Captive

by Jere Van Dyk

An American reporter's chilling account of being kidnapped and imprisoned by the Taliban, in the no-man's-land between Afghanistan and Pakistan Jere Van Dyk was on the wrong side of the border. He and three Afghan guides had crossed into the tribal areas of Pakistan, where no Westerner had ventured for years, hoping to reach the home of a local chieftain by nightfall. But then a dozen armed men in black turbans appeared over the crest of a hill. Captive is Van Dyk's searing account of his forty-five days in a Taliban prison, and it is gripping and terrifying in the tradition of the best prison literature. The main action takes place in a single room, cut off from the outside world, where Van Dyk feels he can trust nobody—not his jailers, not his guides (who he fears may have betrayed him), and certainly not the charismatic Taliban leader whose fleeting appearances carry the hope of redemption as well as the prospect of immediate, violent death. Van Dyk went to the tribal areas to investigate the challenges facing America there. His story is of a deeper, more personal challenge, an unforgettable tale of human endurance.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, War, Middle East, History, Terrorism, Autobiography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am surprised by the strong negative feelings this book arose in me. I feel complete disdain for Jere Van Dyk - what idiocy prompts a man to sneak into Taliban territory, get himself captured, and put many others in a dangerous position to help get him released? For someone who was supposedly an expert on Afghanistan he certainly made misinformed decisions.

I think of myself as a very empathetic person, and I tend to give third-world Muslims (Muslims, as differentiated from terrorists) the benefit of doubt, but as I read this book I was bothered by the dark feelings I had toward them as a whole. Van Dyk portrays the hypocrisy and inconsistencies that come with being both Islamic and Pashtun. Instead of having my usual desire to understand the complexities behind this, I just want to get rid of the bad taste in my mouth. Yet somehow I don't think that's what the author intended. He clearly identifies with the people of Afghanistan, perhaps more than with most Americans.

Beyond my emotional reaction to the book, I don't think it was well-written. Perhaps Van Dyk made stylistic choices to reflect the uncertainty and monotony of his captivity, but I found his writing disjointed, repetitive, and unclear. He may not have been physically tortured during those 45 days as a prisoner of the Taliban, but something inside him was broken, and it shows in this book.

[Alex Bitter · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.7 - it was honestly pretty boring and underwhelming. Was hoping for some interesting insight into the taliban, but was disappointed

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot recommend this book, Jere should have known better.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Naturally I knew he survived because he wrote this book. It was still interesting to hear about his fears, joys, and his times of relief.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't finish. Mixed opinion. Lots of false religions but interesting story.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just wonderful (snark) the US gov gives money to the taliban. The taliban uses the money to kill US soldiers.

[Nancy Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivity narratives are fascinating in the way a train wreck is fascinating. We don't want to look, but we have to look. We are stunned and horrified at what we see. We desperately want to return to the decisive moment when it all could have been averted. Yet we cannot go back.

Jere Van Dyk wanted to return to the Afghanistan he loved as a young man and the Afghanistan he came to know more deeply when he traveled undercover with the mujahideen in the 1980s, reporting on their armed struggle against the Soviet Union. Given his connections, he thought he could report on the Taliban from the fractious tribal borderlands of Afghanistan and Pakistan, which no journalist had successfully navigated in years.

Renewing old ties and forging new ones, he makes brief forays across the border, but ultimately he is captured. His first look at his cell hints at what might lie ahead: "I was in a small baked-mud room.... I looked behind me to see if there was any blood on the wall. Was this a torture chamber? I saw black marks and wasn't sure. I saw chains on the dirt floor on my right. They were tied to a steel stake." Was Mr. Van Dyk betrayed? He doesn't know for sure. In fact, there isn't much he can know for sure as he endures the degradations of imprisonment. Most chillingly, he isn't sure he will live.

