poems. Introduction on The Life and Poetry of Bedil, Forms in which Bedil composed poems, Bibliography. Pages... 90. Introduction to Sufi Poets Series Life & Poems of the following Sufi poets, Translations & Introductions: Paul Smith AMIR KHUSRAU, ANSARI, ANVARI, AL-MA'ARRI, 'ATTAR, ABU SA'ID, AUHAD UD-DIN, BABA FARID, BABA AZFAL, BABA TAHIR, BEDIL, BULLEH SHAH, DARA SHIKOH, GHALIB, HAFIZ, IBN 'ARABI, IBN YAMIN, IBN AL-FARID, IQBAL, 'IRAQI, JAHAN KHATUN, JAMI, KAMAL AD-DIN, KHUSHAL KHAN KHATTAK, KABIR, KHAQANI, KHAYYAM, LALLA DED, MAHSATI, MAJNUN, MAKHFI, MANSUR HALLAJ, MU'IN UD-DIN CHISHTI, NAZIR AKBARABADI, NESIMI, NIZAMI, OBEYD ZAKANI, RAHMAN BABA, RUDAKI, RUMI, SANA'I, SADI, SARMAD, SHAH LATIF, SHAH NI'MAT'ULLAH, SULTAN BAHU, YUNUS EMRE. 90 pages each. Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 150 books of Sufi poets from the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre. Lalla Ded, Mahsati and others, and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays. www.newhumanitybooksbookheaven.com

Download or read book The Book of Bidel Dehlavi written by Mirza Bidel and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-03-19 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE BOOK OF BIDEL DEHLAVI Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Mirza Abdul-Qader Bidel (1644-1721) is one of the most respected poets from Afghanistan. In the early 17th century, his family moved from Balkh to India, to live under the Mughul dynasty. He was born and educated near Patna but spent most of his life in Dehli. In his later life he spent time travelling and visiting ancestral lands. His writings in Persian are extensive, being one of the creators of the 'Indian style'. Bidel's 16 books of poetry contain nearly 147,000 couplets. With Ghalib he is considered a master of the 'Indian Style' of the ghazal. He had complicated views on the nature of God, heavily influenced by the Sufis. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these often mystical poems including ghazals, ruba'is, qit'as, bino rhymes, masnavis, mukhammas. Introduction on The Life and Times and Poetry of Bidel, Some of the Many Forms of Poems in Persian in which Bedil composed poems, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art & Use of Poetry, and a Selected Bibliography. Large Format Paperback, 7" x 10" Pages... 241. COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'. "It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran. "Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of mystical works in English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. "Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author of his own poems inspired by Hafiz). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets from the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre. Lalla Ded, Mahsati and others, and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and 12 screenplays. www.newhumanitybooks.com

Download or read book MIRZA ABDUL QADER BEDIL Selected Poems Large Print Large Format Edition written by and published by . This book was released on 2020-05-03 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: MIRZA ABDUL-QADER BEDIL Selected Poems (Large Print & Large Format Edition) Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith Mirza Abdul-Qader Bedil (1644-1721) is one of the most respected poets from Afghanistan. In the early 17th century, his family moved from Balkh to India, to live under the Mughul dynasty. He was born and educated near Patna. In his later life he spent time travelling and visiting ancestral lands. His writings in Persian are extensive, being one of the creators of the 'Indian style'. Bedil's 16 books of poetry contain nearly 147,000 couplets. With Ghalib he is considered a master of the complicated 'Indian Style' of the ghazal. He had complicated views on the nature of God, heavily influenced by the Sufis. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of all of these beautiful and often mystical poems. This is the largest selection of his poems in English. Introduction on Life and Times and Poetry of Bedil, Forms of Poems in Persian in which Bedil composed poems, Selected Bibliography. Large Print (16pt) & Large Format (7" x 10") Edition. Pages... 267. Paul Smith (b.1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish and other languages including Hafez, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in ud-din Chishti, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Hallaj, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Ghalib, 'Iraqi, Iqbal, Makhfi, Lalla Ded, Abu Nuwas, Ibn al-Farid, Rahman Baba and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, childrens books and a dozen screenplays.

