A review by roach
Buzkashi, Game and Power in Afghanistan by G. Whitney Azoy

informative medium-paced

5.0

 
"Here," he said with an eyebrow arched across the pinstriped reception, "here we are always shaking hands and calling each other Excellency. If you want to know what we're really like, go to a buzkashi game."

When I started to fill the gap in my education about the Middle East, specifically Afghanistan, I started out with the country's history and political development. But after that first groundwork, what I was really interested in was the cultural aspects of this country that is so often reduced to its history of turmoil. Azoy's book about the traditional sport of buzkashi gave me all of that: A thorough and passionate insight into a uniquely Afghan past-time and its purpose in society.

I went into this book expecting to learn about the origins and rules of this sport that involves a group of horseriders fighting for the possession of a goat or calf carcass, but I got much more out of it. The depth of the organizational process for such a communal event and the political elements that are at play during these festivities are dissected with a lot of ambition and precision.
Although the subject might seem so super specific, this book gives an amazing insight into the life and values of Afghan people and the author adds a certain personal charm as well through his first-hand accounts with these people.

If you're interested in this country, I highly recommend hunting this book down. 
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