Mr. Van Dyk doesn't pretend to be brave or heroic or otherworldly spiritual. He writes of his fear, his sickness of body and heart, his shame and his grief. He admits to a fascination with his captors and their Islamic rituals, even their way of life. Yet he also feels the pull of his childhood Christian faith. The nuanced way that he experiences psychological torture and physical deprivations makes this a more engrossing narrative than other captivity stories I've read, such as Buried Alive or Kabul 24.

In the end, Mr. Van Dyk didn't get the story he went after, but he found an even more compelling one. His harrowing personal experience probably tells us more about the Taliban than could have been told from a more removed stance. I deeply regret the soul-rending terror he was forced to endure, but I am grateful as a reader that he could craft such a valuable memoir from it.

[Sues57 Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike David Rhode's "A Rope and A Prayer," Jere Van Dyk's account of his time as a Taliban captive, is much more impressionistic, and less structured. It does very successfuly reflect what it must have felt like, to be held in dark room for over a month, not knowing if he would be killed at any time. The anti-climatic ending is especially good, at conveying the disorientation that comes with sudden freedom. The book is definitely a valuable addition to what we know the experiences of being held for ransom, by the insurgency. However, this is not a book that will explain the behind-the-scenes military and intel activities that led to Van Dyk's release. It's a very personal account, and strong for what it is.

[Mack · Rating 1 out of 5]

You would think that a journalist would have written a better book. It was underwhelming. The author is extremely narcissistic. Countless times he made comments about his translator being over weight, people not as physically fit as him. He wanted to go into taliban territory after being told multiple times by different people that it was dangerous. He did not care about putting other people in harms way to achieve what he personally wanted to achieve. He decided to bring down so many people and put people in difficult positions just because he wanted to go to the territory. I get he’s a journalist, but know your limits and other people’s limits.

[Yash Sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The journalist who was caught by the taliban-
--------------------------------------------------------
1) This book is divided into the following four parts -

📌 Part one - The way of the pashtuns
📌 Part two - The God of my youth
📌 Part three - Sixteen hours
📌 Part four - America

2) Captive, My time as a prisoner of taliban, is the story of a american journalist, who was caught by the dreaded taliban while entering illegally into the tribal areas of pakistan.

3)He stayed in prison or a safety house for almost 43 days, although he was being treated very well by his captors. He received good nutritious food, tea, and other necessary items. And the most important thing is that he was not being tortured by the notorious taliban. And later they released him after getting the Ransom which they demanded for his release.

4) The reason because of which he entered illegally into the border areas of Pakistan, is that he wanted to the know the difference between the taliban and the mujahedeens of 1980s, the philosophy of taliban and their goals, and most importantly he wanted to meet jalaluddin Haqqani ( Head of the Haqqani network ), Gulbuddin hekmatyar ( Former warlord of Afganistan ), and also to get information about Osama bin laden. But sadly this Superman was caught by the taliban before he could explore all this adventures alone.

5)The writing is very monotonous and boring, and if you are interested in reading about prison literature or some facts about pashtuns than you can surely go for this book, otherwise I will not recommend this book to Readers.

My Ratings : ⭐⭐⭐ ( 3/5 )

I hope you like the Review, thanks for reading, Jai Hind.

[Brook · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fine. Author had a good bit of Stockholm Syndrome, and was a f*cking naive idiot. People (Taliban) who threaten, not idly, to kill him, and tell him they wish him dead but are held back by orders, he later says he has a sweet spot for. Anyone who actually, truly, deeply wants to behead me and videotape it, I can't say I'd be friends with them.

So the author is a sympathetic f*ckwit. Or maybe that's just the writing. We get "I was terrified for my life, I knew I was going to die" in one paragraph, and later "y'know, I really enjoyed sitting and talking with him [same person that was going to execute him], he made really good tea."

However, you will get a fantastic inside look at the intersection of ancient Pashtun culture and the Taliban. The guy survived because Pashtun culture says that when a guest enters your home, you must feed him the best you have, care for him, and protect him with your life. And so, since the author ends up under the care of Pashtun "taliban" (actually just backwater locals who fall under their "jurisdiction" and control), they keep him alive.

