tasmanian_bibliophile's review
3.0
‘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
jmkmirkes's review
3.0
Was hoping for a more current in-depth discussion of Iran and Afghanistan, but still found the book interesting.
anniehines's review
4.0
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.
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