Download or read book Ghalib written by Gopi Chand Narang and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017-10-03 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mirza Asadullah Khan (1797–1869), popularly, Ghalib, is the most influential poet of the Urdu language. He is noted for the ghazals he wrote during his lifetime, which have since been interpreted and sung by different people in myriad ways. Ghalib’s popularity has today extended beyond the Indian subcontinent to the Hindustani diaspora around the world. In this book, Gopi Chand Narang studies Ghalib’s poetics by tracing the archetypical roots of his creative consciousness and enigmatic thought in Buddhist dialectical philosophy, particularly in the concept of shunyata. He underscores the importance of the Mughal era’s Sabke Hindi poetry, especially through Bedil, whom Ghalib considered his mentor. The author also engages with Ghalib criticism that has flourished since his death and analyses the important works of the poet, including pieces from early Nuskhas and Divan-e Ghalib, strengthening this central argument. Much has been written about Ghalib’s life and his poetry. A marked departure from this dominant trend, Narang’s book looks at Ghalib from different angles and places him in the galaxy of the great Eastern poets, stretching far beyond the boundaries of India and the Urdu language.

Download or read book Divan of Bedil written by Mirza Bedil and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2019-01-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: DIVAN of BEDIL Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith. Mirza Abdul-Qader Bedil (1644-1721) is one of the most respected poets from Afghanistan. In the early 17th century, his family moved from Balkh to India, to live under the Mughul dynasty. He was born and educated near Patna. In his later life he spent time travelling and visiting ancestral lands. His writings in Persian are extensive, being one of the creators of the 'Indian style'. Bedil's 16 books of poetry contain nearly 147,000 couplets. With Ghalib he is considered a master of the complicated 'Indian Style' of the ghazal. He had complicated views on the nature of God, heavily influenced by the Sufis. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of all of these beautiful and often mystical poems. This is the largest selection of his poems in English. Introduction on The Life and Times and Poetry of Bedil, Some of the Many Forms of Poems in Persian in which Bedil composed poems, Selected Bibliography. Large Format Paperback 7" x 10" Pages... 261. COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFEZ'S GHAZALS."It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafez is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished.." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran."Superb translations. 99% Hafez 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of English to Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. "Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz." Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author of his own poems inspired by Hafiz's ). Paul Smith (b.1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish and other languages including Hafez, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in ud-din Chishti, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Hallaj, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Ghalib, 'Iraqi, Iqbal, Makhfi, Lalla Ded, Abu Nuwas, Ibn al-Farid, Rahman Baba, Nazir, Seemab, Jigar, Hali, Dard, Zauq and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa NEW HUMANITY BOOKS

Download or read book Bedil written by Bedil and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BEDIL: SELECTED POEMSTranslation & Introduction by Paul SmithMirza Abdul-Qader Bedil (1644-1721) is one of the most respected poets from Afghanistan. In the early 17th century, his family moved from Balkh to India, to live under the Mughul dynasty. He was born and educated near Patna. In his later life he spent time travelling and visiting ancestral lands. His writings in Persian are extensive, being one of the creators of the 'Indian style'. Bedil's 16 books of poetry contain nearly 147,000 couplets. With Ghalib he is considered a master of the complicated 'Indian Style' of the ghazal. He had complicated views on the nature of God, heavily influenced by the Sufis. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these beautiful and often mystical poems. Introduction on The Life and Times and Poetry of Bedil, Some of the Many Forms of Poems in Persian in which Bedil composed poems, Selected Bibliography. Pages… 147.COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'.“It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all.” Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran.“Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith.” Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of many mystical works in English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. “Smith has probably put together the greatest collection of literary facts and history concerning Hafiz.” Daniel Ladinsky (Penguin Books author of his own poems inspired by Hafiz). Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets from the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre. Lalla Ded, Mahsati and others, and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and screenplays.www.newhumanitybooksbookheaven.com

