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Drinking Arak off an Ayatollah's Beard: A Journey Through the Inside-Out Worlds of Iran and Afghanistan
An engrossing blend of travel writing and history, Drinking Arak off an Ayatollah’s Beard traces one man’s adventure-filled journey through today’s Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, and describes his remarkable attempt to make sense of the present by delving into the past.
Setting out to gain insight into the lives of Iranians and Afghans today, Nicholas Jubber is surprised to uncover the legacy of a vibrant pre-Islamic Persian culture that has endured even in times of the most fanatic religious fundamentalism. Everywhere—from underground dance parties to religious shrines to opium dens—he finds powerful and unbreakable connections to a time when both Iran and Afghanistan were part of the same mighty empire, when the flame of Persian culture lit up the world.
Whether through his encounters with poets and cab drivers or run-ins with “pleasure daughters” and mujahideen, again and again Jubber is drawn back to the eleventh-century Persian epic, the Shahnameh (“Book of Kings”). The poem becomes not only his window into the region’s past, but also his link to its tumultuous present, and through it Jubber gains access to an Iran and Afghanistan seldom revealed or inside-out worlds in which he has tea with a warlord, is taught how to walk like an Afghan, and even discovers, on a night full of bootleg alcohol and dancing, what it means to drink arak off an Ayatollah’s beard.
Setting out to gain insight into the lives of Iranians and Afghans today, Nicholas Jubber is surprised to uncover the legacy of a vibrant pre-Islamic Persian culture that has endured even in times of the most fanatic religious fundamentalism. Everywhere—from underground dance parties to religious shrines to opium dens—he finds powerful and unbreakable connections to a time when both Iran and Afghanistan were part of the same mighty empire, when the flame of Persian culture lit up the world.
Whether through his encounters with poets and cab drivers or run-ins with “pleasure daughters” and mujahideen, again and again Jubber is drawn back to the eleventh-century Persian epic, the Shahnameh (“Book of Kings”). The poem becomes not only his window into the region’s past, but also his link to its tumultuous present, and through it Jubber gains access to an Iran and Afghanistan seldom revealed or inside-out worlds in which he has tea with a warlord, is taught how to walk like an Afghan, and even discovers, on a night full of bootleg alcohol and dancing, what it means to drink arak off an Ayatollah’s beard.
361 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
13 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Jubber
9 books46 followersI'm a writer and traveller, with a passion for history and a pair of itchy feet. I'm fascinated by storytelling, nomadism, exploration and the connections (or misconnections!) between past and present.
I've written four books so far. My latest is Epic Continent, about some of Europe's iconic tales and my adventures amongst them.
Before that was The Timbuktu School for Nomads, about my experiences amongst nomads in North Africa.
The Prester Quest, my first book, sets out from the canals of Venice to the highlands of Ethiopia, following the mission of a medieval physician sent in search of a mythical priest-king. It won the Dolman Travel Book Award.
My second book, Drinking Arak off an Ayatollah's Beard, explores the Persian-speaking world through the lens of an 11th century epic poem, travelling from Tehran to the tomb of a medieval Sultan in Afghanistan.
I have written for The Guardian, The Observer, the TLS, the Globe and Mail and BBC Online, amongst other publications; spoken on BBC Radio 4 and NPR in the US; and have written plays performed at the Edinburgh Festival, the Finborough Theatre and the Actors' Centre.
I've written four books so far. My latest is Epic Continent, about some of Europe's iconic tales and my adventures amongst them.
Before that was The Timbuktu School for Nomads, about my experiences amongst nomads in North Africa.
The Prester Quest, my first book, sets out from the canals of Venice to the highlands of Ethiopia, following the mission of a medieval physician sent in search of a mythical priest-king. It won the Dolman Travel Book Award.
My second book, Drinking Arak off an Ayatollah's Beard, explores the Persian-speaking world through the lens of an 11th century epic poem, travelling from Tehran to the tomb of a medieval Sultan in Afghanistan.
