{"product_id":"radio-free-afghanistan-a-twentyyear-odyssey-for-an-independent-voice-in-kabul-isbn-9780063299801","title":"Radio Free Afghanistan: A Twenty-Year Odyssey for an Independent Voice in Kabul","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom \u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e 100 honoree Saad Mohseni, the deeply moving and surprising memoir of resilience and the attempt to build a truly independent media company in contemporary Afghanistan.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSaad Mohseni, chairman and CEO of Moby Group, Afghanistan’s largest media company, charts a twenty-year effort to bring a free press to his country after years of Taliban rule, and how that effort persists even after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the heady early days of the American occupation, Mohseni returns to Kabul—a pivotal moment in modern Afghanistan history—which he had last seen as a child before the Soviet invasion. Casting about for ways to be involved in the dawn of a new Afghanistan, Mohseni makes what seems like a quixotic decision to leave the comforts of a career in international banking to start a Kabul radio station with his three siblings. This unlikely venture quickly blossoms into a burgeoning television empire, bringing Mohseni and his family and employees into sometimes uncomfortable contact with everyone who has a stake in the country—from the government of Hamid Karzai to White House officials. Moreover, their radio and television networks soon become a necessary beacon for millions of Afghans, who rely on them not just for independent news but for joyful pleasures like soap operas and \u003ci\u003eAfghan Star\u003c\/i\u003e, a beloved national singing competition in a country whose previous rulers had banned (and would again ban) music.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMohseni’s position at Moby affords him unique insights into this extraordinary yet troubled country, the youngest in the world outside of Sub-Saharan Africa, and his powerful account of journalism in a conflict zone captures the spirit and resilience of the Afghan people—notably the hundreds of men and women still working in Moby's Kabul office today, who, once again under Taliban rule, create programs, report the news, and educate the public.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eRadio Free Afghanistan\u003c\/i\u003e is a stunning, vibrant portrait of a nation in turmoil, poised between despair and hope.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis gripping account goes behind the headlines to reveal the human story of a nation’s fight for its own voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Free Press Under Fire:\u003c\/b\u003e Go inside the unprecedented effort to build Afghanistan’s largest independent media company against a backdrop of war, political intrigue, and the return of Taliban rule.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eInsider’s Geopolitical Account:\u003c\/b\u003e Gain a unique perspective on the American occupation, the Karzai and Ghani governments, and White House policy from a media CEO with a seat at the table.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eCulture Against Conflict:\u003c\/b\u003e Discover the surprising story of creating beloved, culture-shifting shows like the national singing competition \u003ci\u003eAfghan Star\u003c\/i\u003e in a country where the Taliban had once banned music.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eUnshakeable Afghan Spirit:\u003c\/b\u003e Witness the profound resilience of the Afghan people, particularly the brave men and women who continue reporting the news from Kabul today.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Saad Mohseni did more to change Afghanistan than any single person, and more than all the diplomats and soldiers combined. This fine book tells the story of how one man and the company he created brought a benighted country into the modern age.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDexter Filkins, author of The Forever War\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Saad Mohseni is one of the most remarkable figures in modern Afghanistan—brave, entrepreneurial, with a knack for imagining the impossible—he transformed the Afghan media landscape and brought serious news, and exceptional entertainment to millions in the most testing circumstances imaginable.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRory Stewart, author of The Places in Between\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A start-up tale like no other. Saad Mohseni’s memoir is a skeleton key not only to the war in Afghanistan but to global media, diplomacy, and development in the twenty-first century. A gift for historians, both passionate and knowing—and a page-turner to boot.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNick McDonell, author of Quiet Street\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Impassioned . . . . It is the subtleties that make \u003cem\u003eRadio Free Afghanistan\u003c\/em\u003e perhaps the best of the memoirs of Afghanistan so far published, simply for Mohseni’s perspective on the quixotic and ultimately failed American effort to bring democracy and rid the country of the Taliban . . . he must take a place in the pantheon of editors and publishers who have successfully navigated the toughest working environments in journalism.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eRadio Free Afghanistan\u003c\/em\u003e is the extraordinary memoir of a remarkable man. It is also the ultimate insider's guide to the recent history of Afghanistan: witty, wise, frank and perceptive, more than any other book recent book it reveals the reasons for the failure of the western attempt to impose democracy in Afghanistan and gives an incredibly intimate portrait of the men and women who have shaped that tragic history.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWilliam Dalrymple\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Mohseni nimbly balances moving reflections on his connection to his homeland with fascinating insider information on running a media empire. It’s a fascinating firsthand lens on 21st-century Afghanistan.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A moving account of light brought to the Afghan audience, tragically eclipsed.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"It may seem an overstatement to call a book about a radio station a hero’s journey, but that is how this memoir by Mohseni, chairman and CEO of Moby Group, Afghanistan’s largest media company, reads . . . . Mohseni is also an excellent observer of small details, such as when he describes soft-shell Afghan almonds, which he grew up loving. With the Taliban now back in control of Afghanistan, Mohseni’s fascinating tale is more relevant than ever.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The amazing Saad Mohseni has been a voice for freedom in Afghanistan for two decades. His new book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the long, painful battle for a modern Afghanistan in which I’m convinced Saad and his friends will eventually triumph.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDavid Ignatius\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890638352613,"sku":"NP9780063299801","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780063299801.jpg?v=1730233741","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/radio-free-afghanistan-a-twentyyear-odyssey-for-an-independent-voice-in-kabul-isbn-9780063299801","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}