If you can igore the complete idiocy of the author ("literally every f*cking person I talked to, including Afghan friends, told me I was a f*cking idiot; but I had been there thirty f*cking years beforehand and talked with the Taliban, so of course it would be the same, even though this time it was us invading and not the Russians"), you will learn a good deal about Pashtun/taliban interaction.

Dont know if I said it, but the guy is an idiot.

[Jumanah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Determined to go where no westerner has gone for years Jere Van Dyk, an American journalist, ends up a Taliban captive along side his translator, mentors, and a suspected joint conspiracy high up in the isolated mountains of Pakistan.
As an American prisoner he's labelled as the Golden Goose, or rather the Golden Rooster in hopes of getting a profit from the American government.
He's imprisoned in a mud backed guest house by a very prideful Taliban affiliate. His host is bound by his tribal culture to keep him safe. You'll learn later on in the book that culture and animosity are law of the land. And joining the Taliban is merely a means of implementation.
To these extreme bandits use religion as validation though the the distortion and interlocking between religion and culture has made them blind to their own faults and sins.
The author shows much love and grief towards an Afghanistan he used to know and once considered a tourist hub. Now it's a lawless land of beggars and extremism.
When it comes to the religious facts and culture Jere shows great understanding especially towards the hypocrisy and contradictive-ness by the religious-cultural mindset.
At the end of the book the writer shows much conflict within his own identity, it's sad. I wonder how he dealt with the trauma afterwards. Will he ever feel at home?
I feel real close to this book being interested in the ideology's functionality, it's a real life demonstration.
_

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

First-person account of a journalist who was taken captive by Taliban. Author had written a book during the time of the Afghan-Soviet conflict, and knew a lot of the mujahadeen fighters. His idea was to write a new book, this time about the Taliban. Since many of his mujahadeen contacts are now Taliban, he thought he could pull it off.

Overall, much of the book is a day-to-day account of being held captive. Author was not tortured and was treated well, but lived in constant fear that each day was the day when his captors were going to kill him. The book reveals a very interesting viewpoint, of being in close contact with the Taliban. One of the recurring themes and most enlightening aspects of the book is how Pashtun culture is intertwined with the Taliban. I’ve heard before that when the US originally sought out fighters to ally with against the Soviets, we picked the Pashtuns because they were great fighters, even though we also knew they treat women like dirt. Yet I think this is the first time I’ve ever learned more about the culture of the Pashtuns, and the code that governs their conduct (or at least part of their conduct), Pashtunwali. One of the core tenets of Pashtunwali is that they treat guests with great honor, and will die protecting them. Thus a strange dynamic is setup between the author and his captor Gulob, in that Gulob is holding him captive, yet still treats him well and at least claims to be lobbying on his behalf because he is a guest. It is clear though, that the author is never sure whether he can trust Gulob, and that though he desperately wants to like Gulob and his Taliban friend Rahman, he can never fully trust them. It is also unclear how often Gulob is lying, as there are many statements the author catches throughout the book that contradict previous statements.

Another interesting insight into the Taliban is how fractured their organization is. It is clear that although they all have the same general goal of establishing an Islamic Caliphate, there are many small and large Taliban groups that are competing with each other, to the point that they will even fight/murder each other. It is also part of the culture in that area that cousins will murder each other to get ahead (Tarburwali), and given the strong connections between tribes, organizations, and family, it’s not surprising that these guys are not one strong organization.