I have written for The Guardian, The Observer, the TLS, the Globe and Mail and BBC Online, amongst other publications; spoken on BBC Radio 4 and NPR in the US; and have written plays performed at the Edinburgh Festival, the Finborough Theatre and the Actors' Centre.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 19, 2012
I loved the premise of this book -- Nicholas Jubber explores ethnic, national, and religious identity in Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia through the lens of the Shahnameh, or the Book of Kings. The Shahnameh is an 11th-century Persian epic poem written by Ferdowsi, a poet who is still much revered in Iran and parts of Afghanistan. Throughout his travels, Jubber traces the modern-day influence of Ferdowsi and his epic, as he leads his readers to Zoroastrian celebrations, underground religious ceremonies, performances of the epic by puppet troupes, and meetings with Iranian rappers, artists, and students. Jubber also devotes some time to describing his dangerous journeys through Afghanistan as he sought to retrace Ferdowsi's steps many centuries earlier.
However, Jubber's execution of the book does not live up to its promise. He intersperses a soap opera-esque story about the family he stayed with in Iran throughout much of the book, which I found jarring and not very engaging. The history he provides, although interesting, lacks a strong foundation in Jubber's deeper understanding of the cultural history of the region. As a result, his analysis is limited to surface-level observations about the apparent ubiquity of the Shahnameh in the region. Similarly, he could have benefited from a deeper understanding of the role of myth and narrative in human culture and belief. In addition, he chose to forego a chronological organization for the book, and while I usually like to see writers experiment with structure, in Jubber's case the book's organization seemed haphazard. His writing also often seemed quite pedestrian, which brought me crashing back down to earth after the glorious heights of some of the passages he quoted. Finally, one scene towards the end of the book, which was supposed to be a climactic showdown between Jubber and the sultan who cheated Ferdowsi out of his promised reward for composing the Shahnameh, struck me as rather silly.
I appreciate the book for what I learned about Ferdowsi, and I now plan to read the Shahnameh in translation, and on that basis I am rating the book at a weak three stars. I just wish that Jubber had written a book that lived up to the importance of its subject.
However, Jubber's execution of the book does not live up to its promise. He intersperses a soap opera-esque story about the family he stayed with in Iran throughout much of the book, which I found jarring and not very engaging. The history he provides, although interesting, lacks a strong foundation in Jubber's deeper understanding of the cultural history of the region. As a result, his analysis is limited to surface-level observations about the apparent ubiquity of the Shahnameh in the region. Similarly, he could have benefited from a deeper understanding of the role of myth and narrative in human culture and belief. In addition, he chose to forego a chronological organization for the book, and while I usually like to see writers experiment with structure, in Jubber's case the book's organization seemed haphazard. His writing also often seemed quite pedestrian, which brought me crashing back down to earth after the glorious heights of some of the passages he quoted. Finally, one scene towards the end of the book, which was supposed to be a climactic showdown between Jubber and the sultan who cheated Ferdowsi out of his promised reward for composing the Shahnameh, struck me as rather silly.
I appreciate the book for what I learned about Ferdowsi, and I now plan to read the Shahnameh in translation, and on that basis I am rating the book at a weak three stars. I just wish that Jubber had written a book that lived up to the importance of its subject.
May 25, 2021
Bailed on this one at roughly the halfway point, finding the author a bit self-centered. After hanging out with a yuppie(ish) family in Tehran, he runs around Iran and Afghanistan going on and on about the poet Firdowsi, and the Farsi epic The Shahmaneh, neither of which interest me at all.
October 18, 2010
Is there anything new to say on the subject of Afghanistan and Pakistan? If there is, Nicholas Jubber hasn't found it. His slightly-original tack of tracing the plot of the epic "Shahnameh" doesn't end up adding anything of substance to his book, as he doesn't bother relating the events of the book to those of his journey. His own observations are much the same as anyone else who's ever visited Afghanistan and Pakistan: the Taliban were awful, the people are hospitable, and the culture is fascinating. I would have expected a little more depth and originality from Jubber, given how recent this book is, but he almost completely ignores the recent conflicts in the two countries and the geopolitical implications they have with the rest of the world. The ground he does cover has been well, well-trodden. Optional reading, and only if you're not acquainted with this area of the world already.
