The Carpet Wars is a sampler of informal writing from Australian journalist (and avid carpet collector) Christopher Kremmer over ten years in Central Asia.  Since most of it was written, and concerns events, before 9/11, when the area was not established in the West's cultural radar as it is today, it gives a view of the region that is uncluttered by hindsight reevaluations.
Kremmer writes of his time in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikstan, Kashmir, and Iran, giving us colorful and non-journalistic slices of life from each region.  He enlivens his writings with vivid character studies of those he met on his travels, from dignitaries like ill-fated Afghan dictator Mohammed Najibullah and legendary guerilla Ahmad Shah Massoud to various carpet dealers Kremmer got to know over his time in the region.  Between these character sketches and Kremmer's anecdotes, he delivers measured doses of regional history and politics, and he imparts a surprising amount of information about his favorite hobby, the Asian carpet.
The result is more than just some very entertaining travel writing.  Kremmer's lively and discursive work also functions as an excellent introduction to the Central Asian economy and politics.  Besides being for those who just like to read about travel in interesting foreign parts, The Carpet Wars will also be useful for non-scholars who want to have some idea how movements like the Taliban came to be, but want to take a spoonful of sugar with this medicine.
(Kremmer's book also taught me that I'll never know enough to bargain effectively for an Asian carpet -- but his rueful and wry work also admits that there is a certain pleasure in being cheated.)
The Carpet Wars is a sampler of informal writing from Australian journalist (and avid carpet collector) Christopher Kremmer over ten years in Central Asia. Since most of it was written, and concerns events, before 9/11, when the area was not established in the West's cultural radar as it is today, it gives a view of the region that is uncluttered by hindsight reevaluations. Kremmer writes of his time in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikstan, Kashmir, and Iran, giving us colorful and non-journalistic slices of life from each region. He enlivens his writings with vivid character studies of those he met on his travels, from dignitaries like ill-fated Afghan dictator Mohammed Najibullah and legendary guerilla Ahmad Shah Massoud to various carpet dealers Kremmer got to know over his time in the region. Between these character sketches and Kremmer's anecdotes, he delivers measured doses of regional history and politics, and he imparts a surprising amount of information about his favorite hobby, the Asian carpet. The result is more than just some very entertaining travel writing. Kremmer's lively and discursive work also functions as an excellent introduction to the Central Asian economy and politics. Besides being for those who just like to read about travel in interesting foreign parts, The Carpet Wars will also be useful for non-scholars who want to have some idea how movements like the Taliban came to be, but want to take a spoonful of sugar with this medicine. (Kremmer's book also taught me that I'll never know enough to bargain effectively for an Asian carpet -- but his rueful and wry work also admits that there is a certain pleasure in being cheated. )