Land of the High Flags: Afghanistan When the Going Was Good

by Rosanne Klass, Andrew Coe (Editor)

A memoir of lost Afghanistan.

When the going was good, a young American woman traveled to the then-remote country of Afghanistan. A classic memoir in the tradition of Rebecca West, Rosanne Klass's Land of the High Flags is an insightful account of the land and its proud people. She was the first woman to teach boys from the country's villages, at a time when Afghan women were still kept hidden behind veils. Ms. Klass writes of Afghan traditions, of stark, splendid landscapes, and of the enduring friendships she made at a time when Afghanistan was reaching out to a hopeful future. Hailed by critics when it first appeared, this reissue of a classic includes additional new sections telling of her return to Afghanistan as a journalist—and of what became of the friends she brought to life for her readers. This is a vivid portrait of Afghanistan as it was before Afghan life was blasted into ruins like the great Buddhas of Bamian by the wars and the Taliban. 16 black & white photos, 1 map.

Genres: Travel

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Rosanne Klass was born and grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and took degrees at the University of Wisconsin and Hunter College. In the 1950s she lived and taught in Afghanistan; then and later she traveled widely in Asia, the Near East and Europe. As secretary of the Afghanistan Council of the Asia Society in the 1960s, she initiated two exhibits of Afghan art. She has published poetry and criticism as well as journalism, has written on art and opera, and in 1959 suggested the idea that became the Balanchine ballet "The Figure in the Carpet". In 1980 she founded the Afghanistan Relief Committee, and throughout the Soviet-Afghan War she directed the Afghanistan Information Center at Freedom House in New York. She also co-authored and edited Afghanistan-the Great Game revisited, which is the standard reference on that war. She lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Daren · Rating 3 out of 5]

From 1950 to 54 (approx) Rosanne Klass and her husband were living in Kabul, where she was a school teacher (eventually). The position she travelled there for was withdrawn due to the objection of the headmaster of the school, who amusingly, had no issue working with a foreigner, but would not have a woman on the staff. It took her some time to find a position teaching English at Darul Mo'Allamein but before she did, Klass was able to spend some time in Kabul, and she describes the city well, the people she deals with, and the interactions she has. She also describes in chapters her household, the class system (more accurately 'people at different levels').

The Ministry of Education had some issues with her working at Darul Mo'Allamein, which was a school known for disciplinary problems, but the Afghan culture of respect, and a headmaster who was committed to making the position work well ensured a good outcome.

So the book charts out all the successes of Klass's time in Kabul, some time in Peshawar (Pakistan) before and on a trip during, some touristy visits Klass and her husband make in Afghanistan (including Bamiyan, visiting the Buddhas since destroyed by the Taliban), a buzkashi game (Afghanistan's national game, in which horse-mounted players attempt to place a goat or calf carcass in a goal). About the only thing we don't hear about is Klass's husband, and what he does.

It was an interesting snapshot of Afghanistan, and it read well. Perhaps the main difference from other, similar books is they tend to be by British authors, rather than Americans. The only negative thing to say is Klass labours the point in her book that many of those she interacts with ask her if she will return, or more accurately tell her they don't believe she will return. This included her house staff and the boys in the school. She promises that she will return, and of course does not in the 10 years between leaving and publishing this book. It is always awkward to answer the 'will you come back' question, but promising you will is never the right way when you can't commit.

Irrespective, Klass did maintain an ongoing relation ship with Afghanistan, becoming director of the Afghanistan Information Center at Freedom House, a human rights watchdog group in New York, and a founder of the Afghanistan Relief Committee, formed after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.

3.5 stars, rounded down.

Below is an article published on her passing away in 2015.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/24/wo...

[Susan Harter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started reading this when at an inn in CT - the original 1951 version I found tucked in a hidden shelf - and I thought seriously about stealing it! Beast travel book I've ever read, bar none. So glad to see it's reissued, I think anyone who believes we should be at war in Afghanistan should be forced to read a copy. When she describes the Afghani people - fiercely proud, scrupulously polite, capable of cheating, fanatically generous, guilelessly kind, cheerful, tough, impervious to pain, and resolutely, utterly brave I thought "This is a war we will never win." She described her beloved friend (nominally her servant) as "A man capable of killing someone, but not of being unkind to them." How can a character like that be defeated?

[Kerry Hennigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly classic memoir of Afghanistan "when the going was good" but not necessarily predictable! Rosanne Klass and her then-husband took up posts in Kabul where Klass taught English to local students. Through her eyes, we discover a land and a time, and people, now changed forever. The prose is beautiful (though the sentences at times rather long-winded!) The descriptions are awe-inspiring. Few today write as evocatively as this. A good friend of mine traveled overland from London through Afghanistan on her way back to Australia throughout a time when it was still "good" to go there. For many years she had a rug she purchased in the country on the floor of her dining room, where it stayed until it began to disintegrate - rather like the country of its origins. In her book, Klass talks about the powers who cast envious eyes on Afghanistan - not so much for its own merits, but for its proximity to there own then-empires. But most memorable are the people and the landscapes, and a way of life destroyed by foreign military incursions and internal political, social and religious strife.

[Tuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

lady travels to kabul to teach school, but then doesn't have a position. she finagles a teaching spot in the university. wonderful descriptions of her life in early 1950's kabul and countryside, and a short re-visit in the '70's. super read.

[Florence Primrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young woman lives in Afghanistan when times were good. She taught boys in their village schools and had many Afghan friends. This book tells of how delightful the country was in past years