November 2, 2012
Author Nicholas Jubber writes of his fascination with the Persian poet Abolqsam Ferdowsi who wrote Shahnameh: The Epic of Kings 1000 years ago. His acquaintance with this work began with his language studies in Tehran (Jubber is British) where he meets many others who love and appreciate this 60,000 verse work of Persian history and legend.
"Ayran" (ancient Iran) encompassed the Persian (and derivative languages/dialects) speaking areas of today's Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Author Jubber travels to these places and finds people who similarly revere the work. He speaks with academics, thespians, and "Shahnameh-khwan" (readers or those who recite the verses from memory). Jubber is a beneficiary of the region's incredible hospitality. Poetry lovers take him into their homes and show him, a total stranger, places where they share some aspect of the poet or his work.
Some of the poem's stories are of heroes. The most famous is Rostam who tragically kills his own son. Some of the stories have messages such as that of Zahhak a ruler with snakes growing from his shoulders. The snakes require food- the brains of the young men of the kingdom.
The works are known throughout the Persian influenced world, they are Persian before they are Islamic. As Jubber says, like the Bible and the Quran, the text is easy to abuse. It spawns culture wars; During Iran's revolution, Islamists tried to take down the poet's sculpture in Tehran and the memorials at his home. In other areas of the country, small testaments to the poet are carefully guarded.
In Afghanistan, where Persian based Dari is spoken, the poet is revered but where Pashto is spoken he is forgotten or criticized. The Pashto revere Sultan Muhmud who ... "captured Uzbekistan and Pakistan, attacked Iran and crushed the Hindus in Somnath" according to a member of Sheikhan tribe which sends two of its members each day to guard the sultan's tomb. Sultan Muhmud humiliated the poet for unclear, but likely political and not artistic, reasons.
Jubbar, in pursuit of all things Ferdowsi becomes obsessed with visiting the tomb of the Sultan who offended the poet. The tomb is in Ghazani, Afghanistan and he is warned not to attempt a trip. It is dangerous for a foreigner to travel through Taliban controlled areas. He dons the shalwar qameez (baggy Afghan pants) and learns to walk in long strides like an Afghan. With a guide and a cover story (he's been struck mute from the war) they visit the Sultan's tomb, where Jubbar manages to get a moment alone to play a tape of Ferdowsi's satire of the Sultan.
This is an amazing recount. Jubber will not only raise your awareness of Persian culture and how it pre-dates and differs from Islamic culture, but will give you a unique and page turning travelogue as well. He makes you aware of how rulers will use or abuse this work to meet their political ends.
This book is not for everyone, but if you are interested in the topic, you will be very satisfied.
and --- as an aside --
I don't understand why the books about Iran all have such cute titles. Regardless of publisher, the titles belie the serious quality of the work... "Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn: A Hitchhiker's Adventures in the New Iran", "Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America and American in Iran" and "The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran" to name a few.
"Ayran" (ancient Iran) encompassed the Persian (and derivative languages/dialects) speaking areas of today's Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Author Jubber travels to these places and finds people who similarly revere the work. He speaks with academics, thespians, and "Shahnameh-khwan" (readers or those who recite the verses from memory). Jubber is a beneficiary of the region's incredible hospitality. Poetry lovers take him into their homes and show him, a total stranger, places where they share some aspect of the poet or his work.
Some of the poem's stories are of heroes. The most famous is Rostam who tragically kills his own son. Some of the stories have messages such as that of Zahhak a ruler with snakes growing from his shoulders. The snakes require food- the brains of the young men of the kingdom.
The works are known throughout the Persian influenced world, they are Persian before they are Islamic. As Jubber says, like the Bible and the Quran, the text is easy to abuse. It spawns culture wars; During Iran's revolution, Islamists tried to take down the poet's sculpture in Tehran and the memorials at his home. In other areas of the country, small testaments to the poet are carefully guarded.
In Afghanistan, where Persian based Dari is spoken, the poet is revered but where Pashto is spoken he is forgotten or criticized. The Pashto revere Sultan Muhmud who ... "captured Uzbekistan and Pakistan, attacked Iran and crushed the Hindus in Somnath" according to a member of Sheikhan tribe which sends two of its members each day to guard the sultan's tomb. Sultan Muhmud humiliated the poet for unclear, but likely political and not artistic, reasons.