It became clear through the book that the behavior of the Taliban, and Pashtuns in general is a strange mix of several sets of moral code, Pashtunwali, Tarburwali, Islam, and others included. Thus, Gubol had many explanations that made perfect sense to him and other Afghans, but which represent a great amount of hypocrisy to a westerner. For example, Islam requires 4 witnesses for any charge of Adultery, yet a Pashtun can kill his wife/daughter/etc for no reason other than a rumor. Merely looking at a man’s wife in that area can get you killed. The Pashtuns will justify this by saying something like it is a afront to a man’s honor (honor being the core tenet of Pashtunwali), therefore a man is compelled to uphold his honor by quickly killing the offender. It is also forbidden under Islam to hold a man for ransom, yet because of some bizarre reason including infidels and reasons that probably just boil down to greed, they are holding the author for ransom anyway. I’m sure they wouldn’t call it ransom to begin with.

In fact, it never becomes clear who was responsible for the author being held prisoner. The most likely explanation is actually that Abdullah, the Taliban who was entrusted to host the author, was the one who “captured” him and held him for ransom. Of course, Abdullah was never directly involved, always acting through Gulob or one of the Taliban leaders (called the Moulavi), so I’m sure in some bizarre sense he doesn’t see himself as violating the code of Pashtunwali that involves protecting a guest.

Finally, one other aspect that was particularly well explained by the book is the fluid nature of the Afghan/Pakistan border. Pretty much everyone knowledgeable about the area recognizes that there really is no border, and that the area around the border is simply run by the Pashtun tribes that live there. Neither official government of Pakistan nor Afghanistan really has much say about what goes on there. In fact, even though they are officially in Pakistan, the Pashtuns who live there have a very skeptical view of the Pakistani government, and there were several interesting theories put forth. The first I picked up on was that the Pakistani government is trying to use the Taliban to destroy the traditional tribal system of governance and influence in Afghanistan. This makes a lot of sense, since Afghanistan has never had a strong central government, and has always been more of a coalition of tribes in the best of times. Another is that it is the Pakistani government who is directly funding the Taliban, partly for the previous goal, but also so they claim that the Taliban is a problem and that the US should send them more money to fight them. The locals believe that Pakistan just talks a lot and makes a big show about sending the army in to clean up, and that they never actually send anyone in, because they control the Taliban in the first place. This would not surprise me at all, since I’ve read many times about the connections between the ISI and the Taliban, even to the extent of accounts of ISI commanders fighting alongside the Taliban. But anyway, it is clear that many Taliban, or perhaps maybe just the Pashtuns, have a strong distaste for the Pakistani government. There are several times in the book where Gulob references “Pakistan” and “Afghanistan” not in terms of the political border, but simply as a metaphor for saying “outsiders”, or “not Pashtuns”.

I should probably re-read Descent into Chaos, as the author discusses many names that sound familiar. In particular, there is Hekmatyar and Baitullah Mehsud, both now Taliban commanders. I believe Hekmatyar was referred to as a Tajik general, and all-around scumbag. I could have sworn that Mehsud was one of the “good” guys. The author is friends with Jalaluddin Haqqani, who also sounds familiar, but not enough for me to remember anything.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I'm alive."

As much incantation as statement of fact, that simple phrase had plenty of meaning for American journalist Jere Van Dyk when he was taken captive by the Taliban in February 2008 and held for 45 days. In Captive: My Time as a Prisoner of the Taliban , it represents affirmation, a touch of surprise and hope.

Van Dyk was no stranger to Afghanistan. He first went there driving a Volkswagen in 1973. He returned in the 1980s, spending time with the mujahideen who battled against the Soviet Union following its invasion of the country in late 1979. Not only did he win their trust, he wrote some Pulitzer Prize-nominated articles about them for The New York Times' Sunday magazine and a book and also became director of a nonprofit organization which pushed for U.S. support for the mujahideen.

Van Dyk returned to Afghanistan in 2007, hoping his prior contacts and experience would help gain him access to places other Western journalists hadn't been, particularly the remote tribal areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan. His goal was to "find out what the Taliban were really like," to "learn what they thought and what their goals were" and to "explain the Taliban to the outside world." As part of the effort, he attempted to disguise himself as a Pashtun and assimilate himself into their Pashtun culture. The Pashtun are the largest ethic group in the region and predominate the areas he wanted to go. Particuarly by making contact with his old mujahedin friends, he hoped Pashtunwali , the ancient unwritten code of the Pashtuns, would help protect him.

When Van Dyk finally manages to sneak across the border into Pakistan to meet up with a Taliban group he thinks will take him to Taliban strongholds in the tribal areas, he is captured by another Taliban group. He and his three companions would be held in a 12 foot by 12 foot room in the mountains of Pakistan. Among the more compelling parts of his tale is when his captors use his video recorder to document what he believes is going to be his execution. Van Dyk's mind races, careening between fear and a desire to appear calm, all the while wondering if he will be shot or if the captor who just put his hand in his pocket will be pulling out a knife to slit his throat.

Written in a diary format using an unvarnished journalistic style, Captive is insightful from both a political and a human standpoint. It shows perhaps as much as any book about Afghanistan and Pakistan the muddled alliances and alignments. There is conflict and competition between Taliban groups. There is conflict between Pashtunwali and principles of Sharia law or the Islam preached by some of the Talilban. According to his captors, the Pakistan government, or at least portions of it, are supporting and working with the Taliban as much, if not more, than the United States. All in all, it reveals the labyrinthine dilemma the governments and peoples of these countries face.

On the personal side, Van Dyk's story reveals an aspect of the fear and stress of his situation by showing the mercurial nature of his relationships with his captors and fellow captives. While Van Dyk may occasionally feel a kinship with or affinity for the others, it takes a single sentence or look to immediately make him suspicious or to view them, albeit not conspicuously, as an enemy. Similarly, for example, when he hears sounds outside where he is held captive, he can't decide if someone is chopping wood or building a gallows from which to hang him.

Also intriguing is Van Dyk's dealings with religion. Raised in a devout Christian family, Van Dyk had lost his faith over the years. Even before his capture, Van Dyk expresses an interest in learning more about Islam (although it does raise the question of why he didn't do so while with the mujahideen some 20 years before). That interest becomes more acute when his captors tell him the only way he will survive is by converting to Islam. The innate compulsion to survive by converting collides with him almost naturally falling back on his religious upbringing for solace and comfort, presenting another struggle for Van Dyk.

The true purpose of taking Van Dyk captive is never clear or explained to him. At points he is told he is being held to exchange him for prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. At other points, his captors talk of ransom and, in fact, have him write letters to friends to raise $1.5 million ransom. There are also suggestions that once he converts to Islam and is sufficiently familiar with it, they want him to return to America to spread the religion and the tenets advocated by the Taliban. The circumstances surrounding Van Dyk's are likewise unclear. In an endnote, he observes that he's never received any definitive answers about who or what brought about his release or even whether any ransom was paid.

Sadly, there seems to be a growing genre of nonfiction dealing with journalists and others being held captive by warring or hostile political factions. Perhaps more than other such works, Captive sheds some light on the deep-rooted dilemma that is Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thanks to his note-taking during his captivity and his willingness to discuss and reveal even his internal struggles, Van Dyk also immerses us in the human aspect of his experience.

(Originally published at A Progressive on the Prairie.)

[Christina Bergling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. The story, the first hand account of captivity by the Taliban, should have been enthralling. However, the narrative was so dry and unemotional that I could not connect with it. Van Dyk reported what he did and how he felt, as you would expect a journalist to. Yet it lacked all prose and emotional language. I wanted to know how it ended, but it was painful to get there. I would have loved to read a more dynamic account that included what it felt like to be a captive, what the emotional experience was, how it smelled, tasted. Anything more than a recitation of events.

