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Reviews
No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War through Afghan Eyes by Anand Gopal
johndiconsiglio's review against another edition
2.0
A noble attempt to chronicle the Afghanistan war from the Afghan perspective. Journalist Gopal is at his best telling the nation’s tragic story through 3 characters: a Taliban fighter, a US-allied warlord & an ordinary housewife. Less interesting are his 30,000-feet-above-the-Hindi-Kush observations. Refreshing to look through eyes other than American soldiers or Western reporters. There’s powerful, moving stuff here. But the histories & stories blur together. Disclaimer: I have war-writing fatigue. But, ultimately, one desert outpost & war-ravaged goat farm looks like another. Drags early, picks up.
emmacarina's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: War and Sexual violence
marandacantrell's review against another edition
5.0
So we’ll written and eye opening. I wanted to learn more about the war in Afghanistan, and I believe this book is a great place to start. Gopal does an amazing job of describing the landscape, introducing the tribal systems, and providing in depth interviews from these people who have lived this awful reality. Go read it!
nattygsmith's review against another edition
5.0
While this book was published in 2014, there is no question that the stories it tells are still deeply relevant today. Gopal has managed to illuminate the lives of several very different people trying to survive and thrive in Afghanistan. While reading, it is easy to forget about the work Gopal had to have done to get these stories, let alone the very real experiences that the subjects lived (and died) through. I learned a lot about Afghanistan, and it was refreshing to read a book that did not pretend to have the answers about what can help that region. This a heartbreaking but also deeply necessary piece of work.
lsaligmander's review against another edition
5.0
What I appreciated most about this book was it’s apparent objectivity. It showed both the sympathetic and unsympathetic moments of individuals on all sides of the conflict. Gopal should be praised for the way he was able to gain the trust and connections he did, often with people who were bitter enemies of one another. I also appreciated how the only character who seemed “good” through and through was Heela, and it made me smile to think there may be good women among the living, if not men. I would really love a part 2 which looks at post 2021 Afghanistan, not sure if Gopal is planning to return.
lwarburton's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
4.5
A good beginning novel if you want to dig deeper into not only the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan since 1979 but also the political and cultural dynamics of the country. Told in a very accessible way as well.
lilylikesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Really solid read and I learned a lot. It felt a bit repetitive by the end, and I definitely think he, uh, how to put it gently? Could’ve been slightly less sympathetic to the Taliban