Jubbar, in pursuit of all things Ferdowsi becomes obsessed with visiting the tomb of the Sultan who offended the poet. The tomb is in Ghazani, Afghanistan and he is warned not to attempt a trip. It is dangerous for a foreigner to travel through Taliban controlled areas. He dons the shalwar qameez (baggy Afghan pants) and learns to walk in long strides like an Afghan. With a guide and a cover story (he's been struck mute from the war) they visit the Sultan's tomb, where Jubbar manages to get a moment alone to play a tape of Ferdowsi's satire of the Sultan.
This is an amazing recount. Jubber will not only raise your awareness of Persian culture and how it pre-dates and differs from Islamic culture, but will give you a unique and page turning travelogue as well. He makes you aware of how rulers will use or abuse this work to meet their political ends.
This book is not for everyone, but if you are interested in the topic, you will be very satisfied.
and --- as an aside --
I don't understand why the books about Iran all have such cute titles. Regardless of publisher, the titles belie the serious quality of the work... "Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn: A Hitchhiker's Adventures in the New Iran", "Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America and American in Iran" and "The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran" to name a few.
July 3, 2010
This is a memoir of a British man in his mid-twenties living in Iran (and visiting Afghanistan) and discovering a culture he never expected. The contradictory nature of Iran is explored with Ferdowsi's Shahnameh (an epic poem about Persia's ancient kings written about 1000 years ago) as its axis -- through his understanding of the Shahnameh, and its importance to Persians, he comes to better understand Iran itself as well as Iran's place in the Middle East. That is, how it is similar, but also how it is set apart, and especially in how the Persians themselves view themselves as apart from many of the cultures surrounding them.
I won't say you get a complete, unbiased representation of Iranian thinking -- most of the people he encounters are the intellectual elite -- but it certainly taught me more about the Persian way of thinking than many of the other books I've read on the country and culture.
If, ultimately, Jubber comes off as having a somewhat sentimental view of Iran, it is only because he is reflecting how the Persians themselves view their country, their culture, and their history.
I won't say you get a complete, unbiased representation of Iranian thinking -- most of the people he encounters are the intellectual elite -- but it certainly taught me more about the Persian way of thinking than many of the other books I've read on the country and culture.
If, ultimately, Jubber comes off as having a somewhat sentimental view of Iran, it is only because he is reflecting how the Persians themselves view their country, their culture, and their history.
March 18, 2018
As far as travel writing goes, it is interesting, he keeps the reader engaged, and he has many interesting experiences that are fun to read about. While his interest in the Shanameh by the conclusion, in my opinion, feels confusing and disappointing. Although he meets some really interesting people that were fun to read about. Tamineh, a daughter to a professor in Tehran who has some enjoyable portions dedicated to her, and her brother introduced Nicholas to several other people that help shed some small light on different subcultures in Iran. In the end it is well written and easy to get through, especially if this is your first book on Iran, or the Middle East in general. But there are definitely others that are better.
May 7, 2017
There is much to love about this book - it beautifully captures the vibrant Persian/Iranian culture, and provides a brief portal into war torn Afghanistan - but it is not without flaws.
The authors decision to travel to Ghazni (in Afghanistan) is not particularly justified. He attempts to spin his trip as a chance for revenge for the Persian poet Ferdowsi against Arab Sultan Mahmud, but this rings hollow. It comes across as a transparent fiction, created for literary effect. If it is true, then Jubber comes across as incredibly naive, and in both cases he fails to justify endangering others with his covert journey into Afghanistan.
As a piece of 'travel writing', this is a splendid book. Though Jubber's prose is not perfectly consistent in its quality (early on I found myself irritated by cliches and poor phrasing) it is fairly impressive overall. He writes about scenes, people, culture, history and poetry with clarity and power - though naivety still hovers at the edge of his experience (I think particularly of his blindness with Tarouf, the Iranian code of politeness and hospitality, when it concerns himself).
Using the great Persian poem, the Shahnameh, as a foundation for this book was a masterful.
Despite my minor complaints, I would still highly recommend this wonderful book. It has provided me a glimpse of cultures with which I've had little experience.