[Isaac Loftis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was one of the best books I have ever read, It has to do with the war in Afghanistan. If you like books that have to do with war you will like this. It´s about a journalist that traveled to Afghanistan to see the problems they were having and he ended up getting captured by the Taliban. needless to say, prisons in Afghanistan are not very good, they're worse than prisons in America. There was no light in the ¨cell¨ so it was pitch black most of the time and he mentioned that the bed was basically a rock. I really enjoyed the book it was very interesting because I like things to do with war and that is why I rated the book 4 out of 5 stars.

[Lucas Calestini · Rating 1 out of 5]

Putting aside the empathy for the hard moments and all the uncertainty surrounding the captivity, there are two aspects of this book that I could not enjoy: the narcisistic perspective, where Jere Van Dyk is constantly concerned with himself only, without realizing the dangers he brought upon those around him, mainly local people; and the shallow narrative throughout the book. For someone who has spent so much time in Afghanistan and among Pashtun tribes, his narrative simply dismisses all the complexity, the context and the cultural differences that exist in other parts of the world.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit boek geeft een heel goed zicht en inzicht in de complexiteit van het taliban verhaal, de historiek van de omgeving, invloed van Pakistan, Amerika, tribale zaken, ... kortom, als je meer wil weten over Afghanistan en de Taliban, is dit boek zeer zeker aan te bevelen.
Het geeft ook een goed beeld van de psyché van mensen, zowel van de gevangen genomenen, als van de gijzelnemers. De dynamiek van de menselijke reacties op elkaar, de situatie en vooral de impact van het gegeven "tijd" in deze, is zeer goed weergegeven.
Een aanrader dus!

[*Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jere Van Dyk, journalist for CBS News and expert consultant on foreign affairs in Afghanistan and Pakistan, recalls his time in 2007 when he was doing research for a book, secretly traveling on the mountainous border of these two countries heading to a pre-arranged meeting with a Taliban leader to learn about the "war on terror" from their perspective. Minutes before he reached his destination, he was kidnapped and held for six weeks by another group of Taliban jihadists.

Throughout his captivity, he was on an emotional rollercoaster. One moment feeling like he was respected and protected by his captors, at others he faced cold eyes and threats of death. In Pashtunwali (an ancient tribal code which takes precedence over Islam), a guest is to be protected even to the death of the host. This explains why Mullah Omar refused to give up the location of Osama bin Laden, thereby destroying his own government and allowing Afghanistan to be invaded. He was protecting his "guest". Mr. Van Dyk wasn't physically tortured, but he was definitely forced to suffer through mind games on a daily basis, from both his captors and even his fellow prisoners (his interpreter and traveling companions) whom he sometimes felt had betrayed him.

Mr. Van Dyk has a respect for the people of Afghanistan beginning from his first visit in 1973 and again in 1981 (as a journalist) when he spent time and befriended some members of the mujahideen who were at war with the Soviets. He recalls the changes that have taken place since that time, the people changing from being full of pride in their history and their nation and their belief in Islam, to the current state of affairs which include the corruption (of people and even of the way the Muslim beliefs are twisted by some) and fear of oppression caused by the Taliban.

This should be read by everyone to help explain how even some members of the Taliban themselves fear other members, including members of their own families. It is a "brother war". There is not one leader guiding them. There are different tribal leaders involved who handle things their own way. There are some who are quick to kill Americans and those who show an interest in how the West thinks, even though they truly feel that infidels should be avoided and are on the path to hell.

This book also helps explain why there is such a hatred toward the West, especially America. I always thought that if they met average Americans, they would see that we are not "bad" people, even if we are often self-absorbed and even though our government is seen as a bully to the rest of the world. After reading this, however, I think our viewpoints may be so different that we may never find common ground. I feel that no matter what my personal religious beliefs are, I have respect for differing views. I've always thought that our religious backgrounds usually come into being out of where and how we are raised--our comfort zones, if you will. The Muslims Mr. Van Dyk was involved with during his captivity had such a deep and abiding faith in Islam that there was a stubbornness involved in not being able to allow others to have differing beliefs. It was interesting how even they, however, like all people do at times, would sometimes twist their beliefs to benefit themselves--sometimes being very pious and other times breaking the rules because "I am human". I do have to say, I am impressed by their devotion, by the fact that they pray five times a day and have so many rituals they follow throughout the day which would always keep Allah topmost in their minds. It's a shame that people of all faiths (over many hundreds of years) always tend to warp the purity of their respective religions into what is more palatable for their current culture, i.e. how even though the prophet, Muhammad, taught about showing respect toward women, many of the Taliban believe it is appropriate to beat their wives and/or kill their daughters if they elope with someone who is not chosen for them, etc.