Download or read book The Hidden Treasure written by Muḥammad Hotak and published by University Press of America. This book was released on 1997 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An anthology of Pas'hto poetry, The Hidden Treasure (Pata Khazana) was written in 1728-29 by Mohammad under the patronage of emperor Shah Hussain Hotak. The author of the book was an outstanding literary figure of his time in Qandahar and sanctified this work to Pas'hto poets. The book is written in three parts: The first is dedicated to poets of the past from the eighth to the seventeenth century. The second deals with contemporary poets of Mohammad Hotak's time and the third refers to known poetesses of the Pas'hto language. At the end of the book the author talks about his life and literary prowess. It was translated into Persian by Professor Abdul Hay Habibi in 1944. He also provided detailed annotations of literary works and historical events, and a list of over 200 words which are out of use in the language now or are rarely used. In presenting the importance of the book Professor Habibi provides notes on its prose and poetry by examining the history of Pas'hto prose.

Download or read book A Two Colored Brocade written by Annemarie Schimmel and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2014-02-01 with total page 559 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annemarie Schimmel, one of the world's foremost authorities on Persian literature, provides a comprehensive introduction to the complicated and highly sophisticated system of rhetoric and imagery used by the poets of Iran, Ottoman Turkey, and Muslim India. She shows that these images have been used and refined over the centuries and reflect the changing conditions in the Muslim world. According to Schimmel, Persian poetry does not aim to be spontaneous in spirit or highly personal in form. Instead it is rooted in conventions and rules of prosody, rhymes, and verbal instrumentation. Ideally, every verse should be like a precious stone--perfectly formed and multifaceted--and convey the dynamic relationship between everyday reality and the transcendental. Persian poetry, Schimmel explains, is more similar to medieval European verse than Western poetry as it has been written since the Romantic period. The characteristic verse form is the ghazal--a set of rhyming couplets--which serves as a vehicle for shrouding in conventional tropes the poet's real intentions. Because Persian poetry is neither narrative nor dramatic in its overall form, its strength lies in an "architectonic" design; each precisely expressed image is carefully fitted into a pattern of linked figures of speech. Schimmel shows that at its heart Persian poetry transforms the world into a web of symbols embedded in Islamic culture.

Download or read book Ruba iyat of Bedil written by Bedil and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2012-11-17 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ^^RUBA'IYAT OF BEDIL^^Translation & Introduction by Paul SmithMirza Abdul-Qader Bedil (1644-1721) is one of the most respected poets of the East. In the early 17th century, his family moved from Balkh in Afghanistan to India, to live under Mughal rule. He was born and educated near Patna. In later life he spent time travelling and visiting ancestral lands. His writings in Persian are extensive, being one of the creators of the 'Indian style'. He had complicated views on the nature of God, heavily influenced by the Sufis. Bedil's 16 books of poetry contain nearly 147,000 couplets with 0ver 3600 poems that are ruba'is. He is now considered a great later master of this form. The correct rhyme-structure is kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these beautiful, often mystical poems. 154 pages.COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'.“It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished. If he comes to Iran I will kiss the fingertips that wrote such a masterpiece inspired by the Creator of all and I will lay down my head at his feet out of respect.” Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran.“I have never seen such a good translation and I would like to write a book in Farsi and introduce his Introduction to Iranians.” B. Khorramshai, Academy of Philosophy, Tehran.“Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith.” Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of many mystical works in English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart.Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of over 80 books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages… including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Lalla Ded, Rahman Baba, Bulleh Shah, Mu'in and many others, as well as poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen screenplays.

Download or read book Miracles and Material Life written by Teren Sevea and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-07-30 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sevea reveals a universe of miracle-workers in Islamic Malaya, connecting the supernatural to material life, socioeconomic activities and production.

Download or read book Love Is My Savior written by Rumi and published by MSU Press. This book was released on 2016-02-01 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new volume of Rumi’s works, the first-ever English translation of his Arabic poems, will be exciting for the newcomer to Rumi’s verses as well as to readers already familiar with his mystical philosophy. The poems take the reader on a journey of spiritual exploration, ecstatic union, cruel rejection, and mystic reconciliation. Rumi reveals his soul and welcomes everyone to his spiritual feast. This dual-language volume opens a treasury of Rumi’s mystic thought and startling poetry. His verses pulsate with desire and longing, with sensuality, and with ecstatic celebration. Rumi found in his mystic poetry a vehicle for the expression of the endless spiritual bounties of love. He placed love at the center of his faith and doctrine, and he pronounced it to be the goal of his life and the only form of true worship. This collection is stunningly rendered in English by an award-winning poet and a distinguished translator of Arabic poetry.

Download or read book Evading Reality written by Edward A. Allworth and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2002 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Evading Reality" analyzes the ideas and words of cAbdalrauf Fitrat, a leading liberal Central Asian intellectual in the early decades of the 20th century. His literary devices confused opponents, delighted adherents and provide a rich legacy for today's Tajik and Uzbek societies.

Download or read book ABDUL QADER BIDEL A Sufi Master Poet of the Persian Indian Style SELECTED POEMS Large Print Large Format Edition written by and published by . This book was released on 2020-05-03 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ABDUL-QADER BIDEL A Sufi Master Poet of the Persian 'Indian Style' SELECTED POEMS Translation & Introduction Paul Smith Mirza Abdul-Qader Bidel (1644-1721) is one of the most respected poets whosw family was from Afghanistan. In the early 17th century, his family moved from Balkh to India, to live under the Mughul dynasty. He was born and educated near Patna but spent most of his life in Dehli. In his later life he spent time travelling and visiting ancestral lands. His writings in Persian are extensive, being one of the creators of the 'Indian style'. Bidel's 16 books of poetry contain nearly 147,000 couplets. With Ghalib he is considered a master of the 'Indian Style' of the ghazal. He had complicated views on the nature of God, heavily influenced by the Sufis. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept as well as the beauty and meaning of these often mystical poems including ghazals, ruba'is, qit'as, bino rhymes, masnavis, mukhammas. Introduction on The Life and Times and Poetry of Bidel, Some of the Many Forms of Poems in Persian in which Bedil composed poems, Sufis & Dervishes: Their Art & Use of Poetry, and a Selected Bibliography. Large Print (16pt) & Large Format Paperback, (8" x 10") Pages... 282. Paul Smith is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets from the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Mu'in, Amir Khusrau, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre. Lalla Ded, Mahsati and others, and his own poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books and a dozen

Download or read book The Bookseller Of Kabul written by Åsne Seierstad and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2008-09-04 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 'An intimate portrait of Afghani people quite unlike any other . . . compelling' CHRISTINA LAMB, SUNDAY TIMES For more than twenty years Sultan Khan, a bookseller in Kabul, defied the authorities - be they communist or Taliban - to supply books to the people of Kabul. He was arrested, interrogated and imprisoned by the communists and watched illiterate Taliban soldiers burn piles of his books in the street. A committed Muslim, Khan is passionate in his love of books and hatred of censorship. Two weeks after September 11th, award-winning journalist Åsne Seierstad went to Afghanistan to report on the conflict there and the year after she lived with an Afghan family for several months. We learn of proposals and marriages, suppression and abuse of power, crime and punishment. The result is a gripping and moving portrait of a family, and a clear-eyed assessment of a country struggling to free itself from history. 'Fascinating . . . A portrait of people struggling to survive in the most brutal circumstances' DAILY MAIL