The authors decision to travel to Ghazni (in Afghanistan) is not particularly justified. He attempts to spin his trip as a chance for revenge for the Persian poet Ferdowsi against Arab Sultan Mahmud, but this rings hollow. It comes across as a transparent fiction, created for literary effect. If it is true, then Jubber comes across as incredibly naive, and in both cases he fails to justify endangering others with his covert journey into Afghanistan.
As a piece of 'travel writing', this is a splendid book. Though Jubber's prose is not perfectly consistent in its quality (early on I found myself irritated by cliches and poor phrasing) it is fairly impressive overall. He writes about scenes, people, culture, history and poetry with clarity and power - though naivety still hovers at the edge of his experience (I think particularly of his blindness with Tarouf, the Iranian code of politeness and hospitality, when it concerns himself).
Using the great Persian poem, the Shahnameh, as a foundation for this book was a masterful.
Despite my minor complaints, I would still highly recommend this wonderful book. It has provided me a glimpse of cultures with which I've had little experience.
January 13, 2022
This book embodies a lot of what made me interested in other cultures and history since I was a kid. Jubber's deep dive into Iran, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan made me feel like I was actually there, gritty sand crunching between my teeth. This book helped me better understand Persian and Pashto identity crises and the politicization of this central Asian region. Jubber's grappling of the nuances of Sultan Mahmud's legacy was a very satisfying conclusion.
Also, it amazed me how much hitchhiking he was able to safely do.
Also, it amazed me how much hitchhiking he was able to safely do.
October 21, 2022
A fascinating journey looking at how an ancient Persian poem has retained its popularity in modern day Iran despite the regime changes bent on stamping it out.
A little heavy handed with the history sometimes, but nevertheless a fascinating read for those interested in history/poetry, or just want to learn about the two sides to Iranian culture.
A little heavy handed with the history sometimes, but nevertheless a fascinating read for those interested in history/poetry, or just want to learn about the two sides to Iranian culture.
January 31, 2025
The British author tells of spending 2009 in Iran with side trips to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan following the life path of the most famous Persian poet, Ferdowsi. Ferdowsi lived around 1000 AD and Persians claim him partly as a way of identifying as non-Arab Muslims.
July 17, 2021
I almost never bail on books, but this one really didn't seem to have substance. I made it halfway and wish I hadn't.
November 15, 2022
Now I need to read The Shamaneah
February 2, 2011
‘Bare-chested backgammon in a brothel – don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.’
This is an interesting combination of travelogue and history. Armed with an 11th century epic poem, Nicholas Jubber travels to Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi around 1000 CE, the Shahnameh (Book of Kings) consists of some 60,0000 couplets – about four times the length of the combined Odyssey and Iliad. The Shahnameh is both mythical and historical: it contains the stories of the shahs from the prehistoric Gayomart to the fateful reign of Yazdegerd III which saw the Arab invasion of 637 CE. Although the Shahnameh is considered heresy by Islamic mullahs because of its celebration of Iran’s pre-Islamic past, it is revered by many Iranians.
The stories and verses, harking back to pre-Islamic Zoroastrian beliefs, pop up in paintings, puppet shows, everyday proverbs, contemporary thrash metal lyrics, and even lurk behind religious festivals. The tale of the legendary hero Rostam was recited by soldiers to bolster their courage during the Iran/Iraq war.
The Shahnameh becomes Nicholas Jubber’s passport into households in Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia: the epic is a unifying factor from a past when this part of the world was part of the same empire and shared the same Persian culture.
After a brief visit to Central Asia (including backgammon in a brothel), and after earning to walk like an Afghan (in a straight line, and taking bigger steps) Nicholas Jubber heads off to Afghanistan. He wants to trace the steps of Ferdowsi, who took his epic to Sultan Mahmud. Alas, Nicholas Jubber’s journey took him through Helmand Province and into Taliban country, where he had to pretend to be mute to try to hide his foreignness.
In Afghanistan, too, the Shahnameh sheds light. An Afghan mujahid tells Nicholas Jubber that ‘If you read the Shahnameh, you can understand why we will never let foreigners rule our country’.