This book demonstrates what a complete mess the situation in the Middle East is. Many countries involved. Many tribal areas within these countries involved. All seeming to have different goals. A lot of corruption, lies, thievery. No one knows who they can trust, even among so-called allies working for the same cause. In the end, it is always the innocents, the poor, the women, the children, the aged, who end up paying the largest price.

An end note says that Mr. Van Dyk never fully learned for what purpose he was kidnapped and who all was involved. He said he never learned the true story about his traveling companions and whether or not they were involved in some way. He said he never even learned if a ransom was paid and if so, by whom. I find this hard to believe, but considering the threats he's living under and the possibility of his wanting to protect friends still in Afghani-Pak (I'm making that word up!), I think he may be choosing to keep all of that a mystery. I don't care about the ransom part but I am curious how involved his fellow prisoners were and even what was up with the captor who served as his protector. His interpreter, Daoud, seemed to know a lot more than he let on, especially when he kept insisting it was a conspiracy. These guys suffered from so many mood swings it was very confusing, especially when they seemed to be asking Mr. Van Dyk for help when he was finally released.

[Kevin Keefe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a dichotomy and enigmatic.

I chose the rating of four because it is exciting to read and informative. His writing style is in the form of the raw emotion he may have been feeling during his captivity. As a result it is poorly written. The raw questions of: who, why etc. remain unanswered.

[Tiffany Mollohan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the summer of 2007, A journalist working with CBS News arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan. Skipping ahead to his capture. I have mixed feelings on this book. I gave this 5 stars because of this mans courage and even though he did put himself in a terrible position along with others, we are all human and we all make mistakes.

[Tia Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing

I found this book confusing and repetitive. I’m not sure what the point was. I never really knew what was going on and other than him being captive, not trusting anyone and trying to be converted to Islam, there wasn’t much of a story. I started skimming half way through and never finished the last section. This was not an interesting or good read.

[Jeff Revello · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was well written but nothing ever actually happened. Guess I was expecting more of a story about physical abuse then emotional, but still what this man went through was incredibly daring and worth the read

[Darien Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great look into the minds of the Taliban.

[Meghan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This might be the worst book I’ve ever read, and I’ve read Verity.

[Fallon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was a very well written story!

[Bri · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book Captive, it tells a journey that a man faces for forty-five days being trapped. Originally, Van Dyk was travelling with three Afghan guides but had a rude awakening when groups of armed men arrived in black turbans. The book is a story about his time being captured and all of the things he had went through and struggled with.
As I have mentioned in my recent updates, culture is much different in Afghanistan than in America. For example, religion is everything. In America we have many different types of religions and we interpret them given the time we are in. However in Afghanistan, the Koran is taken literal and all rules will be followed or the consequences are severe and unusual.
In my opinion, Van Dyk wrote this book to not only explain the hardships he faced and conquered, but to also inform his audience on a different culture. Van Dyk talks about the many different things that occur in Afghanistan than in America. He included a glossary for words or phrases he used in the book so that his audience could learn and know what he was talking about. Also, putting this book out could have helped Van Dyk with the memories he held inside and it could have helped him heal from this experience that he will remember forever.
A theme for this text could be that stereotypes are just false generalizations about groups and a person cannot limit someone to a stereotype. After the 9/11 occurrence, most, if not all, Americans found Middle Eastern people to be full of hate and that they were all terrorists out to kill. Even though Van Dyk was captured by Middle Eastern people, he talked about how kind they were. For example, Van Dyk talks about one time when he was refusing to eat and what his captures said to him, "I am in a difficult situation here. You are a good man. I want you to eat" (Van Dyk 186). This shows a caring side and that not all are evil. Van Dyk found the good in a stereotype many of us know, and shows the audience a person should also look past stereotypes the society has placed.
I would recommend this book to someone who likes non-fiction because it is very educational and helps you understand another culture. However, this was not my type of book. Some of the parts were slow and many of the exotic uncommon names of things got confusing and I found myself reading things over multiple times to make sure I actually understood what I was reading. It just depends on the types of books a person is interested in order to enjoy this book.

