Comments on: Land of the High Flags: Afghanistan When the Going Was Good, by Rosanne Klass http://registan.net/index.php/2007/11/11/land-of-the-high-flags-afghanistan-when-the-going-was-good-by-roseann-klass/ All Central Asia, All The Time Fri, 25 May 2012 20:24:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Joshua Foust http://registan.net/index.php/2007/11/11/land-of-the-high-flags-afghanistan-when-the-going-was-good-by-roseann-klass/comment-page-1/#comment-375873 Joshua Foust Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:20:26 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2007/11/11/land-of-the-high-flags-afghanistan-when-the-going-was-good-by-roseann-klass/#comment-375873 Ms. Klass, thank you for the response and corrections. I will confess to having written the review at the end of a long day at work, and without the benefit of an editor to catch my frankly lazy mistakes (both are somewhat embarrassing). So I do apologize, and please note the errors were corrected. And you're right that Herat's glorious architecture is being turned into something stale and lifeless. Some time ago, I mentioned in a post a story about Herat's "<a href="http://www.registan.net/index.php/2007/05/24/afghanistans-naro-culture/" rel="nofollow">narcotechiture</a>," or the hideous nouveau-riche buildings being erected by drug money. You may find it of interest. Ms. Klass, thank you for the response and corrections. I will confess to having written the review at the end of a long day at work, and without the benefit of an editor to catch my frankly lazy mistakes (both are somewhat embarrassing). So I do apologize, and please note the errors were corrected.

And you’re right that Herat’s glorious architecture is being turned into something stale and lifeless. Some time ago, I mentioned in a post a story about Herat’s “narcotechiture,” or the hideous nouveau-riche buildings being erected by drug money. You may find it of interest.

]]> By: Rosanne Klass http://registan.net/index.php/2007/11/11/land-of-the-high-flags-afghanistan-when-the-going-was-good-by-roseann-klass/comment-page-1/#comment-375872 Rosanne Klass Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:32:24 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2007/11/11/land-of-the-high-flags-afghanistan-when-the-going-was-good-by-roseann-klass/#comment-375872 I am certainly not going to take isue with such a complementary review, for which I most heartily thank you. I would, however, like to make a couple of corrections and one comment: the brilliant political figure who headed my school and later played a major role in the constitutional movement was Dr. Abdul Kayeum, not Mohammad Kayeum. Secondly, if you don't mind, my name is spelled Rosanne. And finally, you can reassure AG that I did indeed give credit to Shahrukh, his wife, and his successors after recounting the depredations of Genghisi. But I am told that now, after the ruin inflicted by Soviet rockets, Herat is, alas, being rebuilt into a modern nonentity of concrete and tarmac. I'm glad you liked the book. I hope that others will, too. Rosanne Klass I am certainly not going to take isue with such a complementary review, for which I most heartily thank you. I would, however, like to make a couple of corrections and one comment: the brilliant political figure who headed my school and later played a major role in the constitutional movement was Dr. Abdul Kayeum, not Mohammad Kayeum. Secondly, if you don’t mind, my name is spelled Rosanne. And finally, you can reassure AG that I did indeed give credit to Shahrukh, his wife, and his successors after recounting the depredations of Genghisi. But I am told that now, after the ruin inflicted by Soviet rockets, Herat is, alas, being rebuilt into a modern nonentity of concrete and tarmac.
I’m glad you liked the book. I hope that others will, too.
Rosanne Klass

]]> By: AG http://registan.net/index.php/2007/11/11/land-of-the-high-flags-afghanistan-when-the-going-was-good-by-roseann-klass/comment-page-1/#comment-375870 AG Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:07:38 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2007/11/11/land-of-the-high-flags-afghanistan-when-the-going-was-good-by-roseann-klass/#comment-375870 What is one to make of the Timurids inside Afghanistan as well? Shahrukh Khan rebuilt Herat as the center of culture and most of the glories of present day Herat go back to those days. There might be slightly more to the story than blaming it all on the Mongols (not that they helped anything). Though I suspect this trope is necessary if you buy into the whole modernist Afghan nationalist project. What is one to make of the Timurids inside Afghanistan as well? Shahrukh Khan rebuilt Herat as the center of culture and most of the glories of present day Herat go back to those days.

There might be slightly more to the story than blaming it all on the Mongols (not that they helped anything). Though I suspect this trope is necessary if you buy into the whole modernist Afghan nationalist project.

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