I enjoyed this book, and to some extent the quirky title sums up why. If you are interested in reading a book about this region that draws on its shared cultural history, then this book may interest you.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
This is an interesting combination of travelogue and history. Armed with an 11th century epic poem, Nicholas Jubber travels to Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi around 1000 CE, the Shahnameh (Book of Kings) consists of some 60,0000 couplets – about four times the length of the combined Odyssey and Iliad. The Shahnameh is both mythical and historical: it contains the stories of the shahs from the prehistoric Gayomart to the fateful reign of Yazdegerd III which saw the Arab invasion of 637 CE. Although the Shahnameh is considered heresy by Islamic mullahs because of its celebration of Iran’s pre-Islamic past, it is revered by many Iranians.
The stories and verses, harking back to pre-Islamic Zoroastrian beliefs, pop up in paintings, puppet shows, everyday proverbs, contemporary thrash metal lyrics, and even lurk behind religious festivals. The tale of the legendary hero Rostam was recited by soldiers to bolster their courage during the Iran/Iraq war.
The Shahnameh becomes Nicholas Jubber’s passport into households in Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia: the epic is a unifying factor from a past when this part of the world was part of the same empire and shared the same Persian culture.
After a brief visit to Central Asia (including backgammon in a brothel), and after earning to walk like an Afghan (in a straight line, and taking bigger steps) Nicholas Jubber heads off to Afghanistan. He wants to trace the steps of Ferdowsi, who took his epic to Sultan Mahmud. Alas, Nicholas Jubber’s journey took him through Helmand Province and into Taliban country, where he had to pretend to be mute to try to hide his foreignness.
In Afghanistan, too, the Shahnameh sheds light. An Afghan mujahid tells Nicholas Jubber that ‘If you read the Shahnameh, you can understand why we will never let foreigners rule our country’.
I enjoyed this book, and to some extent the quirky title sums up why. If you are interested in reading a book about this region that draws on its shared cultural history, then this book may interest you.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
April 25, 2012
A rich account of learning Farsi in Tehran and reading the Shahnameh ("The Book of Kings" written in the 10th century) while staying in the home of a literature professor at Tehran University and then traveling to the birthplace of the poet and later to Afghanistan.
The book is fascinating on many levels. First, the poem is known to all literate and many illiterate speakers of Persian (Farsi) which includes Tajik (Tajikistan) and Dari spoken in much of Afghanistan. There's no equivalent in English at all starting with the fact that even Shakespearean English is difficult for many of us. Persian, perhaps uniquely, is little changed over the centuries and over the wide area in which it is spoken, so the Shahnameh can be read and understood today. Further, many people have memorized it or large parts of it even though it is literally of epic length - 60,000 verses according to Wikipedia.
Second, Jubber's experience staying with the professor in his home, which includes his wife - not secluded inside the home - and two 20 something children - one man and one woman. So there's much about the difference between the inside - which is freewheeling - and the outside where behavior is restricted.
Jubber travels to Afghanistan because he wants to go to Ghazni - in eastern Afghanistan - to see where Shah Mahmud, then the major political figure between Iran and India and who dismissed Ferdowsi's magnum opus after he especially travelled to present the Shahnameh to Shah Mahmud - had his court.
Jubber's travel across Afghanistan was after 9/11/2001 so it was extremely hazardous, not to say even foolhardy. He was escorted by a multi-lingual guide from Herat (western Afghanistan.) Jubber had to pretend to be mute so that it wouldn't be obvious that he was not an Afghan.
And there's more. Altogether a gripping story for anyone with an interest in Iran, Afghanistan, Persian history etc etc etc.
The book is fascinating on many levels. First, the poem is known to all literate and many illiterate speakers of Persian (Farsi) which includes Tajik (Tajikistan) and Dari spoken in much of Afghanistan. There's no equivalent in English at all starting with the fact that even Shakespearean English is difficult for many of us. Persian, perhaps uniquely, is little changed over the centuries and over the wide area in which it is spoken, so the Shahnameh can be read and understood today. Further, many people have memorized it or large parts of it even though it is literally of epic length - 60,000 verses according to Wikipedia.