[John Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Van Dyk trailed the Mujahideen in Afghanistan when the fought the Soviet Union. He was a young reporter at the time and made friends with them.

Years later, he returned to Afghanistan and entered and area between Afghanistan and Pakistan where no Westener has been for years. He hoped to re-establish contact with his old mujahideen friends that were now powerful members of the Taliban.

He didn't get very far.

Van Dyk, his interpreter, and two others who were aiding in his travel to a former associate and caught and captured in a remote area of Afghanistan. They spend 44 days in a cell, well-fed, but terrified that a ruthless Taliban commander will have them killed on a whim. We get no journalistic narrative and detachment here. Instead, and far more compelling, is Jere's disttoring emotions of fear, shame, paranoia, and sel-pity that work in and out of Jere's mind during his captivity. Through this lens we see that he can't trust his cell mates or anyone who claims to want to help him. The fanaticism of the Taliban reign supreme and they suggest to him that if he turns towards Islam, things will go better for him. As he struggles to find the right words for the morning call to prayer, Jere finds himself drawing closer to the God of his youth.

A horrific book in it's ability to convey fear and captivity from the printed page. I learned a great deal about the Pashtun culture that added much depth to the book and shows these fighters to be tough, resilient, and have a code of honor by which they must strictly abide.

[Mark Peterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best thing about this book was the understanding I gained from the stories of the various sects of Taliban -- and that different parts of the Tabliban are at war with each other (i.e., it is no simply one movement). The reader also gets a first hand account on how the Taliban understand the West and why they hold the strange Islamic belief structure -- which motivates the terrorism they inflict on their own people and "infidels."

Unfortunately the book needs a STRONG editing that should have occurred before publishing. It is repetitive and moves extremely slow. The book could be half as long. It is written in the first person by Mr. Van Dyk, who is a noted reporter/writer who has lived and worked in Afghanistan, so his insights are fascinating -- but I am mystified as to why it was not edited better? I give it two stars because of the way the story is told -- though it clearly could have been a five star book.

Note: I found the development and discussion of his spiritual life/development as a result of this experience especially fascinating. The reader cannot miss the differences between the harsh, unyielding and punishing faith the Taliban follow and the faith that Mr. Van Dyk seems to rediscover through this experience (he was, at best, an agnostic before being captured).

[Corbie Mumford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a terrifying first hand story about an American Jounalist who gets captured by the Taliban. Trying to put myself in his shoes during this story was painful. At times the story was a little slow, but at the same time it was captivating.

My favorite thing about this story was how Van Dyk shares his knowledge of the tribal lands and in depth detail of Pashtun culture. I only knew a little bit about this land and culture and it seems like everything I have ever heard had a negative spin on it. So it was interesting to hear Van Dyk's opinion, considering the way he almost reveres the culture and the people due to an experience he had as a young man living with the pashtun people.

One thing that is kind of a bummer is that some of the big questions he had been asking the entire book were never answered, like did the men guiding his journey into Pakistan set him up to be captured. He was suspicious the whole time, but never figured it out. Probably still to this day, he doesn't know the answer to this... however, I don't like reading books that have major unanswered questions. I was hoping for some closure.