Second, Jubber's experience staying with the professor in his home, which includes his wife - not secluded inside the home - and two 20 something children - one man and one woman. So there's much about the difference between the inside - which is freewheeling - and the outside where behavior is restricted.
Jubber travels to Afghanistan because he wants to go to Ghazni - in eastern Afghanistan - to see where Shah Mahmud, then the major political figure between Iran and India and who dismissed Ferdowsi's magnum opus after he especially travelled to present the Shahnameh to Shah Mahmud - had his court.
Jubber's travel across Afghanistan was after 9/11/2001 so it was extremely hazardous, not to say even foolhardy. He was escorted by a multi-lingual guide from Herat (western Afghanistan.) Jubber had to pretend to be mute so that it wouldn't be obvious that he was not an Afghan.
And there's more. Altogether a gripping story for anyone with an interest in Iran, Afghanistan, Persian history etc etc etc.
January 27, 2018
Was ok. Readable.
May 6, 2024
As a neophyte to Iran and Afghanistan, this book was actually quite interesting. Even though it's such a cliché to say, this book opened my mind and made me more compassionate toward middle eastern people and their world. I picked up a lot of information regarding the origins of Islamic rule in Iran and Afghanistan.
October 5, 2021
If you would like to take a journey through Iran, Central Asia, and Afghanistan without actually having to put your life in danger, I highly recommend this book. Nick Jubber takes you along with him on his own quest and really makes you feel like you are there. I gained eye-opening insight into the culture of a region most American schools gloss over. I only wish that there was more of a perspective on the women in the society, but perhaps their invisibility in the book is entirely representative of their invisibility in the culture. Highly recommend.
June 18, 2023
The author obviously knows the Persian literature he writes about. He has many important footnotes and graphs that are important to learn from but slow down the progress to someone looking for a fast read. I learned a lot, and it would deserve five stars for that alone..
But he tries way too hard to be cutesy. He kept jumping between Tehran and Afghanistan in an attempt at suspense.. I would have enjoyed it more had he just gone with the chronology. I suggest a new reader to try to jump among chapters to do that.
But he tries way too hard to be cutesy. He kept jumping between Tehran and Afghanistan in an attempt at suspense.. I would have enjoyed it more had he just gone with the chronology. I suggest a new reader to try to jump among chapters to do that.
September 16, 2013
A great introduction to Iran and Afghanistan i know so little off except from the news media, and particularly the former - which I'll be travelling to for the first time in my life this year. I found his relentless determination to learn and know more about the Ferdowsi and the Shahnameh to be intriguing yet fascinating. Easy to read, Nicholas writes like he's talking to a friend which I found to be engaging throughout the book (and essentially his journey).
January 25, 2011
The story of insights gained while Jubber was travelling Iran and Afghanistan was beautifully told. I also enjoyed the historical insights _ but after awhile felt that he was repeating himself too much. I thought his experiences needed to culminate as the book was going so that by the end you had an "ah-ha" moment. Didn't happen, at least for me.
January 22, 2015
We all know how important it is to speak the local language I suppose especially when going to countries like Afghanistan in many situations that's crucial. This book proofs it and Nicholas did really excellent job by writing it down from a perspective of someone who was truly prepared for a journey when others are mostly only a tourists.
October 19, 2011
A lot of interesting information about the culture of Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, but the truth is I got a bit confused with his back and forth in the time travel. But I liked it. Sort of. Enough to finish it!
January 25, 2013
This book gave me another look at the middle east. Helped me to realize that not all of the Persians are fanatical, sword wielding musloids..It had a lot of good historical info on the middle east area too and how the Ferdowsi really impacts that area centuries later.
November 23, 2015
Really great travel writing, plus it got me interested in reading another book, the ancient book whose path the author traced in this one. All about the Persian-speaking world of Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia...
July 28, 2010
I liked the mixture of history and travel and the young energy of the book. He is a curious and imaginative traveller.
Read
August 3, 2011I thought it was a nice way to look at some of the culture of Persia in this day and age.
June 16, 2013
Was hoping for a more current in-depth discussion of Iran and Afghanistan, but still found the book interesting.
September 24, 2014
Mildly interesting but nothing really captivating about any of it.
June 16, 2010
A fantastic read indeed!!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews